All Times Eastern. PBS programming varies regionally.
Wednesday, Jan. 10
Prison Brides
Lifetime, 9:35pm
New Series!
While they started off as prison pen pals, these women fell hard and found themselves willing to risk it all for love with a man behind bars. The docuseries follows these ladies as they travel from their homes — many visiting the United States for the first time — to meet their prisoner fiancés or husbands to chart their futures together.
The Infomercials That Sold Us
FOX Nation
New Series!
Comedian and host Dennis Miller provides a nostalgic and poignant look back at the years when infomercials ruled late-night TV, featuring interviews with the colorful characters who made these ads so entertaining. Over the course of three episodes, Miller takes viewers through the days when infomercials were lucrative, and all celebrities wanted in on the action. The docuseries features interviews with Hollywood fan favorites, including the late Suzanne Somers, who sat down for one of her final in-depth interviews prior to her passing in October 2023. Additional appearances are made by Tony Robbins, Brooke Burke, Melissa Rivers, Leeza Gibbons, Billy Blanks, Vince Offer and many more. “I am very proud to be a part of this project,” Miller says. “It’s easy to dismiss the Willy Lomans who hawked products on late night TV as nothing more than easy punchlines. But The Infomercials That Sold Us shows us the humanity of these pitch people; who came from nothing and, armed with self-belief and perhaps a fine mop, made themselves wealthy and famous. It’s the ultimate American success story.”
The Trust: A Game of Greed
Netflix
New Series!
Brooke Baldwin hosts this reality competition in which 11 strangers are given a quarter of a million dollars to split evenly. Will they take their fair share? Or will the allure of more money cause them to vote each other out and keep more for themselves? In this game, everyone starts as winners, and they can all leave as winners — if they choose to share. New episodes drop weekly.
Nature: “Big Little Journeys: Home”
PBS, 8pm
Starting tonight, and continuing the next two Wednesdays, the three-part Nature miniseries “Big Little Journeys” follows small animal travelers that risk it all to complete big journeys against the odds. In tonight’s installment, a tiny turtle in Canada ventures through a forest of giants in search of the lake where she will spend the next 50 years of her life, while in South Africa, a young bush baby is drawn toward a world of light in his quest to find a new home.
TCM Spotlight: Columbia Pictures 100th Anniversary
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
As Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Wednesday night salute to Columbia Pictures, which celebrates its centennial this month, continues, we move into some of the studio’s notable productions of the 1940s and ’50s. Up first is the classic film noir Gilda (1946), led by Rita Hayworth in an iconic performance as the titular femme fatale alongside Glenn Ford. After that is Best Director Oscar nominee George Cukor’s Best Picture-nominated comedy/drama Born Yesterday (1950), starring Best Actress winner Judy Holliday. Next is the TCM premiere of another Three Stooges short: You Natzy Spy! (1940); led by Moe, Larry and Curly, it is the first anti-Nazi comedy film released in Hollywood. Moving into late night, the lineup presents Best Director winner Elia Kazan’s Best Picture-winning drama On the Waterfront (1954), led by Best Actor winner Marlon Brando, Best Supporting Actress winner Eva Marie Saint, and Best Supporting Actor nominees Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger. Wrapping things up early tomorrow are the Western Ride Lonesome (1959), led by Randolph Scott and featuring James Coburn’s film debut, and the Best Picture-nominated drama The Caine Mutiny (1954), led by Best Actor nominee Humphrey Bogart.
NBA Basketball
ABC & ESPN, beginning at 8:30pm Live
Wednesday night NBA action tips off on ABC with the New Orleans Pelicans at the Golden State Warriors. Then on ESPN, the Denver Nuggets visit the Utah Jazz.
Democracy 24: FOX News Town Hall With Donald Trump
FOX News Channel, 9pm Live
Chief political anchor Bret Baier and The Story anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum will co-moderate town halls with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tonight from Des Moines, Iowa. Trump will take questions from Baier and MacCallum in front of a live audience.
Booked: First Day In
A&E, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Every year in America, nearly 9 million people are arrested and booked into jail. Each one-hour episode of this insightful series follows the story of arrestees as they move through the system and recount what ultimately led to their time in jail. From both the arrestees’ and the officers’ points of view, viewers will be taken on a harrowing adventure as they watch the entire booking process.
