What to Watch the Week of January 28: Taylor Swift at the AFC Championship Game; Plus, Vanderpump Rules, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and More

Today might be the last time we see Taylor Swift at an NFL game this season. That’s because Travis Kelce’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, is squaring off against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl. Should they win, it’s unclear if Taylor would make it to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl considering her Eras Tour starts up again on February 7 in Tokyo. From a scheduling stand point, she could technically make it to Las Vegas for the big game, but she would be cutting it really close. (Listen, it just makes it more fun to have her there, okay?)

Of course, the Chiefs have to defeat the Ravens in today’s afternoon game on CBS for that to happen, and if you listen to the experts, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the defending Super Bowl champions. Baltimore is favored to win, and the game is being played on their home turf. Then again, the Chiefs are by no means underdogs, so today’s game has the potential to be a classic. And if you’re sad at the prospect of a Taylor Swift-free Sunday after this one, have no fear, because she’ll be at next Sunday’s Grammys (also airing on CBS). Plus, if the Chiefs don’t make it to the Super Bowl, then odds are Travis accompanies Taylor to music’s biggest night, where she has six nominations.

Either the Chiefs or the Ravens will face off against the winner of the NFC Championship game, which also airs today. The Detroit Lions will play the San Francisco 49ers in the Bay Area. The Lions aren’t favored to win, but if they do, prepare for pandemonium in Michigan. The Lions have never been to the Super Bowl, and quite frankly, it’s about damn time.

Jahmyr Gibbs #26 of the Detroit Lions celebrates a touchdown during the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

While that concludes my sports reporting portion of this column, the AFC and NFC championship games are far from the only draws this week. Vanderpump Rules returns, and the fallout from Sandoval will no doubt be front and center. While the reality series will probably never reach the same fever pitch as it did last spring, it’s still hotly anticipated. Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval are set to return, but sadly for drama lovers, Rachel (formerly Raquel) Leviss will not. More on that below.

Then on Wednesday, the second installment of Ryan Murphy’s Feud returns after seven years (I know). This time, the subject is Truman Capote and the women he nicknamed “the swans” because they were some of the most glamorous, elite socialites of the time. Tom Hollander plays Capote, and while his performance of the larger than life writer is uncanny, it’s Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart, Chloë Sevigny, Demi Moore, and Molly Ringwald as “the swans” that makes this limited series so addictive and juicy.

Says Ryan Murphy: “We tried to show [the swans’] accomplishments, but also the time they were stuck in. They were victims and also successes of their times. Every episode has a monologue of how under-appreciated they were. So I think we did justice for them in that way.”

(L-R) Chloe Sevigny, Naomi Watts, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Calista Flockhart at the premiere of FX’s Feud: Capote Vs. Swans in New York City.

Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Then on Friday comes the premiere of Prime Video’s highly-anticipated TV adaptation of the 2005 film, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If you remember, the film version starred Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as Jane and John Smith, and was the catalyst for their real-life romance. In this updated version, Donald Glover and Maya Erskine step into the lead roles. It’s a super fun ride, with lots of chemistry, intense action scenes, and humor. You can read about what else to expect from the series under Friday’s suggestions.

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as John and Jane Smith in Prime Video’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

David Lee/Prime Video

On that note, I’ll see you back here next Sunday to preview the Grammys, and the one-hour return of the beloved Abbott Elementary.

Sunday, January 28AFC Championship Game (CBS/Paramount+): The reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, take on the Ravens in Baltimore. 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT/noon PT

NFC Championship Game (Fox): The Detroit Lions head to the Bay Area to take on the San Francisco 49ers as they hope to advance to their first ever Super Bowl. 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. PT

The Many Lives of Martha Stewart (CNN): This four-part original CNN series will air over two consecutive weekends, launching with two episodes tonight. It traces Stewart’s successes and failures and all the juicy stories in between. 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT

Tuesday, January 30Vanderpump Rules (Bravo): Season 11 is the most anticipated yet, and therefore deserves its own post. Check out our explainer of everything to expect here. 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and available to stream on Peacock the next day

Wednesday, January 31Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (FX): The eight-episode limited series from Ryan Murphy is based on the bestselling book, Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer. In the series—per FX—acclaimed writer Truman Capote (The White Lotus’s Tom Hollander) surrounded himself with society’s most elite women in New York—whom he nicknamed “the swans.” The group included grande dame Barbara “Babe” Paley (Naomi Watts), Slim Keith (Diane Lane), C.Z. Guest (Chloë Sevigny), and Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart).

