Best-bets for March 16: “Idol” expands, “Roswell” resurrects

1) “Roswell, New Mexico” season-opener, 9 p.m., CW. We’re used to death having a certain permanence, but not here. A decade ago, Liz’s sister died – apparently as a drunken driver, also responsible for the deaths of two friends. Later, we learned that Noah was responsible; Max (Nathan Parsons, shown here with Jeanine Mason as Liz) found Rosa’s well-preserved body and resurrected her. (Outer-space aliens can do that, apparently.) Tonight, we find Rosa alive, Max and Noah dead (for now) and Isobel – Max’s sister, Noah’s widow – bitter. Read more…

1) “Roswell, New Mexico” season-opener, 9 p.m., CW. We’re used to death having a certain permanence, but not here. A decade ago, Liz’s sister died – apparently as a drunken driver, also responsible for the deaths of two friends. Later, we learned that Noah was responsible; Max (Nathan Parsons, shown here with Jeanine Mason as Liz) found Rosa’s well-preserved body and resurrected her. (Outer-space aliens can do that, apparently.) Tonight, we find Rosa alive, Max and Noah dead (for now) and Isobel – Max’s sister, Noah’s widow – bitter.

2) “American Idol,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. Now that “The Bachelor” has had its messy finale, “Idol” can temporarily sprawl over two nights. On Sunday, it had its final auditions; tonight, the survivors start “Hollywood Week.” Tonight has what the show calls a “genre challenge”; coming next are duets on Sunday and solos next Monday.

3) “Supernatural” return, 8 p.m., CW. After a two-month rest, this is back for the final nine episodes of its 15th and final season. The show likes to bring back past characters; this time it’s Sheriff Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes), who’s been doing occasional episodes for a decade.

4) “9-1-1” return, 8 p.m., Fox. After an extra-long break – three-and-a-half months, including the full run of the “9-1-1: Lone Star” spin-off – this is back with eight new episodes. There are the usual odd rescues, plus personal problems. Tonight, the brother of “Chimney” unexpectedly arrives from Korea.

5) “The Plot Against America” debut, 9 p.m., HBO. As war sprawls across Europe, Americans are desperate to stay out of it. Their solution is Charles Lindbergh, the handsome aviation hero; he defeats Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940. presidential race, then appeases Hitler, setting off new waves of anti-Semitism. That’s how it happened in Philip Roth’s chilling novel, which has been turned into a six-week mini-series; another mini – a sequel to the Italian-language “My Brilliant Friend” – starts at 10.

– Mike Hughes, TV America

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