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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

February Sweeps In New Shows

Fox Broadcasting

The four-week February sweeps starting Thursday, Feb. 2, bring more spin-offs and revivals from TV shows and movies.

Here's a look at sweeps highlights:

Credit CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Justin Cornwell (left) and Bill Paxton star in CBS' "Training Day" based on the 2001 movie.

Training Day (10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, CBS): Bill Paxton and Justin Cornwell star in a remake of the 2001 Denzel Washington-Ethan Hawke movie about a rookie Los Angeles narcotics officer paired with a rouge, corrupt detective.

Superior Donuts (8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, CBS): Judd Hirsch plays a gruff Chicago donut shop owner with just one employee (Jermaine Fowler), who struggles to modernize the old man's business. Based on the play by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning writer Tracy Letts. Moves to 9 p.m. Mondays on Feb. 6.

Powerless (8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, NBC ):  NBC looks for laughs in the collateral damage by DC Comic's superheroes and villains through the product research and development director (Vanessa Hudgens, "High School Musical") at Wayne Enterprises, owned by Bruce Wayne (AKA "Batman").

Credit Fox Broadcasting
Corey Hawkins stars in Fox's "24: Legacy" immediately after the Super Bowl Feb. 5.

24: Legacy (about 10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, Fox):  The clock is ticking again as Army Ranger Eric Carter (Corey Hawkins, "Straight Outta Compton") and former CTU intelligence officer Rebecca Ingram (Miranda Otto, "Homeland") join forces to fight a U.S. terrorist threat, while Rebecca's husband (Jimmy Smits) campaigns for president. Second episode airs 8 p.m. Monday.

Credit Fox Broadcasting
Jimmy Smits as Sen. John Donovan on "24: Legacy."

APB (9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, Fox): This Fox drama should make President Donald Trump happy: A billionaire engineer (Justin Kirk, "Tyrant," "Animal Practice," "Weeds") provides the latest high-tech weapons to fight crime in Chicago. With Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"), Natalie Martinez ("Under the Dome") and Taylor Handley ("Vegas," "Southland").

The Walking Dead (9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, AMC): Season seven finally resumes.

Girls (10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, HBO): Lena Dunham's comedy begins its final season.

59th Annual Grammy Awards (8:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12, CBS): James Corden hosts live from Hollywood.

Doubt (10 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, CBS): Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy")plays a lawyer who falls in love with her client, a surgeon (Steven Pasquale) accused of murdering his girlfriend. Also starring Laverne Cox ("Orange Is The New Black"), Dule Hill ("Psych, "West Wing") and Elliott Gould.

Sun Records (10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, CMT): CMT dramatizes the life of Memphis record producer Sam Phillips (Chad Michael Murray) developing the talents of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. 

Credit CBS Televisoin
Miguel Ferrer

NCIS: Los Angeles (9 p.m., Sunday Feb. 19, CBS):  Miguel Ferrer, who died of throat cancer Jan. 19, makes his final appearance as NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger. The series will air a tribute to him March 5.

The Blacklist: Redemption (10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, NBC): The most elusive "Blacklist" assassins, hackers and other criminals come together under Susan "Scottie" Hargrave (Famke Janssen, "The Blacklist," "How To Get Away With Murder") seeking redemption by solving problems "governments don't dare touch," NBC says.  

The 89th Annual Academy Awards (7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, ABC): Jimmy Kimmel hosts Hollywood's biggest night.

When We Rise (9-11 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, ABC): Rachel Griffiths, Mary-Louise Parker, Michael K. Williams, Guy Pearce and Austin McKenzie star in a mini-series about LGBT men and women from writer Dustin Lance Black ("Big Love," "J. Edgar"). Also airs 9-11 p.m. March 1-3.

Chicago Justice (10 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, NBC): Producer Dick Wolf's fourth Chicago drama starring Carl Weathers as the Cook County state's attorney battling his ambitious boss (Philip Winchester, "The Player," "Strike Back") while trying to clean up Chicago. With Jon Seda ("Chicago P.D.") as chief investigator. Moves to 9 p.m. Sunday on March 5.

NCIS: Los Angeles (9 p.m., Sunday March 5, CBS): The police drama salutes Miguel Ferrer, who played NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger, while broadcasting Ferrer singing Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door" with his band, The Jenorators. Ferrer died Jan. 19 at age 61.

Shades of Blue (10 p.m. Sunday, March 5, NBC): Jennifer Lopez detective series returns for a second season.

Trial & Error (9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, NBC): John Lithgow stars in this comedy as an eccentric poetry professor (John Lithgow) who hires a big-city lawyer (Nicholas D'Agosto, "Heroes," "Gotham," "Masters of Sex") to beat a murder charge.

Survivor (8 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, CBS): Premiere for the 34th season.

Designated Survivor (10 p.m. Wednesday March 8, ABC): Midseason premiere for Kiefer Sutherland drama.

Underground (10 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, WGN America): Aisha Hinds debuts as Harriet Tubman in the season two premiere of the Underground Railroad drama starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Amirah Vann and Christopher Meloni.

Dancing With The Stars (8 p.m. Monday, March 20, ABC): The 24th season premiere. 

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.