Game shows recycle
The network season is behind us. Let the game shows begin. Bravo’s Andy Cohen (“Watch What Happens Live”) gets a network perch on the Fox revival of the afternoon staple “Love Connection” (9 p.m., TV-14).
As in the original series, hosted by the ultra-smooth Chuck Woolery in the 1980s and ’90s, we meet one single per show who is set up on three dates with other potential “connections.” Audience members get to choose their favorite. But we won’t find out their choice until we hear about the often cringe-worthy results of the three dates.
Not much has changed in the quarter-century since the syndicated “Connection” last aired. The set and the graphics seem a little amped-up, but that’s about it. Don’t go looking for witty banter. The first single has Bacon for a last name, and Cohen can’t resist calling him a ham. That’s about as clever as it gets.
Earlier in the evening, Jamie Foxx (“Ray”) hosts “Beat Shazam” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14), a show he also produces. Contestants have to quickly guess the name of a song before advancing and winning cash prizes. To complicate matters in 21st-century fashion, they are also playing against a music-identifying app.
But don’t let the new technology fool you. This is basically a variation on the ancient game show “Name That Tune,” which originated on radio in 1952 and began its long TV run the following year, inspiring many similar series and international spin-offs.
MEDS AND NOSES
Foxx, who won a Best Actor Oscar for “Ray,” is not the only Academy Award winner to appear on prime time this evening. Julia Roberts (“Erin Brockovich”) appears on an episode of “Running Wild With Bear Grylls” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14), set in Kenya. Grylls and the “Pretty Woman” star will deliver vaccines to Wamba Hospital, located in a remote village.
This mission of mercy leads up to the “Red Nose Day” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) special.
Chris Hardwick (“The Wall”) hosts this third annual event, putting the spotlight on children in need. Among the highlights of the evening (for some), a short “Love Actually” reunion. More than many other films, the 2003 Christmas-themed romance continues to inspire divided opinions. Some find it enchanting and worthy of repeat viewing. Others consider it one of the smuggest movies ever made.
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.