TV picks for Jan. 21:  "Horseplayers," "The Goodbye Girl," "Salinger"

Not quite a masterpiece

The idea of "American Masters" tackling J.D. Salinger is enticing. Too bad that "Salinger" (9 p.m., TPT, Ch. 2) offers no real insight into the elusive writer and is fueled almost entirely by trivial anecdotes. For now, Salinger remains a mystery.

Horse sense

Before heading out to the track, check out "Horseplayers" (9 p.m., Esquire), a look at the masters of professional horse-race handicapping. The 10-part series offers insights that could help assure that you don't come home with an empty wallet.

Here comes the judge

Judge Judy isn't known for being a softie, so it's a pleasant surprise that she kicks off her night of curating TCM's prime-time schedule with "The Goodbye Girl" (7 p.m., TCM), the perfectly sentimental Neil Simon comedy that earned Richard Dreyfuss an Oscar.

Neal Justin