TV's Best Bets
Friday, Jan. 14
“Ray Donovan: The Movie,” 9 and 10:40 p.m., Showtime. The “Ray Donovan” series ended a year ago, with lives shattered. Ray’s daughter was widowed, his half-brother was wanted by police and his dad was running loose with $20 million in stolen stock. Now Ray phones his therapist to say he’s killed his father. Then the story backs up a little — and a lot; flashbacks show the rift that sent the dad to prison for decades. This is beautifully acted and sharply crafted, but it’s also a tough, bleak ride.
“Stars on Stage,” 9 p.m., PBS. Early in this hour, Shoshana Bean does a Barbra Streisand medley. Like Streisand, Bean, 44, is a singer/actress who can turn each song into an epic story. She’s done some Broadway — the original “Hairspray” cast, a replacement in “Wicked” and “Waitress” — plus lots of recordings. There are some great moments here, including a gorgeous duet with Avery Wilson.
Reality and game show overload, 8 p.m. It’s a weird hour, when the only scripted show on the five big commercial broadcast networks is … well, wrestling. NBC has a quick rerun of Monday’s “That’s My Jam,” with Rita Ora, Taika Waititi, Taraji Henson and Normani. That faces “Undercover Boss” on CBS, “Shark Tank” on ABC and “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” on CW.
“Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. Here’s the scripted oasis in a reality-stuffed night. First, a nun wants Magnum to investigate after a stranger makes a big cash donation. Then “Blue Bloods” has two key guest stars — Regina Taylor as a police captain who uses her badge to get free things at stores … and Jimmy Buffett as (really) a crooked Jimmy Buffett impersonator.
“Archive 81,” any time, Netflix. Restoring some damaged cassettes from 25 years ago, a researcher pieces together a story of a young woman who vanished while making a documentary about a cult. The eight-part series arrives one day after two other streaming shows: Peacock’s “Wolf Like Me” has Josh Gad falling for Isla Fisher … who might be different during a full moon. HBO Max’s “Peacemaker” is a delight, with John Cena as a self-involved superhero; its opener will also air Saturday on HBO.