College football season under way
Today’s might-see
College football, all day.
This is the season’s first college-football Saturday, so we can get used to the routine.
Things start at 9 a.m. with two games – Virginia Tech at East Carolina on ESPN, Syracuse at Northwestern on ESPN2. Michigan State at California is the prime time game at 5 p.m. on ABC.
In between are more games on all those channels, plus Fox Sports Network and Versus.
Tonight’s might-see
“For the Love of Grace,” 9-11 p.m., Hallmark.
Steve, a firefighter, is quiet and gutsy. Grace, an author of how-to books, is social.
He gobbles hamburgers, she snips at salads. They are opposites; naturally, this movie will nudge them together.
There are no surprises here, but there are attractive actors playing likable people. Mark Consuelos (Kelly Ripa’s husband in real life) is always worth watching; he and Chandra West give us decent strangers to root for.
Other choices include
“The Unit,” 8 p.m., CBS. When violence erupts in the Ivory Coast, the team tries to rescue people in the American embassy.
“Chuck,” 8 p.m., NBC. After a too-long break, this dandy show is a month from launching its new season. Here’s a rerun of its second episode. Chuck must worry about becoming assistant store manager, catching an arms dealer and learning to tango.
“Disney Channel Games,” 8 p.m., Disney Channel. The competition concludes and the Cheetah Girls perform.
Sunday’s must-see
“Mad Men,” 5-11 p.m., AMC.
This series has drawn waves of praise and 16 Emmy nominations. Still, it’s so subtle that new viewers are perplexed.
Here’s a solution: Catch up on the entire second season (so far), concluding with a new episode at 10 p.m.
There are a few major moments – an airline crash at 6 p.m., a car crash at 9 p.m. Mostly, however, this quietly views a 1962 ad agency and the illusions that enshroud its people.
The new episode, at 10 p.m., involves an effort to give Playtex the sort of zesty ads that Maidenform has. It’s also about more; clouds of despair descend in surprising ways.
Sunday’s might-see
“CSI: NY,” 10 p.m., CBS.
With the political conventions airing, many 10 p.m. shows have been missing. CBS scheduled one of them (“Flashpoint”) for tonight, then switched to this “CSI:NY” rerun. The victim had built a giant ark.
Other choices include
“Desperate Housewives,” 10 p.m., ABC. It’s full-scale war between Bree and Edie. Also, Susan’s mother-in-law visits.