1) “Miss Austen” opener, 9 p.m., PBS. Facts and fiction blend neatly in a four-parter. A decade after the death of novelist Jane Austen, another death forces her sister Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) into action, hoping to preserve Jane’s legacy. Her goals are iffy, but the terrific Hawes keeps us rooting for her, amid a sea of speculative flashbacks (shown here with the three Austen sisters.)
2) “The Walking Dead: Dead City” season-opener, 9 p.m., AMC. Remember when movie-goers had a “Barbie”-or-“Oppenheimer” choice? Now it’s Jane Austen or zombies. In a tattered Manhattan, the captive Negan is urged to lead a ragtag army. In an outside compound, Maggie is urged to join an invasion. This opener delays most of the action, but it’s coming.
3) “The Equalizer” season-finale, 10 p.m., CBS. Once a ratings-leader at 8 p.m., “Equalizer” sagged at 10, following the darkly dreary “Watson.” Sadly, “Watson” — which starts a nasty and far-fetched two-parter at 9 p.m. — has been renewed, with “Equalizer” in limbo. Give it a chance; tonight Robyn and Dante are ambushed during a romantic getaway.
4) “The Americas,” 7 and 8 p.m., NBC. The first rerun is the “making-of” hour, showing how this splendid series was filmed. The second visits Patagonia and has great scenes, both gentle (rockhopper penguins scale cliffs) and not (elephant seals battle, orcas link for a hunt).
5) MORE: At 8 p.m., CBS’ “Tracker” has Reenie face a deadly vendetta, Fox’s “The Simpsons” has the Mob help a celebrity chef and ABC’s “American Idol” is down to its top-10. And after last week’s so-so hour, PBS’ “Call the Midwife” has an excellent one centering on a garbage strike.