1) “Chicago Fire,” 9 p.m., NBC. A subtly perfect performance by Joe Minoso (shown here) sparks the show’s 300th episode. He plays Cruz, struggling to recover from injuries and get back to work. There are quietly moving scenes with Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Herrmann (David Eigenberg, who also gets some comic moments when it’s time for new photos).
2) “Nova: Evolution,” 9 p.m., PBS. Using great visuals, this shows how mating efforts transformed species. To lure a mate, males developed feathers, bright colors, imposing antlers, even an enormous nose. That reshaped generations. We see a four-billion-year transition from single-cell beings to the ostrich — nine feet tall, with 40-mph speed.
3) “The Lowdown,” 9-10:04 p.m., FX. Last week saw Lee crumpled in a jail cell, with a corrupt sheriff giving him his one phone call. It turns out to be a dandy call — setting off an episode that meanders way too much, but does advance his investigation of a teen’s death.
4) Season-openers, cable. At 8 p.m., the Food Network launches a new season of “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking”; James and Oliver Phelps –the twins who played the Weasley’s in the films — host. And at 9 and 10 p.m., A&E opens two true-crime seasons, “Ozark Law” and “Southern Law.”
5) ALSO: Two gems return. At 7 p.m., AMC has “Knives Out,” with an Oscar-nominated script that brilliantly blends humor, action and a clever mystery. And at 8, PBS’ “Nature” reruns a delightful portrait of pigeons in London and New York. They’re savvy city-dwellers, learning humans’ habits and sometimes even catching subway rides.