1) “The Rainmaker” debut, 10 p.m., USA Network. Adapting a 1995 John Grisham novel, this keeps only the basic notion — a young law-school grad (shown here) scrambles for work — and the names. It adds two upscale people — his girlfriend and a nemesis (John Slattery) — plus new cases and twists that are sort of fun and involving and Grisham-y. Read more…
1) “Revival” season-finale, 10 p.m., Syfy. At first, “Revival” was kind of fun — or as fun as something can be when the former dead are revived in small-town Wisconsin. Soon, alas, it turned grim and murky. Em (the sheriff’s daughter and deputy’s sister) was killed, revived and is about to be killed anew. There’s a nasty preacher (shown here), some jolts and one final twist. Read more…
1) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” 9 p.m., FX and FXX, repeating at 9:34 and 10:08 on FXX. With Frank (right) on “The Golden Bachelor,” the others (shown here in a previous episode) fret about his coming-home episode. They even rehearse for test audiences. The story has some hilarious moments, sags, then has a great closing twist. Read more…
1) “Alien: Earth” debut, 8 p.m , FX. A big monsters-and-machines tale links neatly with a deeply personal story. In one, a ship with captured creatures has crashed on Earth. In the other, a dying tween girl’s mind and memories are injected into a synthetic body (shown here). In this two-episode debut, she and other synths try to rescue the brother of her human self. Read more…
1) “Match Game,” 10 p.m., ABC. The network is heavily pushing this reboot, hosted by Martin Short (shown here in a previous episode). Tonight’s episode debuted Wednesday and will have a third run at 9 p.m. Saturday. Ego Nwodim of “Saturday Night Live,” is a panelist, along with Andrea Martin, Thomas Lennon, Pete Holmes, Jackie Tohn and Triumph the Insult Comedy Dog. Read more…
1) U.S. Gymnastics Championships, 7-9 p.m., NBC. It’s time for the women (shown here) to have their finals. The men were relegated to Friday on CNBC. Read more…
1) “Resident Alien” season-finale, 10 p.m., USA and Syfy. One of TV’s best shows wraps its fourth season. Last week’s hour could have been a great finale: The Mantid and its offspring were slain, people were rescued, Asta and Harry decided to move — she to a city, he to his home planet. Then, infused with his alien blood from an emergency transfusion (shown here), she had a sense of new terror. Read more…
1) “Nexaca,” debut, 9 and 10 p.m., FXX, rerunning at 11 and midnight. Created 102 years ago, Club Nexaca has had years of greatness in Mexican soccer … and years of decline. Now Eva Longoria (shown here) fronts a group that bought half of it. After her charming introduction, this Spanish-language series (with sub-titles) has a sharply filmed look at revival efforts. Read more…
1) “Good Cop/Bad Cop” return, 9 p.m., CW. If you missed this excellent show the Read more…
1) Classic films. For movie buffs, this is one of the best nights ever. It has films that are No. 2 (“The Godfather,” 1972, 7 p.m., Showtime) and No. 3 (“Casablanca,”1943, sown here, 10 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies) on the American Film Institute list, trailing only “Citizen Kane.” And at midnight ET, TCM has “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), listed at No. 26. Read more…
