1) “The Wonder Years,” 9 p.m., ABC. Life gets sticky when your wife (shown here) fires your best friend … especially when your son and his are Soapbox Derby partners. Unlike some recent episodes of this comedy-drama, this one remembers the comedy part, creating an enjoyable half-hour.
2) “MasterChef,” 8 p.m., Fox. This is the 250th episode, so the show needs a cake – or one from every contestant. The season began as a battle between regions, but it’s been a mismatch: The Northeast has lost three of its five people, the Midwest and West one apiece … and the South still has all five.
3) “Human Footprint” finale, 9 p.m., PBS. Nature and humanity intersect in odd ways: Geological factors made the South perfect for cotton … which at one point provided half of all U.S. exports. Then the boll weevil destroyed much of the crop. That first part led to a surge of slavery; the second was a factor as six million people moved North and the civil-rights movement grew. This disjointed but intriguing series ends on a high note.
4) “Superfan” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. This has been on the shelf for a long time … and should have stayed there. (In one version of this opener, we can tell it was taped more than a year ago.) LL Cool J is a likable chap, but no one merits this screeching crowd and hyping host. He’s “a certified cultural phenomenon who’s beloved by all,” we’re told. There’s no play-along fun for viewers; in the name-that-tune portion, songs are recognized after a note or two
5) “Grown-ish,” 10 p.m., Freeform., Romance gets confusing: Aaron feels a spark for his colleague (Kelly Rowland guests), but isn’t sure what’s next; Zaara is consumed by her recent fling with Drea. Other non-reruns are at 8 p.m. — CBS’ “Big Brothert,” NBC’s “LA Fire & Rescue” and CW’s “Nancy Drew,” which is followed at 9 by a new “Riverdale.”
— Mike Hughes, TV America