What's On Tonight (Friday): Run Silent, Run Deep...

  

The Silent Service

There's not much that interests me premiering today, so I'm going with the Amazon series, The Silent Service.  Based on a popular Japanese manga series, the series is about the captain of a nuclear submarine who declares the sub an independent state.  The captain heads for the UN to be recognized as a nation, but the United States wants to sink him for whatever reason.  It sounds more than a bit like Hunt for Red October, but I'll probably check it out given the lack of options.

TOP PICK

⭐ 🔔 The Silent Service (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'During the Cold War, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force jointly developed a nuclear submarine with the United States Navy. On its maiden voyage, the captain of the submarine, Shiro Kaieda, declares the submarine to be an independent state, "Yamato."  Based on the manga series.'✔️

Elsewhere...

*Amazon also has a new film premiering today (I'm beginning to feel like a shill) called Upgraded.  The trailer makes it seem like a cross between Working Girl and The Devil Wears Prada with Marisa Tomei in the Meryl Streep role.  Reviews so far are good (82% fresh) but the thing that piqued my interest is Archie Renaux, who was very good on the cancelled-too-soon Netflix series, Shadow and Bone (I realize that "cancelled-too-soon Netflix series" is a bit redundant).

*Hulu has the streaming premiere of a film too, though the reviews have not been as good for Cat Person (45% rotten).  I have a hard time discerning from the trailer whether this is a dark comedy, a comic thriller, or just a thriller.  It's based on a short story, so maybe just read that.

*I already finished watching Amazon's Mr. & Mrs. Smith.  I compared the concept of the series to The Americans last week, and boy was that an apt comparison.  This show is all about marriage and relationships while occasionally being a spy thriller.  The show it most reminded me of is Poker Face, in that each episode is fairly self-contained and features a different big name guest star (Ron Perlman, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey, Paul Dano, etc.).  The leads are excellent, the show looks great (a lot of on location shooting) and the action sequences are well done.  My only complaint would be the first couple episodes dragged a bit at times, but by episode three it was on fire.  Highly recommended.

PREMIERES

Upgraded

🎥 Upgraded (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'Ana is an ambitious intern dreaming of a careen in the art world while trying to impress her demanding boss.  When she's upgraded to first class on a work trip, she meets handsome Will, who mistakes Ana for her boss - a white lie that sets off a glamorous chain of events, romance and opportunity, until her fib threatens to surface.'✔️

🎥 Cat Person (Hulu, 12:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'When Margot, a college sophomore, goes on a date with the older Robert, she finds that IRL Robert doesn't live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts.'✔️

🎥 Suncoast (Hulu, 12:01 AM) 'Follows a teenager living with her strong-willed mother, who must take her brother to live at a specialized facility. There, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist amidst protests surrounding one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.  Inspired by a true story.'✔️

🎥 Ashes (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'From an intoxicating fantasy to a dangerous affair, a wealthy married woman finds her life irreversibly shattered after picking up an unpublished novel.'✔️

🎥 Bhakshak (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'A struggling local journalist begins a dogged investigation into harrowing cases of abuse being covered up at a shelter for young girls.'

🔔 A Killer Paradox (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'When one accidental killing leads to another, an average college student finds himself stuck in an endless cat-and-mouse chase with a shrewd detective.'✔️

🔔 Lover, Stalker, Killer (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'In this twisting documentary, a mechanic tries online dating for the first time and meets a woman who takes romantic obsession to a deadly extreme.'

🎥 Skeletons in the Closet (Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'A woman becomes possessed by an evil spirit after she saves the life of her terminally ill daughter.  Starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding,Jr.'✔️

🎥 Final Heist (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'When her daughter's life is on the line, a mother enlists the help of her old criminal posse to get her husband's tissue from a maximum-security prison.'

🔔 Meet Me in Rome (Roku, 8:00 PM) 'This sequel to Roku's original unscripted film, Meet Me in Paris, follows a new group of young women looking for a “love like in the movies.”'

🎵 GOSPEL Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (PBS, 9:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. 'Contemporary secular artists and gospel singers honor the legacy and influence of gospel music in America; hosts Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Erica Campbell.'

Skeletons in the Closet

RETURNING SHOWS

🔔 Alpha Males (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON TWO.

😂 Super Bowl Greatest Commercials XXIII: The Ultimate Countdown (CBS, 8:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

🤮 Mama June: From Not to Hot (WE, 9:00 PM) SEASON SIX WINTER PREMIERE.

🚗 Wheeler Dealers (Motortrend, 9:00 PM) SEASON EIGHTEEN WINTER PREMIERE.

