Daily Best Bets

1) James Corden farewell, 10 p.m. and 12:37 a.m., CBS. Arriving from England nine years ago, Corden brought intelligence, enthusiasm and a terrific producer. Ben Winston has gone on to produce the Adele specials, the “Friends” reunion, two Tony nights and seven Grammy shows. He and Corden have worked wonders. Now their farewell has Adele in a “Carpool Karaoke” (she and Corden are shown hre in their previous one), Tom Cruise in a “Lion King” number and Will Ferrell and Harry Styles as the last late-late guests. Read more…

1) “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. On Burnett’s 90th birthday, we get a cascade of clips, songs and praise. That’s a fine idea, even if the mix is wrong. There’s way too much praise (repetitious and sort of monotonous) and way too few clips of Burnett and friends in her series (shown here) and specials. Even with the mis-blend, however, this is a delight. It includes music from Katy Perry, Billy Porter, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Lynch and more. Read more…

1) “How I Met Your Father,” 10 and 10:30 p.m., Freeform. Here’s a small-but-worthy trend: A few shows from streaming networks re-appear on cable, where more people can see tbem. FX did that with “Under the Banner of Heaven” and on Thursday will start Steve Carell’s compelling “The Patient.” Here’s a lighter choice: Hilary Duff(shown here) is looking for love, in a variation of “How I Met Your Mother.” Read more…

1) “American Idol,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. The Hawaiian week (shown here with Eise Kristine) is over now and some serious cuts begin. Tonight, we learn which of the 20 singers were in the viewers’ top 10; then the judges add two more. That collides with “The Voice” (8-10 p.m., NBC), which continues its “knockout round.” Read more…

1) Earth Day. You can spend the day in nature – or savoring it on TV. There are cable marathons (see next two items) and the streamers are busy. Apple TV+ has the beautifully filmed “Big Beasts,” plus fiction ranging from kiddie idealism in “Jane” (shown here) to the sobering “Extrapolations.” Netflix has “Chimp Empire”; PBS Passport had a rich trove. Disney+ has its epic nature movies, plus “Secrets of the Whales” and the start of “Secrets of the Elephants.” Read more…

1) “Dear Mama,” 10 and 11:30 p.m., FX. Here are the first pieces of a compelling, five-part biography – a double-bio, actually – that keeps surprising. We meet a sensitive teen, discussing his goals; this is Tupac Shakur, later (shown here) known as a fierce-tongued rapper. We also meet his mother, a Black Panther filled with pride and rage; her son argued with her and loved her, rapping: “And even as a crack fiend, Mama/You always was a black queen, Mama.” Read more…

1) “The Good Doctor,” 10 p.m., ABC. This slot has been vacant since “Alaska Daily” ended ts season three weeks ago, but ABC keeps filling it well. In this rerun, Shaun faces a malpractice suit. His lawyer (Felicity Huffman) advises a settlement, but her researcher (beautifully played by Kennedy McMahon, shown here, the “Nancy Drew” star) disagrees. She’s autistic, as is Shaun, and this strong and moving hour is a pilot for a “Good Lawyer” series. Read more…

1) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. Every second, we’re told, 3,000 tons of water – enough to fill an Olympic pool — pour down Niagara Falls. The falls themselves (shown here) are fascinating, but this terrific film also has glimpses along the way. We see people nurture a tree that’s been there for 13 centuries and help a snapping turtle whose ancestors go back 90 million years. Read more…

1) “How Saba Kept Singing,” 10 p.m., PBS. David Wisnia (shown here) was sent to Auschwitz at 16. He survived because he entertained guards with his gorgeous singing … and because Helen Spitzer, a fellow prisoner, loved him and kept doctoring records. This deeply moving film follows the final years before his death last summer at 94. He reunites with Spitzer, returns to Auschwitz and sings with his talented grandson Avi, telling him: “You’re the proof that Hitler did not win.” Read more…

1) “The Voice” (8 p.m.) and “That’s My Jam” (10 p.m.), NBC. It will be musical Mondays now. First, “Voice” moves into its next phase (the “knock-out round”), with Reba McEnitre as the mentor for all four teams. Then Jimmy Fallon’s music-oriented “That’s My Jam” is at 10. It had a rerun last week, but now comes a new hour, with the Bailey sisters (shown here) competing against each other. Halle is with actor Simu Liu; Chloe is with Adam Lambert, the former “Idol” runner-up. Read more…