Capote ingratiated himself into their lives, befriending them and becoming their confidante, only to betray them by writing a thinly veiled fictionalization of their lives, thereby exposing their most intimate secrets. The series also stars Demi Moore as Ann “Bang-Bang” Woodward, Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson, the late Treat Williams as Bill Paley, Joe Mantello as Jack Dunphy, and Russell Tovey as John O’Shea. Two episodes premiere tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX, simulcast with a special Director’s Cut of the first episode on FXX. Episodes, including the Director’s Cut, will be available to stream the next day on Hulu

Choir (Disney+): This six-part docu-series goes behind-the-scenes at the Detroit Youth Choir, known for their Golden Buzzer performance on America’s Got Talent that brought host Terry Crews to tears. The reason the series is so important is because the arts are typically the first programs to be stripped of their budget, so Choir serves as an important reminder of just how transformative music and the arts can be for our youth. Streaming

Thursday, February 1Genius: MLK/X (Nat Geo): The eight-part Emmy-winning anthology series does something it hasn’t previously done before: focus on two iconic geniuses: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre). According the press release, “Genius: MLK/X will explore the formative years, where they were molded by strong fathers and traumatic injustices, to their rich, parallel stories as they shaped their identities and became the change they wished to see in the world. With their formidable wives, Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson), leading by their sides, King and X are two visionaries who ultimately rose to pioneer a movement.” The series is already getting rave reviews. 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu

Three Little Birds (Britbox): Following it’s UK debut, this six-part drama series from Britbox showcases the adventures of sisters Leah and Chantrelle, who come from the St. Anne’s district of Jamaica. Along with their bible-loving acquaintance, Hosanna, they board a ship heading to Great Britain looking for a new life. Three episodes streaming at launch, and then three episodes a week later

Friday, February 2Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video): In this fast-paced, fun take on the 2005 movie of the same name, John (Donald Glover) and Jane (Maya Erskine) get thrown together to carry out dangerous missions. In case you’re wondering why co-creator/writer/showrunner/director Francesca Sloane wanted to bring the story to the small screen, she explains, “Once we were announced, we saw the comment, ‘Who needs this show?’ We didn’t blame them. In a culture heavily inundated with remakes, this was a reasonable reaction. No one would need a show that retold the same blockbuster movie. But what we set out to do was to make something wholly original.”

She continues: “This show is about a relationship, it’s about being clumsy humans. It’s about being relatable. John and Jane are offered the chance of a lifetime, whole new identities, an opportunity to be super spies. Metaphorically, though, they are C- students being thrown into an AP course. The stylish clothes (they’ll wear them), the iconic, international set-pieces (we’ll have them), the exciting shoot-em-ups (they’ll be there), will all be background to the raw and emotional components of John and Jane navigating the milestones of a real connection. We’ll watch their arranged marriage become something authentic. We’ll experience them saying their first ‘I love you’ and experience them first farting around each other. We’ll see them engage with in-laws, personal rituals/habits, sex, the topic of kids, jealousy, and eventually using each other’s
deepest vulnerabilities as leverage when shit hits the fan. All of this while running around the
world and completing high risk missions.” Streaming

Saturday, February 3Paging Mr. Darcy (Hallmark Channel): Hallmark Channel is honoring Jane Austen with their annual Loveuary programming this month. Four original movies will air weekly, starting with Paging Mr. Darcy. In the film, two people (played by Mallory Jansen and Will Kemp) overcome their pride and admit to their belief in love. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT

Saturday Night Live (NBC/Peacock): Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) hosts for the first time. She recently won an Emmy, a Critics Choice award, and a Golden Globe, and is nominated for a SAG award. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez will make her fourth appearance as musical guest, having previously hosted three times. Her upcoming album, This Is Me … Now, and her film, This Is Me … Now: A Love Story, will be released Feb. 16. 11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. PT and streaming live on Peacock

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the NYT best-selling book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.