Fridays are still the dumping ground for most networks, where they put same-week reruns of shows they want to promote or burn up episodes of shows that will fail. But there are a couple of exceptions. We’ve been reviewing the new shows of the broadcast networks’ fall TV season and begin to wind down big time with Fridays.
NEW SHOWS
“MasterChef Juniors” (Fox, starts tonight, 8 p.m.). Chef Gordon Ramsay will have to town down his cussing and insults and start being morenurturing in this new kid-sized version of “MasterChef” for the 8 to 13 year old crowd. It’s precisely what you expect, with the exception of possibly being more cute.
“Dracula” (NBC, starts Oct. 25, 10 p.m.). Jonathan Rhys Meyers goes from playing Henry VIII to another odd European, the count from Transylvania. This one is set in Victorian era London, but he’s still trying to flee vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing.They’re waiting for a big Halloween-week premiere, but it may also because they’re still trying to fix a lot of problems.
RETURNING SHOWS
“Last Man Standing” (ABC, returned Sept. 20, 8 p.m.), “Undercover Boss” (CBS, today, 8 p.m.), “Dateline NBC” (NBC, 8 p.m.), “The Carrie Diaries” (The CW, Oct. 25, 8 p.m.). “The Neighbors” (ABC, tonight, 8:30 p.m.), “Shark Tank” (ABC, Sept. 20, 9 p.m.), “Hawaii Five-0” (CBS, tonight, 9 p.m.), “Grimm” (The CW, Oct. 25, 9 p.m.). “America’s Next Top Model” (The CW, ongoing, 9 p.m.), “20/20” (ABC, 10 p.m.) and “Blue Bloods” (CBS, today, 10 p.m.),