1) “Help,” any time, www.acorn.tv. Here is one of the finest performances you’ll ever see … if you decide to see it. “Help” is a rugged ride, battering the characters and the viewers. But it also has work that’s amazing in its subtlety and depth. Jodie Comer, 28, plays Sarah, trying to steady a teetering life by working in a nursing home; Stephen Graham, 48, plays Tony, with early-onset Alzheimer’s. (They’re shown here.) It’s late in 2019 and worlds are about to implode in deeply moving ways.
2) “March,” 8 p.m., CW, and “The Gilded Age,” 9 p.m., HBO. These shows, mirror opposites, debuted last week. “Gilded,” from the “Downton Abbey” creator, follows high-society in 1880s New York, with a cast that includes Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon and Carrie Coon. “March” follows members of the Prairie View A&M marching band. Its reality-show portions are lame, but the band itself is sensational.
3) “Snowpiercer,” 9 p.m., TNT, rerunning at 10. Amid the frozen horror of this world, won’t expect festivities. But now there’s a wedding, with a gorgeous bride in white; the evil Wilford sees a feel-good opportunity. That’s on the big train; the little (rebel-held one) has found a survivor who may be a key to the hoped-for warm spot on a frigid planet. It’s a powerhouse episode that ends with a jolt.
4) “Promised Land,” 10:01 p.m., ABC. Last week’s opener had solid, multi-level drama, plus some soap-style twists. We met Joe, who went from a hard-scrabble start to become a rich vineyard and winery owner. And his daughter, the new CEO – a brainy Stanford grad, hiding her hit-and-run crash. And sons who oppose him, one from inside and one trying to start his own vineyard. Add some new arrivals with forged documents and you have a promising “Promised Land.”
5) ALSO: When the Grammys moved to April 3, CBS found itself with an empty night, now filled with reruns. That starts at 8 with the season-openers of “The Neighborhood” (a genealogy surprise) and “Bob (Hearts) Abishola” (a moderately funny and visually impressive visit to Nigeria). At 9 is an “NCIS” from before Mark Harmon left; he’s on a road trip to find one of a killer’s victims. And at 10 is a face-off between eco-activists and a tech billionaire.
— Mike Hughes, TV America