1) “The Beauty,” 9 p.m., FX and Hulu. Two potent monologues propel this hour. One is an intense sales pitch by Ashton Kutcher (shown here), the other a personal reflection by Anthony Ramos. Both– plus FBI agents and fight scenes — are part of this look at a fierce obsession with beauty.
2) “56 Days,” Amazon Prime. Once a star of Disney Channel comedies and musicals, Dove Cameron has moved on beautifully. She thrived on the satiric fun of “Schmigadoon” and “History of the World, Part 2.” Now, just turned 30, she and Avan Jogla star in an eight-part romance thriller.
3) “Abbott Elementary,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. Here’s a fun chance to catch up on one of TV’s best comedies. These are the season’s first four episodes, from back in October. In the first one, staffers prepare for the new year; in the fourth, they go to the Department of Motor Vehicles. In between: The new guidance counselor and night at a Phillies game.
4) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. The animal-parenthood series moves to the oceans, with great visuals and less gore. There, parents range from diligent (whales, for instance) to casual. That’s followed by interesting reruns — “Nova” (the Eiffel tower) and “Secrets of the Dead” (Mozart’s talented sister).
5) Winter Olympics. The USA Network goes all day, including hockey at 10:40 a.m. and 1 and 6 p.m. ET. CNBC has curling, from 5-8 p.m. And NBC is noon to 5 p.m., with hockey at 3:10 p.m., preceded at 2:15 by the finals of the last snowboarding event. Then NBC re-packages the day from 8-11 p.m.
— Mike Hughes, TV America