1) “Saturday Night Live” season-opener, 11:29 p.m. Saturday, NBC. The 50th season was big, including nine Emmys for the “SNL50” special. Now the show is back, adding five people and losing one veteran (Heidi Gardner) and three newer people (Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker). Bad Bunny hosts the opener, with Doja Cat (shown here) as music guest.
2) “Shifting Gears” season-opener, 8 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Richard Karn and Patricia Richardson starred with Tim Allen in the eight “Home Improvement” seasons — each of them in the top-10 of the Nielsen ratings. Now they visit his new show; that’s in an episode that has him hesitantly ponder a romance with Eve (Jenna Elfman), his nemesis.
3) “Abbott Elementary” season-opener, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Every season, this gem has received an Emmy nomination for best comedy series. In some season, it begins with the start of a school year; that happens here, at a time when humor is scarce. There are only eight non-cartoon situation comedies this fall, with “Gears” and “Abbott” as the first arrivals.
4) “A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper,” 8-10 p.m. Sunday, CBS. Lauper was just turning 30 when her debut album won a Grammy and spewed hits, including “Time After Time” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Now, 42 years later, she’s sold 50 million records; here, she’s at the Hollywoold Bowl with Cher, John Legend, Sza, Mickey Guyton and more.
5) “Futurama,” 8-11 p.m. today, FXX. On Sunday, “The Simpsons” started its 37th season. And earlier this month, another Matt Groening series started its 13th, with the adventures of a slacker pizza guy, unfrozen in the year 3000. New episodes today are at 8 p.m. (a camp for screen addicts) and 8:30 (people floating into the sky). Reruns from 2012 are 9-11 p.m..
6) “Murder in a Small Town,” 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. This episode, like last week’s opener, has deeply layered characters and a smart murder mystery. The families of an upscale bride and her blue-collar groom seem at war. As the police chief probes that, the mayor is pitting the police budget against the arts-center dreams of the chief’s lover, the local librarian.
7) “On Brand With Jimmy Kimmel,” 10 p.m. Tuesday and 8 p.m. Friday, NBC. Some of the best “Apprentice” moments involved creating a quick marketing campaign. Now that’s the whole show: Ten contestants pitch ideas and we see one in action. That’s on three Tuesdays (starting with Dunkin’) and five Fridays (starting with Southwest Airlines).
8) “Chicago P.D.” season-opener, 10 p.m. Wednesday, NBC. Last season left things in shambles. The unit was broken up by Reid — the deputy chief it was investigating; Voight then indirectly spurred the murder of Reid. But his team is still gone (for now) and being probed; he links with an unlikely ally. That follows the season-openers of Chicago “Med” and “Fire.”
9) “Elsbeth,” 8-11 p.m. Thursday, CBS. This week has key CBS reruns. On Tuesday: the 2009 “NCIS” two-parter that set up “NCIS: Los Angeles”; then the jolting “NCIS: Origins” season-finale. On Thursday, “Elsbeth”: Its first two are strong — Vanessa Williams in jewelry, Eric McCormack coaching “wellness.” The third, Michael Emerson as a corrupt judge, ends poorly.
10) “Maigret” debut, 9 p.m. Sunday, PBS. It’s a fresh take on Jules Maigret, a classic crimesolver. There are three two-week mysteries, each with depth and twists. That wraps a strong PBS week that includes key documentaries: At 9 p.m. Tuesday, the 1970 clash between New York workers and protesters; at 9 Friday, Grace Bumbry, a pioneering Black opera star.