Daily Best Bets

1) “The Equalizer” season-opener, 8 p.m., CBS. After scoring big in the ratings last year, “Equalizer” has a high-octane return. A bank robbery turns lethal; then the cop who almost arrested Robyn needs her help. That comes at a tough time for Robyn (Queen Latifah): Her former CIA boss is angry; so is her daughter, who knows she’s been lying about her work. Also, her tech guy faked his death five years ago. She considers quitting … then plunges ahead in a strong hour, with a little girl (shown here) to rescue and bad guys to catch. Read more…

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Kim Kardashian West (shown here) is someone the show usually likes to mock; now, instead, she’s the host. It will be her first time on “SNL,” but her estranged husband Kanye West has been the music guest seven times. He usually brings a visually ambitious number – as does Halsey, who tonight has her fourth turn as music guest. Read more…

1) “Nancy Drew” season-opener, 9 p.m., CW. In the early books, Nancy was 16, poking around crime scenes after school; not any more. She’s a waitress, applying to an Ivy League school. She’s learned she’s an heiress. And she confronts nastiness, human and supernatural. Tonight, a mystery begins and a nemesis returns. Those parts are so-so, but two character portions are excellent: Nancy (shown here with her friend Ace) meets an FBI profiler who may be her equal; and her friend, who proposed to Nick, anxiously awaits a response. Read more…

1) “Ghosts” debut, 9:01 and 9:30 p.m., CBS. The Thursday comedies often fit a formula: Most are from Chuck Lorre, the “Big Bang” producer; most (except “Young Sheldon”) are done in front of a studio audience. Now comes a bold step – giving the best slot to a non-Lorre show that’s filmed movie-style (no audence), awash in sight gags and special effects. Rose McIver (“iZombie”) is terrific; at first (shown here), she and her husband don’t see the ghosts in her house. Then a near-death experience changes everything; big laughs ensue. Read more…

1) “CSI: Vegas” debut, 10 p.m., CBS. Six years after “CSI” ended – and 21 years after it began – it’s back. There’s a new name, a new lab and a new set of regulars. Still, the others are also there: We see Brass in the first scenes, Grissom in the final seconds. Sidle (shown here, second from left) is busy; Hodges will be key in the weeks ahead. The newcomers are fairly interesting, with the always-great Mel Rodriguez as the chief medical examiner. They solve a case-of-the-week way too easily, leaving more time for a tangled, ongoing case. Read more…

1) “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It,” 9 p.m., PBS. At 5, Moreno moved with her mother from Puerto Rico to Long Island. She took dance lessons, was on Broadway at 13, signed a movie deal as a teen … and endured stereotype roles. The exception was “West Side Story”; she won an Oscar, vowed to wait for good roles … and didn’t do another movie for seven years. She survived that (and a toxic romance with Marlon Brando) and is still working at 89 (shown here). It’s a great story. Read more…

1) “9-1-1,” 8 p.m. , Fox. Los Angeles life has been rough lately. The season’s first episode had a ransomware attack; the second had a citywide blackout. Now the blackout continues; the rapist who attacked Athena (Angela Bassett,shown hee in a previous episode) has escaped; Athena races to protect her family. And Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), struggling with postpartum depression, makes a big decision. Read more…

1) “Grantchester” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. On one level, this is an uncommonly bright hour: The crimesolving vicar vacations at a summer resort with his housekeeper (plus her husband), his curate (plus his secret lover) and his Geordie (they’re shown here) the cop (plus wife and kids). A solid murder mystery ensues – while planting the seeds for wrenching moments in the weeks ahead. There’s a lot of that sometimes; the “Call the Midwife” season-opener, at 8 p.m., is exceptionally grim. Read more…

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-opener, 11:29 p.m., NBC. As rumors swirled, fans feared the worst. Maybe Kate McKinnon was leaving … or Cecily Strong … or Kenan Thompson. But all three are back for this 47th season; only Beck Bennett and Lauen Holt are leaving. Bowen Young and Chloe Fineman move up to the main company, with three newcomers added. Owen Wilson (shown here) hosts the opener, with Kacey Musgraves as music guest. Read more…

1) “The Kennedy Center at 50,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. Fifty years (and 23 days) ago, the center opened, offering an elegant home for … almost everything. Now it has a 50t-birthday celebration, on the same night as Disney World (shown here). This concert ranges from classical to hip hop. There are splendid moments from Kelli O’Hara, Dianne Reeves, violinist Raymond Chen and more. Joshua Henry opens the show with a passionate “A Change is Gonna Come” and closes it – joined by Common and a chorus – by turning “Glory” into one of the greatest TV moments of 2021. Read more…