Abstract newspaper in a fluid shape, 3d rendering
Acorn streams the whimsical British mystery series “Mrs Sidhu Investigates.” Meera Syal (“The Kumars at No. 42”) stars in the title role as a middle-aged widow and caterer with a flair for noticing things and more than her share of emotional intuition.
She’s first seen turning down clients who want her to cater their wedding because she can just tell that they are not a good match for each other. Her meddling ways and refusal to simply withdraw from life like a good Indian widow have earned her a slightly scary reputation among her neighbors in the thoroughly dowdy town of Slough, the setting for Ricky Gervais’ first incarnation of “The Office.”
A murder at a local fitness center brings her into contact with the nearly washed-up detective DCI Burton (Craig Parkinson, “Line of Duty”) of the local police. At first, he sees her as a meddler or worse, but in the logic of such shows (and series pilots) they soon become partners in solving crimes.
While long-running series like “Midsomer Murders” offer a retreat to idyllic English village life, “Sidhu” explores a contemporary multicultural society with a rather light touch. Both Slough natives and more recent immigrants speak in a heavily accented English that may inspire American Acorn subscribers to turn on their closed captioning.
— No, you are not seeing double. Do not adjust your set. The Carolina Panthers host the New Orleans Saints in NFL action (7:15 p.m., ESPN and ESPN2). The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns in Monday Night Football action (8 p.m., ABC). Tonight is one of three Monday nights this football season featuring two competing games. Look for two games next Monday as well as the Monday of week 14 of the schedule, otherwise known as Dec. 11.
— Months after the departure of James Corden, CBS will temporarily replace his late-night perch with “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” (12:35 a.m., TV-14). Seen in syndication since 2006, this series features the host with a rotating panel of comics. After the Hollywood strikes conclude, “Unleashed” will be replaced by a revived version of the former Comedy Central game show series “@midnight.” It will be produced by Stephen Colbert.
— Carly Pearce hosts the Academy of Country Music Honors (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG), featuring performances by Breland, Brandy Clark, Jordan Davis, Chris Janson and Lady A. Honorees include Clint Black, Kane Brown, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tim McGraw, K.T. Oslin and Chris Stapleton.
— Fans of musical documentaries can find some recent films on the Crackle streaming app featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment. Documentaries and concert performance videos include “Beyonce: Shine,” “Taylor Swift: Dare to Dream,” “Ed Sheeran: Man + Guitar,” “Foo Fighters: One Less Hero,” “Bruce Springsteen: Born to Rock,” “Lady Gaga: Encore,” “Coldplay: Beyond the Stage,” “Metallica: Masters of Metal,” “Pink: The Truth” and “Bruno Mars: Just the Way I Am.”
— Filmmaking takes hard work and skill. But sometimes there is an element of luck. Like choosing the right subject.
When Sean Penn started making the film “Superpower,” a profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he thought he was documenting the remarkable transition of a television comedian to national leader. He had no idea what the future held or how this film, now streaming on Paramount+, would turn out.
Far from merely being “Ukraine’s Jon Stewart,” Zelenskyy became embroiled in American politics after it was revealed that then-President Trump made a blatant and clumsy effort to blackmail the Ukrainian leader, efforts so brazenly corrupt they resulted in Trump’s first impeachment.
Zelenskyy has since galvanized Ukraine’s resistance to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his country, transforming Penn’s film from a profile of a comedian to a tale of David vs. Goliath.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A figure from Tennant’s past threatens her legacy on “NCIS: Hawai’i” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Insects escape when a reservist is stabbed in his research laboratory on “NCIS: Los Angeles” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
Giant bugs terrorize a desert community in the 1954 shocker “Them!” (8 p.m., TCM, TV-PG), starring Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon and James Whitmore. Gwenn is best known as Kris Kringle from “Miracle on 34th Street.” Whitmore later made commercials for the garden fertilizer Miracle-Gro. “Tarantula” (10 p.m., TV-PG) follows.
SERIES NOTES
Calvin burns out on “The Neighborhood” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … “American Ninja Warrior” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … Nervously awaiting an acceptance letter on “Bob Hearts Abishola” (8:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … “Weakest Link” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG)
LATE NIGHT
Due to the Writers Guild strike, all late-night shows are reruns.
Jimmy Fallon hosts Robert De Niro, Chloe Fineman and Arctic Monkeys on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Jordan Peele, Melissa Rauch and Maya Stepansky appear on “Late Night With Seth Meyers (12:35 a.m., NBC).