FBI True: “Oklahoma City: Catching an American Monster”
CBS, 10pm
This true-crime series from Paramount+ continues on CBS with “Oklahoma City: Catching an American Monster.” In April 1995, a devastating explosion rips through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, forcing FBI investigators on a rescue mission while searching for clues about the terrorist.
Thursday, Jan. 11
Boy Swallows Universe
Netflix
New Series!
This Australian drama based on Trent Dalton’s semiautobiographical novel is an epic coming-of-age story set in 1980s Brisbane that blends the magic and innocence of youth with the brutal reality of the adult world. Even with a lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious criminal for a babysitter, Eli Bell (Felix Cameron) is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way.
SkyMed
Paramount+
Season Premiere!
The new season of this Canadian drama that follows the triumphs and tribulations of young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across Northern Canada features nine episodes (available today) that weave together intense personal journeys with jaw-dropping medical rescues in the most remote conditions. Season 2 thrusts the medical responders into intense emergencies as they continue to rely on each other for survival. As SkyMed expands, there will be all new hookups, heartbreaks and challenges on the job.
Ted
Peacock
New Series!
This “prequel event series” to the comedic (and R-rated) Ted movie franchise features Seth MacFarlane as executive producer/writer/director/co-showrunner, and again providing the voice for the titular teddy bear. The series is set in 1993, when Ted’s moment of fame has passed. He is now living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts, with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder), along with John’s parents, Matty and Susan (Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach), and cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham). Ted may be a lousy influence on John, but at the end of the day, he is a loyal pal always willing to go out on a limb for friendship.
The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger
INSP, 8pm
New Series!
INSP’s latest historical docudrama chronicles the exploits of frontiersman Jim Bridger (Rib Hillis), who explored the entire distant West and survived countless hair-raising adventures. Whether those exploits were real or embellished by Bridger himself, this series uses them as an entry into the heart of American folklore. As Bridger guides a new wave of Americans heading west, he must help them survive the same life-and-death situations that made him a legend. In tonight’s episode, Bridger restores order when his second-in-command crosses the line from discipline to cruelty.
The Power of Film: “Part 2 — Trapped Between Fate & Destiny”
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
This episode looks at memorable films featuring a central character who endures loss and ultimately escapes whatever has trapped them in their lives, whether it be physically, emotionally or situationally. Representative titles following the episode are Citizen Kane (1941), Network (1976), The Miracle Worker (1962) and Casablanca (1942).
SEAL Team
CBS, 9pm
Paramount+ military drama SEAL Team continues on CBS with a two-episode story arc from Season 5. In “Head On” and “Violence of Action,” Bravo Team heads to South America to thwart an Iranian nuclear project, while tensions about Jason’s (David Boreanaz) leadership are at an all-time high.
Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip: Spanish Vacation
FOX, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Chef Gordon Ramsay hits the road with his friends and colleagues, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix, to enjoy the sights, adventures and hidden culinary gems of Spain in a new installment of this travel series.
Children Ruin Everything
The CW, 9:30pm
Season Premiere!
In the first episode of Season 3, titled “Therapy,” Astrid (Meaghan Rath) and James (Aaron Abrams) wrestle with different opinions on an important decision affecting Viv (Mikayla SwamiNathan).
Undercover: Caught on Tape
A&E, 10pm
New Series!
Living in secrecy and often unrecognized beyond their tightest circles, these agents rarely get to tell their stories, until now. Get firsthand accounts of dangerous criminal investigations from those closest to the action — the undercover agents who are on the front lines, often risking their lives to gather evidence that may help take criminals off the streets. Each episode includes surveillance video and audio recordings from actual investigations to reveal the critical moments that could make or break a case.
Friday, Jan. 12
Lift
Netflix
Original Film!
This heist comedy was originally slated to debut on Netflix last August but was postponed due to the actors strike. It finds a band of expert criminals recruited to prevent a terrorist attack by doing what they do best — robbing the rich. It’s a simple “lift,” nothing complicated — other than the fact that the heist, involving $500 million in gold, will take place on a passenger plane at 40,000 feet. Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Vincent D’Onofrio lead the cast.
Love Is Blind: Sweden
Netflix
New Series!
The popular dating experiment series lands in Sweden as 32 local singles seek true love and propose marriage, all before seeing each other in person. Swedish television presenter and reporter Jessica Almenäs hosts. The first four episodes drop today, followed by four more next Friday. The weddings episode will be available Jan. 26, and a reunion episode will conclude the season on a date that had yet to be determined at presstime.
