State of the Union Address Set to Dominate Tuesday Night TV

Since 1947, when Harry Truman first christened the President's annual message as "The State of the Union," television networks have covered the speech in real time. This year's address by President Trump will be carried live by all of the broadcast networks, cable news, C-SPAN, and countless outlets online, and is expected to be viewed by at least 40 million people. Elsewhere across the dial, Stephen Colbert will provide immediate reaction to the president's remarks in a live episode of The Late Show, a doubleheader of NBA basketball, more fun and games with Ellen DeGeneres, and the return of several fan favorites. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this Tuesday:

LIVE COVERAGE: Following two months of impeachment proceedings that broke mostly along partisan lines, President Trump will deliver his fourth State of the Union Address before friends and foes in a joint session of Congress. 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT on Various Outlets.

SPECIAL EPISODE: Stephen Colbert will be burning the midnight oil tonight, hosting a live post-State of the Union episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Guests are scheduled to include actor and comedian John Leguizamo and reporters Philip Rucker and Carol D. Leonnig, co-authors of the New York Times Bestseller A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America. 11:30 PM ET on CBS

SPORTS:

NBA BASKETBALL: Tonight's primetime double header on TNT kicks off with The Milwaukee Bucks vs The New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT, followed by The San Antonio Spurs vs The Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT on TNT

NEW EPISODE: Ellen DeGeneres hosts a fresh installment of Ellen's Game of Games, with contestants trying their luck at "Aww Snap," "See You Later Alligator," "Mount Saint Ellen," and "Know or Go." 8:00 PM ET on NBC

NEW EPISODE: On a huge night for politics, Jimmy Kimmel Live welcomes former senator Al Franken to talk about the State of the Union and the latest developments in the Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump. Other guests include Paul Reubens and musical guest Big Thief. 11:30 PM ET on ABC

COMEDY SPECIAL: In his new Netflix special, Tom Papa: You're Doing Great, the comedian and radio host discusses struggling with the responsibilities of adulthood, and the shock of realizing that he is raising a mean girl. Watch the preview. Streaming on Netflix

NEW EPISODE: Tonight's new episode of Miracle Workers sees Prince Chauncley (Daniel Radcliffe) searching for one of his favorite pets, while Al (Geraldine Viswanathan) embarks on a new job. 10:30 PM ET on TBS

NEW EPISODE: Gordan Ramsey works to revive a seafood restaurant on Gordon Ramsey's 24 Hours to Hell & Back. Can he help rescue a family business that's supporting three different households? 8:00 PM ET on Fox

ALSO TODAY

• The Flash returns from break, with Barry dealing with the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths. 8:00 PM ET on The CW
• Legends of Tomorrow finds the Legends in 1947 Hollywood in the days of Bugsy Siegel. 9:00 PM ET on The CW
• The Biggest Loser sees everyone pushing themselves harder following a setback. 9:00 PM ET on USA

Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.