What to Watch This Week: February 2 to 7

From costumed celebs to a look back at one of TV's favourite reality hits, we round up the top 10 shows to watch this week

From costumed celebs to a look back at one of TV’s favourite reality hits, we round up the top 10 shows to watch this week

1. Super Bowl LIV – Sunday, February 2, 3:30 p.m., CTV, TSN1 & Fox

It’s their most ballyhooed broadcast of the year, one that will put more eyeballs on them than perhaps on any other TV show this year.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who have done five Super Bowls together, try to treat it like another day at the office, but they know butterflies are inevitable.

“I think anybody who would tell you that doing a game for 115 million people doesn’t get their nerves bouncing around a little bit is lying to you,” Buck says. “And as much as I say you don’t try and think about how many people are out there watching and in essence picking you apart, you do think about it. It’s just impossible not to, but that’s good. I think it forces you to really concentrate.”

Sunday, the two men will be in the booth when the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs meet the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, with the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the line in Super Bowl LIV, which Fox will air live from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will perform during the halftime show, with Demi Lovato pegged to sing the national anthem.

2. The Masked Singer – Sunday, February 2, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, February 5, 8 p.m., CTV & Fox

Everyone knows that only the hottest shows get the post-Super Bowl timeslot, so the fact that this singing competition has landed in it is a strong indication that network expectations are running high for season three.

This latest iteration of the bonkers sing-off promises yet more incognito stars showcasing their surprising pipes in extraordinary get-ups. Think elaborate takes on llamas, bananas, monsters and more, with the true nature of each character being hinted at by clues and an entertaining backstory. Each week, contestants will perform in front of panellists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Ken Jeong, while the live studio audience votes on their faves. As each mask comes off and the performers are revealed, it all gets more and more addictive—trust us.

In Sunday’s premiere, very special guest Jamie Foxx joins the panel, probably because he was the top guess among judges in the season-two finale, where the Fox (a.k.a. Wayne Brady) won it all. We suppose that means he isn’t under one of the masks in season three either, but then again you never really know with this show. After Sunday, the insanity settles back into its regular Wednesday timeslot.

3. Hot Market – Monday, February 3, 8 p.m., HGTV | Series Premiere

The real estate market in the Greater Toronto Area is smokin’ hot, and these agents and brokers are reaping the benefits. Follow along as they take us on tours of their most lavish multimillion-dollar listings in this week’s premiere, inspiring more than a touch of homeowner envy.

4. State of the Union – Tuesday, February 4, 6 p.m., ABC, CBS, Fox, KCTS, NBC & WTVS

Feeling concerned about the state of… well, the entire world? We can’t say we blame you. Tune in to this special live event to get the perspective of President Trump. Be prepared to commiserate and clash with friends and family over the words that come out of his mouth and what, if anything, they mean.

5. Survivor – Wednesday, February 5, 8 p.m., Global & CBS

Who knew that a silly little show about a group of extroverts trying to outwit, outplay and outlast one another on a desert island was destined to become one of the most iconic game shows ever? Just ahead of the 40th-season premiere, this special looks back over 20 years of tropical intrigue.

6. Lego Masters – Wednesday, February 5, 9:01 p.m., Fox | Series Premiere

Is there any toy more legendary or universal than Lego? Sure, frazzled parents everywhere are tired of stepping on the bits and pieces, but there’s no denying that the creations certain small-scale architects can snap to life with these ubiquitous blocks are truly awesome. Now, we get to see some of the more imaginative minds at work in an incoming series hosted by Lego Batman himself, Will Arnett.

In what’s being deemed “the greatest competition ever assembled,” men and women from across America will compete to build the grandest of blockbuster structures—brick by brick—in hopes of winning a $100,000 cash prize.

7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Thursday, February 6, 8 p.m. & 8:30 p.m., City & NBC | Season Premiere

With their tenure on Fox now little more than a distant memory, the silly, stalwart officers of the Nine-Nine continue their run on NBC this week, and fans will be pleased to see that the network is offering up two episodes to celebrate the beloved sitcom’s return. First up, an assassination attempt on a member of the city council results in Jake leading a manhunt, while Holt—who was recently demoted from his post as captain, if you’ll recall—is still struggling with having been busted down to uniformed-officer status.

8. Katy Keene – Thursday, February 6, 8 p.m., W Network & The CW | Series Premiere

Watching any television show developed by Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, it would not be unreasonable to expect a murder to take place at any time. Katy Keene, his latest endeavour, is not that show. “When I first met with Peter [Roth, CEO of Warner Bros. Television] to talk about this show, I said there is a version of this show that is more suspenseful, like Valley of the Dolls, and he said ‘No, no. What we want is something bright and optimistic and aspirational,’” Aguirre-Sacasa explains. “We took that and ran with it, and it’s fun to be talking about things like Broadway and fashion, and not an evil cult.”

Enter the fabulous and fashionable Katy Keene, who appeared in the Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and Ginger comics before getting her own title starting in 1949. So inspiring was the scrappy clothing designer making her way in New York City, that fans of the strip would send in costume suggestions at the time of publication. “Designers like Calvin Klein and Betsey Johnson drew inspiration from Katy’s character, and a lot of pop-culture icons now really pay attention to the styles from back then,” explains exec producer Jon Goldwater of Keene’s reach. “It’s a lovely thing that we are able to draw on that part of the Katy Keene history. She was an important character in her time.” 

The series will have a broader focus than just fashion, thanks to Katy Keene’s handsome boxer boyfriend K.O. Kelly (Zane Holtz), larger-than-life performer roommate Jorge/Ginger Lopez (Jonny Beauchamp) and super-talented singer best pal Josie (Ashleigh Murray), whose character makes the jump full-time from Riverdale.

9. Tommy – Thursday, February 6, 10 p.m., Global & CBS | Series Premiere

Edie Falco has been a mobster’s wife and a troubled nurse, and now, she’s becoming the first female police chief of Los Angeles.

That’s only in fictional terms, of course. The four-time Emmy winner plays a New Yorker who switches coasts to keep the City of Angels safe in CBS’s Tommy.

Abigail “Tommy” Thomas’s approach doesn’t always sit comfortably with others, particularly those with politics in mind, but she’s determined to do what it takes to protect her new turf and staff. Writer-producer Paul Attanasio (Homicide: Life on the Street, Bull) created the show, which includes Adelaide Clemens (Rectify), Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom), Joseph Lyle Taylor (Justified) and Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law) as co-stars.

10. High Maintenance – Friday, February 7, 11 p.m. & 2:45 a.m., HBO Canada | Season Premiere

Cannabis deliveryman The Guy (star/creator Ben Sinclair) returns for a fourth season of helping troubled New Yorkers mellow out; episode one finds our hero cycling to the aid of a This American Life reporter, as well as a singing telegrammer who’s in a bad mood.