A new Tina Fey sitcom, and four other shows our TV critic is watching this week

December 31, 2020 at 10:30PM
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Then President Jimmy Carter, right, and singer Willie Nelson sang “Amazing Grace” together. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gotta serve somebody

Bob Dylan offers up a rare on-screen interview to hail a musical chief in "Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President," a documentary that's more interested in playlists than politics. No. 39 is practically giddy reflecting back at his friendships with the Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as a time when the White House was one of the coolest music venues in the world.

8 p.m. Sunday, CNN

Toy department

"Last Man Standing," which has always winked at Tim Allen's past work, doubles down on self-referential jokes in its ninth and final season, which jumps three years into the future. Look for nods to "The Santa Clause," "Toy Story" and, of course, "Home Improvement," especially in an upcoming episode in which "Standing's" Mike Baxter comes face to face with "Home's" Tim Taylor.

8:30 p.m. Sunday, KMSP, Ch. 9

I love L.A.

Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the duo behind "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," have done it again. "Mr. Mayor," in which Ted Danson takes over Los Angeles, is an utter delight, thanks to rapid-fire jokes and a stellar cast that includes Oscar winner Holly Hunter as an ambitious deputy and "SNL" veteran Bobby Moynihan as a bumbling press secretary. As long as Fey believes in network sitcoms, so should the rest of us.

7 p.m. Thursday, KARE, Ch. 11

Clowning around

"Go-Big Show" could be written off as a low-rent version of "America's Got Talent," but skipping it means missing out on judge Snoop Dogg's over-the-top reactions to the novelty acts. Watching the rapper freak out when an alligator slithers onto the stage is 10 times more entertaining than the fire-eating acrobat.

8 p.m. Thursday, TBS

Games people play

Prime-time game shows are all the rage during the pandemic, probably because they are easier to churn out under tight restrictions. One of the most intriguing is "The Hustler," a combination of "The Mole" and a quiz show. Minnesotan Brianna Hershey is among the contestants on the premiere episode. The mystery element and questions are both subpar, but it's fun to see host Craig Ferguson back in action.

9 p.m. Thursday, KSTP, Ch. 5

Neal Justin

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September 1980: President Jimmy Carter, left, and singer Willie Nelsen sang “Amazing Grace.” (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Tim Allen and Nancy Travis on”Last Man Standing.” (Elisabeth Caren • Fox/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Holly Hunter on “Mr. Mayor.” (Mitchell Haddad • NBC/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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“Go-Big Show” with judges Cody Rhodes, Rosario Dawson, Snoop Dogg and Jennifer Nettles. (TBS/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Minnesotan Brianna Hershey competes on “The Hustler” game show hosted by Craig Ferguson. (Christopher Willard • ABC/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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