1) “American Masters: Flannery,” 8-9:30 p.m., PBS. For a brief spurt, Flannery O’Conner (shown here) strayed far from her rural-Georgia roots. She went to the Iowa Writers Workshop and tp a writers colony in New York, getting praise and friendship from literary masters. Then she was diagnosed with lupus, which her father had died of; she retreated at 27, spending her final 12 years with her mom. Her two novels and 37 short stories kept a Southern Gothic tone, becoming classics. Here’s an excellent profile.
2) ”Young Rock,” 8 p.m., NBC. Like most episodes, this takes an admirably frank view of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s boyhood faults; tonight, he punches a fellow teen-ager and his mom learns he’s been steaing. And unlike many episodes, this one remembers to include a fair amount of humor. That leads to new episodes of “Kenan” at 8:30, “This Is Us” at 9 and “New Amsterdam” at 10.
3) “Mayans M.C.,” 10 p.m., FX, rerunning at 11:17. Last week, EZ – no longer just a probationary member of the biker club – pushed the idea of a single, big-quantity drug run. It’s a scheme that could triumph or crash, launched in this strong hour. Meanwhile, his girlfriend tries to nudge his dad out of deep despair. Also forlorn is Adelita, the rebel leader – freed from prison, but void of hope.
4) “Frontline,” 10 p.m., PBS (check local listings). New Orleans funerals have been epic events, mixing sorrow and celebration, complete with bands and a parade that strangers join. But all of that changed with the pandemic. This quietly moving hour profiles two Black-owned funeral homes.
5) “Soul of a Nation,” 10 p.m., ABC. After last week’s look at the Black church, this hour views “Black joy.” It talks to comedians – including Michael Yo, who nearly died of COVID, then resumed drawing laughs. It has a song from Cynthia Erivo, who talks about starring in “Genius: Aretha.” That’s the mini-series that has the third of its four nights today (9 and 10 p.m., rerunning at 11 and midnight) on the National Geographic Channel; tonight’s second hour is a potent look at the “Amazing Grace” album.