1) “4400 ”(shown here) debut, 9 p.m., CW. For a lawyer returning from maternity leave, this is a messy start: En route to work, she’s yanked up and dumped in a field, one of 4,400 perplexed souls there. For her, it’s suddenly 16 years later; for others, the time gap varies. This reboots a cable series, now focusing on Black characters. Like NBC’s “La Brea,” it’s a great concept, but has wildly overdrawn characters. But CW, unlike NBC, tends to finish what it starts; we might stick with this for a while.
2) “All American” season-opener, 8 p.m., CW. Last season’s finale was filled with cliff-hangers. Coop was shot; Layla was on a perilous trip with Carrie … who faked Layla’s suicide note; and Coach Billy fumed at his star. That’s Spencer, who lived at Billy’s home; now he’s dating Billy’s daughter and has been secretly working out with her brother, who’s been sidelined by a concussion. Tonight, amid all those other problems, Spencer faces the national day when football players can commit to a college.
3) “The Big Leap,” 9 p.m., Fox. Last week took Gabby back to her old high school … and the teacher who impregnated her. He was promptly fired, this was hushed up and Gabby – who never saw the love letter from Reggie – remains grim. Now come new complications, including the pushy mom of two of the dancers. After some over-the-top moments, the show leaps back to its strongly emotional core.
4) “Dancing With the Stars,” 8 p.m., ABC. There’s a Halloween theme tonight And for the first time this season, Derek Hough (one of the judges) will dance. Also, someone will be sent home; last week it was Mel C (Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls). Tonight, this is part of an 8 p.m. overload: NBC has “The Voice”; Fox has an overview of “Masked Singer,” which will be bumped by baseball on Tuesday.
5) “My Life is Murder” season-finale, any time, www.acorn.tv. It’s a “Xena” reunion, as Alexa (Lucy Lawless) probes a cult-type leader (Renee O’Connor). The result is fairly good, in a bright and quick way. If you prefer something more exacting, Acorn also has the second episode of “Manhunt,” a four-parter that slowly and diligently re-creates the real-life hunt for a rapist who terrorized England.