🎥 The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (Shudder & AMC+, 10:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

STREAMING

🔔 Expats (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

✈ Masters of the Air (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Part Four" 

⚖ Judy Justice (Freevee, 12:01 AM) 

🔔 Who's Talking to Chris Wallace (Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 The Woman in the Wall (Paramount, 3:01 AM) 

💖 Love Island All Stars (Peacock, 3:01 AM) 

👮‍♂️ Flex X Cop (Hulu, 9:31 AM) 

🔔 Undead Unluck (Hulu, 2:01 PM) 

👮‍♂️ True Detective: Night Country (Max, 9:00 PM) "Part 5"

A Killer Paradox

LIVE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour Golf: WM Phoenix Open, Second Round (Golf, 4:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Dayton at VCU (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

🌽 Cornhole: ACL Superhole (ESPNews, 7:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers (NBA TV, 7:00 PM)

🤸‍♂️ Women's College Gymnastics: Arkansas at Florida (ESPN, 7:30 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: San Diego State at Nevada (CBSSN, 8:00 PM)

🏌️‍♂️ LIV Golf League: Las Vegas, Day 2 (CW, 8:00 PM)

🥎 College Softball: Texas at UCLA (ESPN, 9:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA TV, 10:30 PM)

Ashes

🕗 EARLY PRIMETIME 🕗

🔔 Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes (Disney Jr, 4:00 PM) 

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

😂 Super Bowl Greatest Commercials XXIII: The Ultimate Countdown (CBS, 8:00 PM) 'Boomer Esiason and Daniela Ruah host a countdown of the best Super Bowl commercials; Kevin Frazier reports on new commercials that will air during this year's event, including the return of the Budweiser Clydesdales.'

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 8:00 PM) 'After a flamenco dance with Spanish sensation Charo, the queens must design their own dolls.'

🔔 Powerbook III: Raising Kanan (Starz, 8:01 PM) SEASON FINALE. 'Desperation sets in as Howard tries to evade the Task Force and Ronnie goes on the attack, leaving Raq and Kanan to make some fateful choices.'

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) 
👩‍⚕️ Transplant (NBC, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery, 8:00 PM) 
💖 Ready to Love (OWN, 8:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🔔 Hustlers Gamblers Crooks (Discovery, 9:00 PM) 'A blind man's uncanny ability to win at cards puts him in a fight for his life; a legendary cheat finds a surprising way to outsmart the casinos and the police; an extreme gambler goes under the knife to win the most outrageous bet of all time.'

👽 Ancient Aliens (History, 9:00 PM) 'Counting down 10 intriguing symbols and codes found across the globe that might contain proof of otherworldly contact; from glyphs in the Peruvian desert, to spiral petroglyphs embedded with advanced math, and a language with an unexplained origin.'

🔔 Hightown (Starz, 9:00 PM) 'Tempers boil over, and Ray and Alan explode at each other; Frankie learns valuable intel about Osito; Jackie learns there are even more missing or murdered prostitutes.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🎵 GOSPEL Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (PBS, 9:00 PM) 
🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 My Lottery Dream Home (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation (Magnolia, 9:00 PM) 
🚗 Wheeler Dealers (Motortrend, 9:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🤮 Mama June: From Not to Hot (WE, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) 
🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (MTV, 9:30 PM) 

Cat Person

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

🎵 CMT Campfire Sessions (CMT, 10:00 PM) 'Love songs from an all-star lineup, including Riley Green, Sara Evans, Chris Young and more; the artists share their favorite love songs while performing many hits, including "At Last" and "When You Say Nothing At All."'

👽 The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd (History, 10:04 PM) SEASON FINALE. 'Imagine free falling 30,000 feet without a parachute, or being buried alive and living to tell the tale; these are improbable yet true-life tales of surviving the most extraordinary conditions.'

💰 Outback Opal Hunters (Discovery, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 
🚗 Graveyard Carz (Motortrend, 10:00 PM) 
🤼‍♂️ All Elite Wrestling: Rampage (TNT, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 'Professional basketball player Jalen Brunson; Madi Diaz performs.'

🔔 After Midnight (CBS, 12:37 AM) 'Actor Max Greenfield; comic James Davis; comic Robby Hoffman.'

🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 12:05 PM) 
🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:35 PM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); Futurama (Comedy Central, 7:00 AM - 11:15 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Living Single (TVOne, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM); South Park (Comedy Central, 11:15 AM - 2:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); Archie Bunker's Place (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 8:00 PM -9:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Designing Women (Antenna, 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); The Drew Carey Show (Antennae, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Alice (Antenna, 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM); Mom (TVLand, 2:00 AM - 4:15 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor Don Rickles; Jon Serl.'

Suncoast

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it; Netflix; Wikipedia; Horrornews.net; Sysfy.com; hollywoodreporter.com

⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included