What would ‘Peanuts’ have made of Facebook?
ABC offers two“Peanuts” holiday specials, “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” (7 p.m., WATNTV Channel 24) from 1975, and “A Charlie Brown Valentine” (7:30 p.m.), which appeared on ABC in 2002, the first special produced after creator Charles Schulz died in 2000.
Both include tales of love a nd longing a nd misunderstanding. In the first, Sally mistakes a box of candy that Linus left for his teacher as a token of affection. In the second, Charlie Brown wants to call his longtime crush, the Little Red-Haired Girl, but can’t locate her phone number. One wonders if younger viewers can even identify with this very analog 20th-century problem. Why didn’t Charlie Brown just Google her?
At the same time, there is a timeless quality to these stories, perhaps because they are so grounded in grade school. I am continually struck at how much Facebook resembles the routine of grammar school. Like some kindly third-grade teacher, the Facebook algorithm reminds us of our friends’ birthdays and cajoles us to behave and make a nice greeting. Is that so different from the “everybody gets a Valentine’s card” ethos of third grade?
In “Be My Valentine,” Charlie Brown makes the most of the rumpled “pity” Valentine’s card he receives from Violet on Feb. 15. How many of us go through life either receiving or bestowing such meager gestures? How many of us have tried to play catch-up on Facebook, wishing somebody a happy birthday a day late, after this friend we had ignored or forgotten had publicly thanked everybody else for the many good wishes?
Technology changes, but “Peanuts,” perhaps, is forever. So, it seems, is third grade.
Sea son 2 8 of “The Amazing Race” (7 p.m., WREG-TV Channel 3) begins tonight with a gaggle of competitors traveling to Mexico City. This season’s theme is social media and the youngish people who make it. The 11 teams of“stars” include Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl, co-hosts of an iTunes podcast called “Psychobabble.”
Although most of the participants remain on the sunny side of 30, some partner up with their parents, folks closer to the average age of the typical viewer of “The Amazing Race.”
Travel of a very different sort is explored on “Vice” (10 p.m., HBO). “Escape to Europe” looks at Syrian refugees’ efforts to get to the relative safety of a continent that’ s increasingly on edge because of the specter of social, economic and cultural disruption, not to mention terrorism. After five years of civil war, more than 4 million Syrians have tried to flee their homeland. That represents roughly a quarter of Syria’s population.
“On the Record With Mick Rock” (9 p.m., Ovation) features the famous music photographer as he inter views different stars of the industry. Tonight, he profiles DJ Mark Ronson in New York City, visiting some of the spots that helped launch his career, including the Berlin nightclub and the Electric Lady recording studios.
“American Masters” (8 p.m., WKNO-TV Channel 10) profiles blues guitarist B.B. King. The film was completed shortly before his death in 2015 and includes interviews with many of the musicians he influenced, including Bono, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Ringo Starr. Funny, I’d f igure John Mayall would be more relevant to this conversation than John Mayer.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Jenny investigates Abbie’s disappearance on “Sleepy Hollow” (7 p.m., WHBQ-TV Channel 13).
Another gruesome ritual on “Grimm” (8 p.m., WMC-TV Channel 5).
Ghouls wage ron Mary’s mortality on “Second Chance” (8 p.m., WHBQ-TV Channel 13).
Tycoons Chris Sacca and Mark Cuban tangle on “Shark Tank” (8 p.m., WATN-TV Channel 24).
Women go out of their way to claim they murdered their boss on “Blue Bloods” (9 p.m., WREG-TV Channel 3).