1) “Elsbeth” season-opener, 9 p.m. Sunday, CBS. Here’s some logical casting: Stephen Colbert plays a talk-show host, which he is …. Andy Richter plays a sidekick, which he was …. Amy Sedaris plays his wife (isn’t), a comedy writer (is). We quickly see a murder, then watch Elsbeth (shown here with Sedaris and Richter) at work. It’s s fairly good episode; the next one (on Oct. 16) is brilliant.
2) “Matlock,” 10 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS. Last season, Matty was undercover at a law firm, trying to find who buried a vital medical study. Her ruse was discovered by Olympia, who then helped. On Thursday, CBS reruns the season-finale, revealing the villains; on Sunday, we see Olympia’s next move … while Matty faces a family quandary.
3) “Grey’s Anatomy” season-opener, 10 p.m. Thursday, ABC. The 22nd season begins for the fourth-longest-running primetime drama in U.S. TV history (trailing two “Law & Order” shows and “NVIS”). It begins in mid-crisis: Last season ended with an explosion in the hospital. After waiting five months, viewers now see a scramble to save patients and doctors.
4) “9-1-1: Nashville” debut, 9 p.m. Thursday, ABC. This is ABC’s only new show of the season — and it doesn’t feel that new. It’s a spin-off of “9-1-1” (which starts its season at 8 p.m.) and it’s related to the departed “9-1-1: Lone Star.” This one stars Chris O’Donnell, suddenly dealing with a family secret and with a tornado threatening a country-music festival.
5) “Doc,” 9 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. This well-made hospital drama now tackles “medical tourism” — international trips for health care. That follows “Murder in a Small Town,” with a strong guest role for Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died in July at 54. He’d been a Fox staple, with key roles in “The Resident,” “Accused,” “Alert” and here, as a protective father.
6) “The Lowdown,” 9 p.m. Tuesday, FX. Last week, Lee’s daughter found the secret essays of the late Dale Washberg. Now we hear some of that, via Dale (Tim Blake Nelson) and Lee (Ethan Hawke). We’re propelled into a blur of action, emotion and great characters — especially Jeanne Tripplehorn as Dale’s widow; the final minutes are potent.
7) “Secrets of the Dead” season-opener, 10 p.m. Wednesday, PBS. Rome’s Colosseum is awesome in size and scope. More than 60,000 people would watch gladiators fighting, prisoners being executed, African animals being slain, maybe even re-created sea battles. Historians aren’t sure of that last one, but they keep learning, as we see in this intriguing hour.
8) “Blue Bloods” finale rerun, 10 p.m. Friday, CBS. The 14th and final season ended with gangs linking to demand amnesty for prisoners. Now that hour reruns, a week before the debut of a well-crafted spin-off, “Boston Blue.” This finale brings key moments in the marriages of Erin and of her brother Jamie; also, Joe finally meets his cousin.
9) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m. Saturday, NBC. On Oct. 11, 1975, “SNL” debuted with a stuffed line-up — three comedians, two music acts, a film, Muppets … and, Chevy and Gilda and Belushi and such. Now, exactly 50 years later, the season’s second episode (and, by one count, the show’s 995th) is hosted by Amy Poehler, with Role Model as music guest.
10) Halloween lite, Sunday. You can try both versions of “Haunted Mansion”: Eddie Murphy’s (2003) is 3:40 p.m. on Freeform; Tiffany Haddish’s (2023) is 8:30 on ABC. Freeform also has “Hotel Transylvania” films at 11:35 a.m. and 1:40 p.m., “Addams Family” ones at 5:40 and 7:45. And Hallmark has “Haul Out the Halloween” at 6; that film debuts at 8 p.m. Saturday.