Welcome to the Weekly Watcher, in which we look forward to the week on TV. Hold on tight, because here we go.
MONDAY
Tune in tonight as The Voice returns for its 10th season.
One of the best reality singing competition shows on TV -- I see you, BET's Sunday Best -- comes front-loaded with some "leaked" blind auditions. The team spirit that permeates each episode lends itself to fandom. Watching Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine is like settling in with a family-focused sitcom with all the barbs and love you expect, sometimes in the same breath.
Example: "When I'm here," Aguilera said, "you don't run the show, Blake."
You can participate, too, by doing more than voting. Try listening to the blind auditions with your back to the TV and see who makes you turn around.
North Texas is no stranger to the competition. Last season, McKinney's Madi Davis made it to the semifinal. Also cracking the top 32 were Fort Worth's Blaine Mitchell and Dallas' Darius Scott. North Texans Luke Wade, Reagan James and Craig Wayne Boyd made a splash in 2014. All that to say this, this show always seems to find talent in your backyard.
The series airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 p.m on NBC (Ch. 5).
Gotham: The show went dark at the beginning of last season and isn't about to let up. Penguin is going down for murder, and you know that means Jim Gordon (Ben Mackenzie) is going to owe him a big one. These two never just borrow a cup of sugar from each other; it's always "I kill this" and "you blackmail that." But the villains are still rising, as Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze played by Nathan Darrow) paves the road to eternal Winter with good intentions. And Hugo Strange (BD Wong) lives up to his name by wreaking psychic torture in "Wrath of the Villains: A Dead Man Feels No Cold." SN: I love scenes in Arkham Asylum. So yay. (Monday at 7 on Fox, Ch. 4).
Blindspot: Grapevine's Jaimie Alexander (who also stars as Lady Sif in Avengers world) stars in this thriller, which keeps her character shrouded in questions. The actress is all over the place: A very fit Alexander is on the cover of Shape magazine's March edition; and she visited Today and said that this season would hold "major answers." Hope there's at least three of them in this episode, or I'm DVR'ing. (Mondays at 9 on NBC, Ch. 5)
TUESDAY
Marvel's Agent Carter: It's the season finale, which I'm sure will feature some great outfits and some mission impossible. Oh, and Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) lends a hand. (8 on ABC, Ch. 8)
WEDNESDAY
Rosewood: Rosie, as he likes to be called, is back in the winter premiere. Morris Chestnut is Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr., a celebrity medical examiner in Miami who horns in on any police investigation he can. Look, Ma, It's Quincy. Here's hoping Rosewood gets some mojo from Quincy going forward as it seems to still be looking for depth in the characters. In the meantime, there's the gorgeous scenery, and that includes Rosewood. Oh, and Taye Diggs, who guests this episode. (Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Fox, Ch. 4)
The Real O'Neals: Who would have thought Martha Plimpton would find her niche at the helm of TV family comedies? But here she is, matriarching -- so what, you can turn any word into a verb these days -- another dysfunctional clan, this one a staunch Catholic one going through a divorce. The show previews tonight at 7:30 on ABC (Ch. 8).
Unsung: Dallas soul singer Johnnie Taylor ("Who's Making Love?") will be featured in this episode of the popular Behind The Music-type show that focuses on oft-overlooked artists. (Wednesday at 7 and 10 p.m. on TVOne)
Hap and Leonard: Texas novelist Joe R. Lansdale will see his characters come to life in this series that will show on Sundance TV. James Purefoy and Michael K. Williams (!) star.
THURSDAY
The Family: "Pilot" sets the stage for this mystery within a mystery starring Oscar nominee Joan Allen as the mayor of Red Pines, Maine, whose son was presumed dead a decade ago when he went missing. The son's (or is he?) reappearance upends a lot of lives, especially the family, natch. Ooooh, and Andrew McCarthy as the neighbor wrongly accused. The series' will have a special premiere Thursday at 8 p.m. on ABC (Ch. 8) and move to its regular time slot at 8 p.m. Sunday.
FRIDAY
House of Cards: Kevin Spacey's President Francis Underwood is in the middle of a campaign for another term when Season Four begins. If they only knew what he did to get there the first time ... And nothing says upping the ante like adding formidable 91-year-old actress Cicely Tyson to the cast as a congresswoman. (Netflix)
SUNDAY
Once Upon a Time: The midseason premiere, "Souls of the Departed," is also the series' 100th episode. That means something big is happening: the Underworld. Greg Germann (Ally McBeal) will show up as Hades, the first of the characters from Disney's Hercules to be introduced. Lord, let them include the Greek soul sista chorus from the movie, too.
This week in home entertainment
If you were wondering what all the fuss was about on Oscar night, three films that received nominations are out this week: Creed; The Danish Girl; and Room.
Other releases: 2016 College Football National Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson; The Americans: The Complete Third Season; Barbie in Spy Squad; Creed; The Danish Girl; Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales; The Night Before; Room; Strike Back: Cinemax Season Four; and Youth.
