FRIDAY’S BEST PICKS
7 PM ( NICK) The Astronauts Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment are two of the executive producers on this new live-action series for kids, which premieres tonight in two back-to-back episodes. As the story opens, the spaceship Odyssey II stands ready for its crew to embark on a mission that could decide the fate of mankind. Things go awry, though, when five untrained kids use their parents’ security clearances to sneak aboard the empty vessel, accidentally triggering the launch sequence. The cast includes Miya Cech, Bryce Gheisar, Kayden Grace Swan and Ben Daon.
8 PM & The Blacklist As this taut action thriller enters Season 8, Raymond Reddington (James Spader) has his back against the wall as he confronts his most formidable foe yet: Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). Aligned with her mother, ruthless Russian spy Katarina Rostova (recurring guest star Laila Robins), Liz now must decide how far she’ll go to discern what Reddington’s true endgame is. This volatile new relationship between these two erstwhile friends may have devastating consequences for those around them, including the members of the Task Force.
8 PM ( LIFE) MOVIE Christmas on the Vine Brooke (Julianna Guill), a young marketing executive, returns to hometown to help a struggling family-owned winery, an assignment that teams her up with the winery’s charming yet stubborn owner, Tyler (Jon Cor). She quickly discovers that the community’s Christmas spirit, one of her favorite childhood memories, has dimmed sharply now that a wine conglomerate has been buying up and closing local independent businesses like Tyler’s. Meredith Baxter also stars in this 2020 yuletide romance.
8:05 PM ( MAX) MOVIE The Fighter Christian Bale and Melissa Leo scored best supporting actor and actress Oscars for their work in director David O. Russell’s 2010 biodrama, playing the drug-addicted half brother and strong-willed mother of boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg). When Micky gets a shot at a title, he must decide between family loyalty — Dicky is his manager but a very unreliable one, thanks to his addiction — and doing what’s best for his career. Amy Adams also stars.
9 PM ^ Great Performances
Dedicated to the memory of theater producer-director Harold Prince, this acclaimed 2019 documentary from filmmaker Max Lewkowicz celebrates the iconic Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” The original New York production became the first musical to run for more than 3,000 performances, a record that held for 10 years, and a new film adaptation helmed by “Hamilton” director Thomas Kail is currently in development. Interviewees include the original Broadway creative team, including composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick , as well as Stephen Sondheim and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
9 PM ( HGTV) My Big Italian Adventure In “1 Euro Dream Home: Episode 3,” host Lorraine Bracco rushes to put the finishing touches on her extraordinarily affordable property in time for her family’s arrival in Sambuca. As the clock ticks down the hours, the plucky Lorraine manages to overcome obstacles and narrowly avoids a kitchen disaster before finally celebrating the completion of her Italian vacation home.