The Traitors
Peacock
Season Premiere!
The reality competition series returns for Season 2, again hosted by Alan Cumming. The first three episodes stream today; subsequent episodes will drop Thursdays at 9pm ET. This season also features an official aftershow following each episode, offering additional footage and interviews with eliminated contestants.
Role Play
Prime Video
Original Film!
In this action comedy, Kaley Cuoco plays Emma, who has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey. She also has another life as an assassin for hire, a secret that her husband, Dave (David Oyelowo), discovers when the couple decides to spice up their marriage with a little role-playing. Connie Nielsen and Bill Nighy also star.
TCM Morning & Afternoon Movies: “The Saint” Marathon
TCM, beginning at 6:15am
Catch a Classic!
Vigilante investigator Simon Templar, nicknamed The Saint, is the focus of today’s lineup. Eight of the 10 films adapted from the action thriller series by British author Leslie Charteris will air this morning into the afternoon, including The Saint in New York (1938), The Saint Strikes Back (1939), The Saint in London (1939), The Saint’s Double Trouble (1940), The Saint Takes Over (1940), The Saint in Palm Springs (1941), The Saint’s Vacation (1941) and The Saint Meets the Tiger (1943).
NBA Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 7:30pm Live
The Houston Rockets launch into the Motor City to face the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets try to sting the Spurs in San Antonio.
Transplant: “Unstuck in Time”
NBC, 8pm
New Time Slot!
The Canadian medical drama returns from winter hiatus to finish out its third season in this new time slot beginning tonight with this episode, which finds Bash (Hamza Haq), Novak (Gord Rand) and the team racing to save a bride and groom whose wedding was interrupted by gunfire. Meanwhile, Mags (Laurence Leboeuf) deals with a demanding teen patient in need of birth control, June (Ayisha Issa) struggles with a dangerous old habit and Theo (Jim Watson) counsels a patient in a life-or-death situation.
True Justice: Family Ties
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9pm
Original Film!
A law student (Katherine McNamara) sets out to prove her brother was wrongfully convicted. But the closer she and her friends get to finding the real killer, the more danger they are all in.
Saturday, Jan. 13
NFL Playoffs: AFC and NFC Wild Card
NBC & Peacock, beginning at 4:30pm Live
The NFL playoffs kick off today with two wild-card games. The first game airs on NBC, while the second game streams exclusively on Peacock. The wild-card round continues Sunday with games on FOX, NBC and CBS, and wraps up Monday with a game simulcast by ABC and ESPN.
I Am Paul Walker
The CW, 8pm
This documentary examines the life of late actor Paul Walker.
75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards
FXX, 8pm
Artistic and technical achievements in television are honored in this ceremony.
A Scottish Love Scheme
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!
Lily (Erica Durance) travels to Scotland with her mother and reconnects with a childhood family friend (Jordan Young). Unbeknownst to them, their mothers have come up with a plan to set them up.
Girl in the Video
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
This twisted original film is the story of widowed mother Mo (Cush Jumbo, The Good Wife), who is managing parenting two teens the best she can. After her daughter Krissy (Tia May Watts, The Chelsea Detective) starts secretly chatting online with Tobey, who she believes is a cute high school senior, Krissy later turns up missing. An anonymous tip reveals Krissy is being held captive and exploited in sexually abusive livestreams for money on the dark web.
Mississippi Burning
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Two FBI agents (Gene Hackman, who was nominated for an Oscar, and Willem Dafoe) with very different working styles travel to Mississippi to investigate the disappearances of civil rights activists in this 1988 film, which won an Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Tennis: Australian Open: Early Rounds
ESPN & ESPN2, beginning at 12am Live (late night)
The first Grand Slam of 2024 takes place at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open. Reigning champ Novak Djokovic looks to extend his record with an 11th career title Down Under. Aryna Sabalenka is defending women’s champion. ESPN and ESPN2 combine to televise the tournament through Jan. 28.
OWN Spotlight: Oprah & Fantasia Barrino
OWN, 10pm
Oprah Winfrey welcomes Grammy Award-winning singer and Golden Globe nominee Fantasia Barrino to talk about her feature film debut as Celie in the reimagining of the classic story and the Broadway musical The Color Purple. In this emotional conversation, Fantasia shares the personal inspiration behind her portrayal and how her character empowered her to heal. Fantasia explains how she learned the power of forgiveness through her role and why she believes women, men and families will be healed by watching The Color Purple.
