1) “The American Revolution” opener, 8 p.m. Sunday, PBS; repeats at 10. Here is Ken Burns at his best — epic in scope (shown here), yet intimately human. Beautifully written by Geoffrey Ward, it sprawls over six nights, catching the complexities of giants (from George Washington to Benedict Arnold) and of regular people, their everyday lives surrounded by warfare.
2) “NCIS: Origins,” 8 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. It’s been more than a year since we saw Mark Harmon as Gibbs. Now “Origins” (which he narrates) has him on-camera in a Veterans Day episode. The young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) probes a small-town murder. Then, at 9 p.m., “NCIS” (swapping timeslots with “Origins”) reopens the case, three decades later.
3) Veterans Day shows, Tuesday. The History Channel starts early (7 a.m.) and has “Vietnam in HD” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Turner Classic Movies has a full day, led by “Dirty Dozen” (11:45 a.m. ET), “Sergeant York” (2:30 p.m.) and”The Best Years of Our Lives” (5). And PBS has tributes at 9 p.m. today (followed at 10 by an Iraq documentary) and 8 p.m. Tuesday.
4) “The Golden Bachelor” finale, 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. It’s time for Mel Owens to choose. He’s 66, a lawyer and a former pro linebacker who was a starter for six of his nine seasons and an honorable-mention All-Pro. His final prospects are retirees: Cindy Cullers, 60, was a biomedical engineer; Peg Munson, 62, was a firefighter and a bomb tech.
5) “The Paper,” 8:30 p.m. today, NBC. Twelve years after “The “Office” ended, here’s a clever spin-off. The company was sold to a Toledo firm, which has a declining newspaper. With much idealism and no experience, Ned takes over the paper. Some episodes (which are already on Peacock) paint him as too foolish. This opener, however, is a delight.
6) “Doc,” 9 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. This keeps diving into darker territory. It has the ongoing story of a young doctor who secretly links with her brother to avenge their dad’s death; they mess with Amy’s computer and her life. Now this hour adds a fierce story about spouse-abuse. The result is well-made and deeply involving, but a tough ride for viewers.
7) “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,” 8 p.m. Wednesday, CW. This intense hour has people toss around acronyms. There’s EI (employment insurance in Canada) and BDS (bondage, discipline, sadism). They’re key to a story about a radio star, a struggling folk singer (great work from Sydney Meyer) and more. The result is nasty, but compelling.
8) Elsbeth,” 10 p.m. Thursday, CBS. Tony Hale, a two-time Emmy-winner for “Veep,” plays a tech billionaire who frets about an uprising of the masses. He builds a home bunker … then finds it has cruel uses. Elsbeth probes the case, in a fairly good episode that also sees her deal with the widow of her former nemesis, Judge Crawford.
9) “Stumble” and/or “Great Performances,” 8:30 p.m. Friday, NBC; 9 p.m., PBS. Here are comedies, new and (very) old. In the “Stumble” opener, a cheer-team coach flailed at her new job. Now she tries a comeback; sight gags — some quite funny — abound. Then Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” stars Lupita Nyong’o, her brother Junior, Peter Dinklage and more.
10) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m. Saturday, NBC. Glen Powell has been busy making love, war and comedy. One day after his “Running Man” action film opens in theaters, he hosts here, with Olivia Dean as music guest. It’s the first time for both. Powell recently did Hulu’s “Chad Powers,” Netflix’x “Hit Man,” plus “Twisters,” “Anyone But You” and more.