1) “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution,” 9-11 p.m., A&E; reruns at 7 p.m. Thursday, leading into the second half. When Dick Gregory was a teen track star, his son says, he learned that Blacks’ times weren’t in local record books. He became an activist, then a comedian, then — in later years (shown here) — both. When most Blacks were confined to small clubs and “party records,” he was in the Playboy Club and on TV. This excellent film starts there, then ranges from Bill Cosby to Richard Pryor …whose daughter teaches a class on “History of the ‘N’ Word.”
2) “So You Think You Can Dance,” 9 p.m., Fox. The has its top 10 dancers now, with half of them listing “contemporary” as their specialty. Of the others, two list Latin ballroom, with one apiece listing jazz, hip hop and music theater. Last week, the studio audience and judges ousted Virginia Crouse (contemporary) and James Thomas (hip hop); now the survivors switch partners. That follows a “MasterChef” with the first team challenge – feeding more than 100 people at a Coast Guard station.
3) “The Flash” season-finale, 8 p.m., CW. The network’s top-rated show ends its eighth season with its hero faltering. In an episode that repeats at 9 p.m. Thursday, he struggles to deal with recent events, as others try to help him. That’s followed by a clever “Wellington Paranormal,” in which the cops must face their greatest fears. They range from sock puppets (well, why not sock puppets?) to O’Leary’s fear of her mother’s disapproval and Parker’s fear of … well, almost everything.
4) “Planet California” conclusion, 10 p.m., PBS. Far from its crowds, California has stunning sights. There are sea bass that live 75 years (now that they’re protected) and top 400 pounds … and humpback whales that near 80,000 pounds … and a tree believed to be 4,500 years old. A kangaroo rat leaps three feet, eluding a rattler; bears nimbly climb branches, to get fresh acorns. The narration is so-so, but the visuals are gorgeous, peaking with the balletic grace of Estrella Navarro, a free diving (no air tanks) marine biologist.
5) Movies. The second half of “Right to Offend” (on Thursday) will start with the feel-good era of Eddie Murphy. To get ready, catch Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984), at 7:15 p.m. today on Showtime; it’s a splendid blend of broad humor and crisp action..Also tonight, Turner Classic Movies has the satiric brilliance of “Dr. Strangelove” (1964) at 6:15 p.m. ET, followed by “Murder by Death” (1976) – Neil Simon’s witty spoof of classic mysteries – at 8.