Thursday, Jan. 11
Boy Swallows Universe
Netflix
New Series!
This Australian drama based on Trent Dalton’s semiautobiographical novel is an epic coming-of-age story set in 1980s Brisbane that blends the magic and innocence of youth with the brutal reality of the adult world. Even with a lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious criminal for a babysitter, Eli Bell (Felix Cameron) is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way.
SkyMed
Paramount+
Season Premiere!
The new season of this Canadian drama that follows the triumphs and tribulations of young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across Northern Canada features nine episodes (available today) that weave together intense personal journeys with jaw-dropping medical rescues in the most remote conditions. Season 2 thrusts the medical responders into intense emergencies as they continue to rely on each other for survival. As SkyMed expands, there will be all new hookups, heartbreaks and challenges on the job.
Ted
Peacock
New Series!
This “prequel event series” to the comedic (and R-rated) Ted movie franchise features Seth MacFarlane as executive producer/writer/director/co-showrunner, and again providing the voice for the titular teddy bear. The series is set in 1993, when Ted’s moment of fame has passed. He is now living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts, with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder), along with John’s parents, Matty and Susan (Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach), and cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham). Ted may be a lousy influence on John, but at the end of the day, he is a loyal pal always willing to go out on a limb for friendship.
The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger
INSP, 8pm
New Series!
INSP’s latest historical docudrama chronicles the exploits of frontiersman Jim Bridger (Rib Hillis), who explored the entire distant West and survived countless hair-raising adventures. Whether those exploits were real or embellished by Bridger himself, this series uses them as an entry into the heart of American folklore. As Bridger guides a new wave of Americans heading west, he must help them survive the same life-and-death situations that made him a legend. In tonight’s episode, Bridger restores order when his second-in-command crosses the line from discipline to cruelty.
The Power of Film: “Part 2 — Trapped Between Fate & Destiny”
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
This episode looks at memorable films featuring a central character who endures loss and ultimately escapes whatever has trapped them in their lives, whether it be physically, emotionally or situationally. Representative titles following the episode are Citizen Kane (1941), Network (1976), The Miracle Worker (1962) and Casablanca (1942).
SEAL Team
CBS, 9pm
Paramount+ military drama SEAL Team continues on CBS with a two-episode story arc from Season 5. In “Head On” and “Violence of Action,” Bravo Team heads to South America to thwart an Iranian nuclear project, while tensions about Jason’s (David Boreanaz) leadership are at an all-time high.
Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip: Spanish Vacation
FOX, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Chef Gordon Ramsay hits the road with his friends and colleagues, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix, to enjoy the sights, adventures and hidden culinary gems of Spain in a new installment of this travel series.
Children Ruin Everything
The CW, 9:30pm
Season Premiere!
In the first episode of Season 3, titled “Therapy,” Astrid (Meaghan Rath) and James (Aaron Abrams) wrestle with different opinions on an important decision affecting Viv (Mikayla SwamiNathan).
Undercover: Caught on Tape
A&E, 10pm
New Series!
Living in secrecy and often unrecognized beyond their tightest circles, these agents rarely get to tell their stories, until now. Get firsthand accounts of dangerous criminal investigations from those closest to the action — the undercover agents who are on the front lines, often risking their lives to gather evidence that may help take criminals off the streets. Each episode includes surveillance video and audio recordings from actual investigations to reveal the critical moments that could make or break a case.
Friday, Jan. 12
Lift
Netflix
Original Film!
This heist comedy was originally slated to debut on Netflix last August but was postponed due to the actors strike. It finds a band of expert criminals recruited to prevent a terrorist attack by doing what they do best — robbing the rich. It’s a simple “lift,” nothing complicated — other than the fact that the heist, involving $500 million in gold, will take place on a passenger plane at 40,000 feet. Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Vincent D’Onofrio lead the cast.
Love Is Blind: Sweden
Netflix
New Series!
The popular dating experiment series lands in Sweden as 32 local singles seek true love and propose marriage, all before seeing each other in person. Swedish television presenter and reporter Jessica Almenäs hosts. The first four episodes drop today, followed by four more next Friday. The weddings episode will be available Jan. 26, and a reunion episode will conclude the season on a date that had yet to be determined at presstime.
The Traitors
Peacock
Season Premiere!
