Best-bets for March 24: One season ends, several begin

1) ”Masterpiece: Sanditon” season-finale, 9 p.m., PBS. The sisters are heading home with their love lives crumbling. Charlotte (shown here in a previous episode) is sorting out two angry guys; Alison was devastated by a lying soldier. Then there’s Miss Lambe” (seduced by an artist) and Esther (drugged by her step-brother); also, the soldiers are leaving without paying their bills. Some of this gets resolved, in a well-made hour that is slick and emotional, with a closing jolt. Read more…

1) ”Masterpiece: Sanditon” season-finale, 9 p.m., PBS. The sisters are heading home with their love lives crumbling. Charlotte (shown here in a previous episode) is sorting out two angry guys; Alison was devastated by a lying soldier. Then there’s Miss Lambe” (seduced by an artist) and Esther (drugged by her step-brother); also, the soldiers are leaving without paying their bills. Some of this gets resolved, in a well-made hour that is slick and emotional, with a closing jolt.

2) “The Man Who Fell to Earth” debut, 10 p.m., Showtime. At first, this reminds us of the crisp fun of “Resident Alien.” Someone from another planet (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is being probed by an intake officer (Martha Plimpton) who finds this too much to take in. Two great actors collide perfectly. But stick around; after the early humor, this 10-part mini-series has some compelling, science-fiction moments. Naomie Harris is especially good, as a genius trying to retreat to everyday life.

3) “Gaslit” debut, 8 p.m., Starz, rerunning at 10:10. It’s a big night for Starz, with the season’s second-to-last “Outlander” (9:04 p.m.) surrounded by this real-life drama. Martha Mitchell, the attorney general’s wife, was an anomaly in the Nixon years; a former sorority president who had dreamed of being a singer or actress, she was an outspoken Southern socialite. She defended and derided the administration as Watergate tightened. It’s a strong role for Julia Roberts, the Oscar-winning Georgia native.

4) “The Rookie,” 10 p.m., ABC. Over the next two weeks, this cop show can add some light touches. Niecy Nash plays an FBI trainee, brought in when one of her former students is accused of terrorism. Now the guy who was the oldest rookie on the police force is linked with the oldest trainee; two actors with comedy skills (Nathan Fillion and Nash) collide.

5) MUCH more. At 9 and 11 p.m. ET, CNN debuts “Navalny,” the compelling story of the Russian dissident who survived an assassination attempt, then was imprisoned. At 10, Epix debuts its “Billy the Kid” series and HBO starts the third season of Bill Hader’s “Barry” – three years after the second one ended. That’s followed at 10:33 by the horror-comedy “Baby.” Or go to Turner Classic movies for the Mel Brooks comedy gem “Blazing Saddles” (1974) at 8 p.m. and the fun comedy-drama “Silver Streak” (1976) at 9:45.

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