MONDAY’S BEST PICKS
5 PM ( TNT) NBA Basketball A TNT holiday tripleheader gets going with a clash of Western Conference rivals this evening in Tennessee, where Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies will do battle with Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns. Then in prime time, two of the top teams in the East go at it when Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets defend home court from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The card then concludes late night when LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
8 PM _ 9-1-1 Season 4 of this intense drama, which follows the white-knuckle heroism of first responders in the greater Los Angeles area, opens with yet another signature disaster. Amid the ensuing chaos, Athena (Angela Bassett) risks her own welfare, putting her physical and emotional injuries behind her as she jumps fearlessly back into the demands of her job. Elsewhere, Maddie and Chimney (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kenneth Choi) prepare for the birth of their baby, while Buck (Oliver Stark) confronts his past for the sake of his present.
8 PM G All American Since Spencer Paysinger, the NFL linebacker whose formative years inspired this TV drama, never had to struggle with a global pandemic during his last year of high school, this show’s creative team faces some daunting and unique challenges as it enters Season 3. Since COVID-19 isn’t a thing in the world of the show, producers have had to find creative ways to practice mandated health guidelines during production without letting them appear on camera. Daniel
Ezra, Taye Diggs, Samantha Logan and most of the familiar series regulars return.
9 PM ^ American Masters Yoruba Richen’s two-hour documentary ““How It Feels to Be Free” chronicles the inspirational story of how six Black female entertainers — Lena Horne, jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier — fearlessly confronted an industry that was deeply complicit in perpetuating insidious racial stereotypes, transforming both themselves and their audience in the process. In addition to interviews and archival performances by these pioneers, this film also features conversations with executive producer Alicia Keys and other contemporary stars influenced by their forerunners.
9 PM $ Let’s Make a Deal Primetime Host Wayne Brady will give away $21,000 to lucky Traders during a new nighttime edition of this daytime game show, during which he welcomes CBS stars Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku from “Bob Hearts Abishola” as his special guests. Actor and comic Adam Devine (“The Righteous Gemstones”) also will “come on down” to the stage and play for the Children’s Miracle Network, alongside civilian contestants playing for prizes that include a luxury car and $100,000 in cash. Chris “Ludacris” Bridges tests his knowledge to benefit the Ludacris Foundation.
9 PM ( FOOD) Kids Baking Championship In the new episode “Picnic Desserts and Kid Commentary,” hosts Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman challenge eight young bakers to make hand pies and dress up a sweet treat called “ants on a log” to fit into a picnic basket. Later, some of the former kid competitors share the approaches they decided to take in their attempt to excel at this assignment.
9:01 PM _ 9-1-1: Lone Star Gina Torres (“Suits”) joins this action-packed spinoff series in the role of Captain Tommy Vega, who joins the 126 as Season 2 opens. Even as Owen (Rob Lowe) gives this newcomer a warm welcome, though, he must steel himself for the unexpected arrival of his ex-wife Gwyneth (Lisa Edelstein of “House” in a recurring role), in Austin to check on their firefighter son, T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein). Meanwhile, the team wrestles with an emergency that’s unfamiliar to their region. Jim Parrack and Sierra McClain also star.
10 PM * The Good Doctor Dr. Morgan
Reznik (Fiona Gubelmann) discovers that a very wealthy patient has a troubling obsessions with extending his life, a potentially lethal mix that may well end up costing more than even he can afford, in the new episode “The Uncertainty Principle.” Brian Marc, Bria Samoné Henderson, Noah Galvin, Summer Brown and Elfina Luk guest star; Freddie Highmore and Antonia Thomas also star.