Mike Hughes

1) “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. John Frankenheimer was a master of TV’s first golden age and beyond, getting 10 Emmy nominations for directing, with four wins. But he also made movies, peaking with this black-and-white masterpiece, which toys with characters’ memories. It drew Oscar nominations for its editing and for Angela Lansbury (shown here with Laurence Harvey); Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh also starred. There was a 2004 remake, but this one is hard to top. Read more…

1) “Mom,” 9 p.m., CBS. Last week, Jill — rich, single and flirty met Bonnie’s therapist Trevor — poor, divorcing and clumsy. (He’s shown here at a previous low point, dealing with Bonnie in sparse quarters. Jill was enamored … and Bonnie was dismayed. Now the relationship grows; that means more scenes with Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) as Trevor, which is “”Mom” at its best. Read more…

1) “Snowfall” season-opener, 10 p.m. to midnight, FX; also, midnight and 2 a.m. When this show started, Franklin and Melody (shown here) were college-bound kids, smart and diligent. When the third season ended, he was big in the drug boom of 1980s Los Angeles; she was an addict who shot him. Then viewers had to wait; 17 months later, we finally get more. She vanished; he barely survived and is trying to end the chaos. This is beautifully written and filmed, but way too harsh for many viewers. Read more…

1) “Superman & Lois” debut, 9-10:30 p.m., CW. Yes, Superman (shown here) has a whole city (Metropolis) – and a whole world – to protect. But at the core, he’s still a Kansas kid; in this well-crafted opener, he’s tugged back home with his family. His wife, Lois Lane, is still a star reporter, but his own newspaper job is wobbling. They have twin boys – one a top athlete, the other brainy and reclusive – who don’t know their dad’s secret … and might develop his superpowers. Now their lives will transform Read more…

1) “Independent Lens: Mr. Soul!” 10 p.m., PBS. Back in 1968, variety shows had … well, little variety. They were mostly white, mostly mainstream. Then “Soul” debuted on public-TV, reflecting the range of host Ellis Haizlip (shown here). It had Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, but it also had jazz, poets and philosophy. Nikki Giovanni talked to James Baldwin; Haizlip talked to Louis Farrakhan and Stokely Carmichael. This vibrant film (by Melissa Haizlip, Ellis’ niece) ends with waves of emotion. Read more…

1) “All Creatures Great and Small” season-finale, 9 p.m., PBS. On Christmas Eve, nerves are tattered. The widowed Siegfried frets about courtship … his brother (shown here) suspects the veterinary school has flunked him … their housekeeper wonders if her son will visit … and James, the new vet, is forlorn: He never told Helen he loves her; now she has a Christmas Day wedding. Each of these stories is written and acted with subtle skill; it’s a great finish to a good first season. Read more…