The reality competition series returns for Season 2, again hosted by Alan Cumming. The first three episodes stream today; subsequent episodes will drop Thursdays at 9pm ET. This season also features an official aftershow following each episode, offering additional footage and interviews with eliminated contestants.
Role Play
Prime Video
Original Film!
In this action comedy, Kaley Cuoco plays Emma, who has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey. She also has another life as an assassin for hire, a secret that her husband, Dave (David Oyelowo), discovers when the couple decides to spice up their marriage with a little role-playing. Connie Nielsen and Bill Nighy also star.
TCM Morning & Afternoon Movies: “The Saint” Marathon
TCM, beginning at 6:15am
Catch a Classic!
Vigilante investigator Simon Templar, nicknamed The Saint, is the focus of today’s lineup. Eight of the 10 films adapted from the action thriller series by British author Leslie Charteris will air this morning into the afternoon, including The Saint in New York (1938), The Saint Strikes Back (1939), The Saint in London (1939), The Saint’s Double Trouble (1940), The Saint Takes Over (1940), The Saint in Palm Springs (1941), The Saint’s Vacation (1941) and The Saint Meets the Tiger (1943).
NBA Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 7:30pm Live
The Houston Rockets launch into the Motor City to face the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets try to sting the Spurs in San Antonio.
Transplant: “Unstuck in Time”
NBC, 8pm
New Time Slot!
The Canadian medical drama returns from winter hiatus to finish out its third season in this new time slot beginning tonight with this episode, which finds Bash (Hamza Haq), Novak (Gord Rand) and the team racing to save a bride and groom whose wedding was interrupted by gunfire. Meanwhile, Mags (Laurence Leboeuf) deals with a demanding teen patient in need of birth control, June (Ayisha Issa) struggles with a dangerous old habit and Theo (Jim Watson) counsels a patient in a life-or-death situation.
True Justice: Family Ties
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9pm
Original Film!
A law student (Katherine McNamara) sets out to prove her brother was wrongfully convicted. But the closer she and her friends get to finding the real killer, the more danger they are all in.
Saturday, Jan. 13
NFL Playoffs: AFC and NFC Wild Card
NBC & Peacock, beginning at 4:30pm Live
The NFL playoffs kick off today with two wild-card games. The first game airs on NBC, while the second game streams exclusively on Peacock. The wild-card round continues Sunday with games on FOX, NBC and CBS, and wraps up Monday with a game simulcast by ABC and ESPN.
I Am Paul Walker
The CW, 8pm
This documentary examines the life of late actor Paul Walker.
75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards
FXX, 8pm
Artistic and technical achievements in television are honored in this ceremony.
A Scottish Love Scheme
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!
Lily (Erica Durance) travels to Scotland with her mother and reconnects with a childhood family friend (Jordan Young). Unbeknownst to them, their mothers have come up with a plan to set them up.
Girl in the Video
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
This twisted original film is the story of widowed mother Mo (Cush Jumbo, The Good Wife), who is managing parenting two teens the best she can. After her daughter Krissy (Tia May Watts, The Chelsea Detective) starts secretly chatting online with Tobey, who she believes is a cute high school senior, Krissy later turns up missing. An anonymous tip reveals Krissy is being held captive and exploited in sexually abusive livestreams for money on the dark web.
Mississippi Burning
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Two FBI agents (Gene Hackman, who was nominated for an Oscar, and Willem Dafoe) with very different working styles travel to Mississippi to investigate the disappearances of civil rights activists in this 1988 film, which won an Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Tennis: Australian Open: Early Rounds
ESPN & ESPN2, beginning at 12am Live (late night)
The first Grand Slam of 2024 takes place at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open. Reigning champ Novak Djokovic looks to extend his record with an 11th career title Down Under. Aryna Sabalenka is defending women’s champion. ESPN and ESPN2 combine to televise the tournament through Jan. 28.
OWN Spotlight: Oprah & Fantasia Barrino
OWN, 10pm
Oprah Winfrey welcomes Grammy Award-winning singer and Golden Globe nominee Fantasia Barrino to talk about her feature film debut as Celie in the reimagining of the classic story and the Broadway musical The Color Purple. In this emotional conversation, Fantasia shares the personal inspiration behind her portrayal and how her character empowered her to heal. Fantasia explains how she learned the power of forgiveness through her role and why she believes women, men and families will be healed by watching The Color Purple.