By Rick Gables
Clayton Echard is set to be the leading man for season 26 of The Bachelor, premiering Monday, Jan. 3, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Clayton was first introduced to audiences on the current season of The Bachelorette. He is a puppy lover said to have a heart of gold who is ready to find the love of his life. Clayton graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Missouri and was a member of its football team, playing a prominent role in guiding the Tigers in back-to-back SEC Championships and a national Top 10 ranking. He even had a brief stint with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks before quickly realizing his football abilities didn’t quite match his business acumen.
The Equalizer returns to CBS on Sunday, Jan. 2, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. McCall (Queen Latifah) and Mel (Liza Lapira) help a deported woman track down her son after she was separated from him while seeking asylum at the U.S. border. Also, Mel, McCall and Bishop (Chris Noth) exhaust every avenue to get Harry (Adam Goldberg) released from prison.
Discovery Channel’s popular robot fighting competition series Battlebots returns on Thursday, Jan. 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. More than 60 teams travel to Las Vegas for a chance to take home the greatest prize in the sport, The Giant Nut. Each night a vicious lineup of bots battle for their lives in the iconic BattleBox but only the toughest will live to see the next round. New Zealand’s End Game currently has the trophy, but teams from the USA are determined to bring it back to America. Will they succeed, or will the trophy find a new home in Europe, Asia, or South America? Chris Rose and Kenny Florian will provide the battle-by-battle commentary.
This Friday, Dec. 31, PBS will help us welcome in 2022 in a very positive way with United in Song: Celebrating the American Dream, airing at 9 p.m. ET (check your local listings). The star-studded event, filmed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, celebrates the American dream and America’s irrepressible strength. This grand celebration is hosted by Chita Rivera with performances by Delbert Anderson, David Archuleta, Jencarlos Canela, Judy Collins, Deborah Cox, Drew Gehling, Amber Merritt, Midori, Sandi Patty, Cassadee Pope, Pepe Romero, Lea Salonga, Paulo Szot, Brandee Younger, alongside The American Pops Orchestra. The program also features a newly commissioned performance by The Washington Ballet.