Daily Best Bets

1) “Great Performances: Conductor,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. “I’ve never been good with a lot of rules,” Marin Alsop (shown here) says. She quit a stern music school and created String Fever – 14 women doing swing music on orchestral instruments. She resisted the idea that conductors must be men; at one point, she led orchestras in three cities (Baltimore, Vienna, Sao Paolo), on three continents, in three languages. It’s a great story, told with surges of soaring music. Read more…

1) “Atlanta” season-openers, 10 and 10:49 p.m., FX; then 11:34 p.m. and 12:34 a.m.; 1:08 and 1:58 a.m. After a four-year pause, “Atlanta” returns with an odd (but interesting) episode – a 5-minute dream scene, followed by a half-hour memory … with Donald Glover (the show’s star) not appearing until the final minute. It follows with an episode that’s semi-strange and sometimes quite funny. Earn and two friends are with Big Boi (they’re shown here), who’s on his European tour. Read more…

1) “Snowfall,” 10 p.m., FX. Until now, we thought Franklin (shown here) was fearless. Not so; lock him up next to an angry tiger – yes, a TIGER – and he becomes very concerned. The problem started last week, when he and colleagues were attacked while hauling $3 million. Now they must escape the tiger and more gunmen, then ponder the aftershocks. It’s a fierce hour, with way too much brutalizing of defenseless people, but also potent and well-made. Read more…

1) “iHeartRadio Music Awards,” 8-10 p.m., Fox. The Grammys were pushed back to April 3, but here’s a temporary substitute. It even has LL Cool J – a five-time Grammy host – as host and performer. Also performing: Megan Thee Stallion, John Legend, Charlie Puth, Jason Aldean, Maneskin and more; Jennifer Lopez gets a special award. Justin Bieber and Olivia Roderigo (shown here) lead with nine and eight nominations, including male and female artist of the year. Read more…

1) “American Song Contest” debut, 8-10 p.m., NBC.  For 65 years, the Eurovision contest has been big in Europe. Now we get an American version, an eight-week tourney (hosted by Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg) with 56 acts –one for each state, plus five territories and D.C. Most are unknowns, but the field includes Michael Bolton (Connecticut), Macy Gray (Ohio), Jewel (Alaska), Sisqo (shown here, Maryland) and “Voice” champion Jordan Smith (Kentucky). Read more…

1) “Masterpiece: Sanditon” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. More than two years ago, the first season ended with Charlotte’s life in flux. Her true love, Sidney Parker, had left to marry a rich woman, rescuing the finances of his brother’s shaky resort project. And now? Sidney isn’t back … nor is his sister … or James Stringer, who loved Charlotte from afar. But Charlotte is bringing her giddy sister and there are plenty of new guys, include redcoat soldiers (shown here). It’s a great start. Read more…

1) “Great Chocolate Showdown” (shown here) finale, 8 p.m., CW. Three pleasant-enough things – chocolate, Canada and reality-TV – combine. This Canadian show started with 10 people – half of them Americans – crafting chocolate goodies. Now it’s down to Casey Hallen from New York City, Renu Matthew from Alberta and T. Lawrence-Simon from Massachusetts. Each gets a previous contestant as an assistant, then fills a shop window with various temptations. Read more…

1) “The Blacklist,” 8 p.m., NBC. With basketball gobbling up CBS this weekend, hour-long crime shows are hard to find. Fortunately, “Blacklist” is back, for only its third episode in eight weeks. The task force is tracking “The Chairman,” whose dark web helps criminals trade stock-market shares. Also, Ressler is angry when Red (shown here in a previous episode) goes to extremes to find a tracking device. Read more…

1) “Welcome to Flatch” debut, 9:30 p.m., Fox. Adapted from a British comedy, this is filled with droll, dry humor. A camera crew, we’re told, is studying small-town America. Mostly, it finds semi-empty lives – a local clergyman (Seann William Scott); his ex-wife (Aya Cash), editing the local paper; and two young people (shown here), clueless about life after high school. One wants a Scarecrow Festival prize; the other wants to be an influencer or spend time with her distant dad. Read more…

1) “Resident Alien” season-finale, 9 p.m. Syfy. Desperate to keep the town’s only doctor, the mayor plans a surprise party for when Harry returns to his cabin. What he doesn’t realize is … well, “Harry” is really an alien (shown here in a previous episode) who took over the body of the real Harry – who was a crook, ducking other crooks. And “Harry” is carrying the egg of a half-alien that could hatch and start eating people. The result is a dandy mix of humor and drama, with some of the best moments centering on the mayor’s wife. Read more…