Worth Watching — September 1, 2026

An ABC News special examines how the country began to heal after the 9/11 attacks through sports, music, late-night humor, and Broadway musical comedy. America’s Got Talent and Jeopardy! Masters resume their quarterfinals. Tommy Davidson reprises his Martin character of hapless late-night TV host Varnell Hill in a backstage comedy.

9/11: United We Stand – 25 Years Later

An emotionally resonant ABC News special focuses less on the horror and chaos of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon, and the doomed United Flight 93 but on the process of necessary healing that followed, with sports and entertainment providing a welcome comfort zone. “Our job was to give people something to cheer for,” recalls former New York Yankees superstar Derek Jeter, an executive producer along with Good Morning America‘s Michael Strahan, then with the New York Giants. Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson pays homage to his firefighter father, among the first responders who perished that day (“He’s my hero for sure”), while The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart reflects on how late-night TV, including David Letterman‘s Late Show and SNL, helped comfort a grieving nation. Among the other voices heard: Matthew Broderick, starring in that year’s hot ticket The Producers, recalls the importance of Broadway’s lights coming back on, and Jon Bon Jovi and Billy Crystal provide anecdotes about taking the Madison Square Garden stage a month later as part of The Concert for New York City, organized by the legendary Paul McCartney. A quarter-century later, this is cultural history well worth remembering.

America’s Got Talent

The third round of quarterfinalists takes the stage for another curtain call, hoping America’s votes will carry them through to the semifinals on September 15. This week’s roster of scheduled performers is especially eclectic: singers Isaac Atkins, Lai Noelle (both Golden Buzzer recipients), Elsie and Pynk Beard, plus the Golden Buzzer-winning dog-and-dancers combo Acro Canine Crew, contortionist Maria, comedian Daniel Alvarez, aerialist duo Holland & Sienna, sword swallower Herwan Legaillard, magician Kameron Marshall, and spoken word poet Guy Kelton-Jones. That’s quite a lot of variety for one night.

Jeopardy! Masters

Past Masters champions Victoria Groce and Yogesh Raut have so far dominated and are atop the leaderboard as week 2 of the tournament gets underway with the last two nights of quarterfinal games. Semifinals follow on Thursday and Friday, with the two-game finals scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, with a $500,000 grand prize awaiting the winner. The clues seem especially tough this year, but that’s what the masters signed up for.

The Varnell Hill Show

Those with long sitcom memories may remember In Living Color alum Tommy Davidson’s guest appearance in a two-part episode of 1990s hit Martin as arrogant late-night TV talk host Varnell Hill. More than 30 years later, executive producer Martin Lawrence gives Varnell his own showcase in a showbiz backstage comedy that presents the delusional TV personality as stuck in the past, reluctant to embrace new ideas as pitched by his ambitious executive producer, Rachel (The Steve Harvey Show‘s Wendy Raquel Robinson). Toothless as satire — check out Garry Shandling‘s brilliant The Larry Sanders Show to see how it’s done — this benign farce features guest appearances by celebs and musical guests including Damon Wayans, Mike Epps, Kirk Franklin, and Omarion, with sitcom pro Kym Whitley stealing all of her scenes as Varnell’s long-suffering assistant. Lawrence shows up in several guises for cameo appearances.

American Classic

In case you missed this gem earlier this year on MGM+, a sweetly comedic valentine to theater gets a wider platform on Prime Video, starring Tony and Oscar winner Kevin Kline as narcissistic Broadway star Richard Bean, seeking redemption and maybe a comeback by staging Our Town (a true American classic) at his Pennsylvania hometown’s struggling community theater. The terrific cast includes Jon Tenney as Richard’s good-natured brother Jon and four-time Emmy winner Laura Linney as Jon’s wife and Richard’s ex, who’s also the town mayor when not trying to keep the theater afloat. Blue Bloods‘ Len Cariou (another Tony winner) plays Richard’s addled father, for whom the whole world is a stage. The eight-episode season is a binge-worthy delight.