Monday Night Football probably drew another 13 million viewers to ESPN last night. At least as many need to see tonight’s special “Frontline” (PBS, 9 p.m.), a scathing indictment of the NFL and what they’ve known about the concussions for 15 years and hidden from players.
The implications of the methodical report, “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis,” based largely on the reporting of brothers Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada, lays bare the ways the league denied and tried to suppress consistent scientific evidence that repeated concussions led to a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, leaving star players with radical personality changes, and an early road to death marked with pain, symptoms of dementia, along with frequent drug abuse and homelessness.
Though the NFL were close to admitting the problem, more recently they’ve settled with former players in a $275 million suit while admitting no guilt. And ESPN which originally co-produced this report, had to pull out, since their annual contract with the league runs to about $2 billion. All the more reason to pay attention to the methodical and chilling report which has ramifications to not only the most successful sports league around, but to all manner of tackle football in college, high school and younger.
All the more reason to appreciate baseball: Two games in the American League divisional series, Oakland at Detroit (TBS, 5 p.m.) and Boston at Tampa Bay (TBS, 8:30 p.m.).
And what is the Worldwide Leader in Sports up to? Showing its own documentary, about the short-lived ABA team Spirits of St. Louis on “30 for 30” (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
It’s pretty sad when a reality competition winner has to settle for going onto another reality show. That’s what happens when Ruben Studdard, season two “American Idol” winner, shows up to compete on the 15th season of “The Biggest Loser” (NBC, 8 p.m.) that gets its start tonight.
Also returning for its new season — its ninth — is “Supernatural” (The CW, 9 p.m.), with Sam just hanging on for life. It follows the second episode of “The Originals” (The CW, 8 p.m.).
Already one new fall network show has been canceled, “Lucky 7,” which may have not been the worst of the new crop, but was certainly among the least seen. It will be replaced by a reruns of a worse new show that has a better chance with viewers, “Betrayal” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
The biggest threat to Nick and Jess’s new relationship on “New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.) is Schmidt. Morgan and Mindy have talk about hooking up on “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.); it ends in a threatened lawsuit.
Africa is getting sweet on Vawn on “The New Atlanta” (Bravo, 10 p.m.) proving the old adage that bad names attract.
A supergenius is kidnapped and forced to watch “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC, 8 p.m.).
Mena Suvari begins a stint on“Chicago Fire” (NBC, 10 p.m.).
On “The Voice” (NBC, 9 p.m.), the blind auditions are over, but there’s enough leftover footage to fill an episode before they move onto battle rounds next week.
The long-hair illusionist shows how he does it on “Criss Angel: BeLIEve” (Spike, 11 p.m.).
Dean Winters of “Law & Order: SVU” plays a completely different cop on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox, 8:30 p.m.).
Get to know your sex researchers tonight from either the 2004 film “Kinsey” (Sundance, 10 p.m.) or a replay of the latest episode of “Masters of Sex” (Showtime, 8 and 10 p.m.).
Some of the best movies of the 1950s are on Turner Classic Movies, with “Rebel Without a Cause” (8 p.m.), “All that Heaven Allows” (10 p.m.), “Johnny Guitar” (11:45 p.m.), “Los Olvidados” (3 a.m.) and “And God Created Woman” (4:30 a.m.) in addition to the documentary “The Story of Film: An Odyssey: 1953-1957 – The Swollen Story: World Cinema” (1:45 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jessica Seinfeld. The View: Christie Brinkley, Sailor Brinkley Cook, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o, Valerie Harper, Jesse Ventura. The Talk: Suzanne Somers, Lorena Garcia, Carnie Wilson. Ellen DeGeneres: Kate Hudson, Steve Martin & Edie Brickell. Wendy Williams: Robin Quivers, Perez Hilton, Kate Dimmock.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Seth Meyers, Michael Fassbender, Amos Lee. Jay Leno: Billy Crystal, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Toni Braxton, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. Jimmy Kimmel: Elton John, Emily VanCamp. Jimmy Fallon: Miley Cyrus. Craig Ferguson: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Guillermo Diaz, Nick Cobb. Carson Daly: Zack Snyder, Grimes (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Jessica Lange. Jon Stewart: Malaia Yousafzai. Stephen Colbert: Paul Giamatti. W. Kamau Bell: Sarah Silverman (rerun). Arsenio Hall: James Caan, Chandra Wilson, Thompson Square. Conan O’Brien: Lisa Kudrow, Diego Luna, Florida Georgia Line (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Christina Applegate, Claire Titelman, Natasha Leggero, Ross Mathews.