Daily Best Bets

1) “World of Dance,” 10 p.m., NBC. As the “duels” round begins, there’s lots of hype and posturing, pretending the joyous act of dance is actually a grim battle. Still, these dancers deserve plenty of … well, better hype. The first two duels involve talented groups … one offering vibrant quasi-bellhops. Then the night’s final match-up hits a peak – an individual (Kurtis Sprung) who projects deep passion and a duo (Styles & Emma, shown here) whose ballet skills create a sensual elegance. Read more…

1) “POV: And She Could Be Next,” 9-11 p.m., PBS; concludes Tuesday. Filmed in 2017-18, this fits the current surge in minority activism. We see women fighting the odds in political races. Tonight wraps up two stories: In Michigan, Rashida Tlaib (shown here) tries to be the first Muslim woman in Congress; in Chicago, Bashra Amiwala, a Palestinian-American teen, runs for county board. It also starts several other stories, including Stacey Abrams in Georgia. The result is long and slow, but involving.
Read more…

1) BET Awards, 8-11 p.m., CBS and BET. As the networks take a fresh interest in black lives, here’s a first: CBS simulcasts this show with its sister channel, BET. Comedian Amanda Seales hosts a virtual ceremony; it has awards for best actor, actress and movie, but the emphasis is on music. Performers include Chloe x Halle (shown here at the Super Bowl), Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Kane Brown, Wayne Brady, DaBaby, D Smoke, Jonathan McReynolds and Megan Thee Stallion. Read more…

1) “Lethal Weapon.” all day, AMC. We used to think rule-breaking cops were kind of fun. That era returns with four films that have Danny Glover and Mel Gibson (shown here) as mismatched partners. They’re at 12:30 p.m. (1987), 3 (1989), 5:30 (1992) ad 8 (1998). At 11 p.m.is a “Line of Duty” episode that debuted in England in 2016, but reflects current crises: Last week, the Armed Response Unit was called in and ended up killing the suspect. In this hour (the second of six), some tips aid the investigation. Read more…

1) “Great Performances: Gloria – A Life,” 9-11 p.m., PBS (check local listings). It’s been a big life, actually. Once a Toledo kid dreaming of being a Rockette, Gloria Steinem helped alter the possibilities for American women. Christine Lahti (shown here) portrays her, with six actresses taking all the other roles. It’s a good (if flawed) show that ends with a twist: Steinem, strong and sharp at 86, arrives. She takes comments from people in the audience … many of them witnesses to a world she transformed. Read more…

1) “Council of Dads,” 8 p.m., NBC. Basically, everyone is mad at everyone: Luly (shown here) rages at Anthony, for never mentioning that he (not Scott) is her father. Theo fumes at Anthony for ignoring his dreams of being a chef. Everyone’s mad at Anthony for leaving and at Luly because her family essay went online. Now all of that peaks as a hurricane roars in … and a baby is due … and much more. You can gripe about overkill and about too many lunk-headed moves, but it still adds up to a gripping hour. Read more…

1) “Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. Who knew that 2017 – just three years ago – would already be sweet nostalgia? This reruns a special at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (shown here). The line-up of beloved souls includes Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Stevie Wonder and the Obamas. There’s more – Common, Usher, Ne-Yo, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Dave Chappelle, Mary J. Blige and the Foo Fighters. Read more…

1) “World of Dance,” 10 p.m., NBC. The bad news is that Fox’s first-rate “So You Think You Can Dance” has made it official: It will have to skip this summer. Fortunately, this show is a solid substitute, with smart judges and gifted dancers. Tonight, the callbacks have 10 teams competing for four spots. Our only complaint is a lack of variety: With a few exceptions – including Latin rhythms from Showstoppers (shown here) – there’s a sameness to the numbers. Read more…

1) “Independent Lens: Pipe Dreams,” 10 p.m., PBS (check local listings). Here’s a documentary formula that has worked well lately: Pick a competition, meet some contestants in advance, then follow them and hope you get lucky. That’s worked for a spelling bee, a crossword contest, a science fair and even duck-stamp artists. Now it works wonderfully for a pipe-organ competition. “Dreams” (shown here with Alcee Chriss) has great visuals, powerful music and interesting people from the U.S., China and Germany. You’ll root for them. Read more…

1) “United We Sing,” 8-10 p.m., CBS. Harry Connick Jr. and his filmmaker daughter Georgia (they’re show here) take a road trip to honor workers. They meet famous friends (Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Queen Latifah, Drew Brees) and hear music from the greats of jazz (Herbie Hancock, Jon Batiste, Wynton and Branford Marsalis) and more (Tim McGraw, Cyndi Lauper. John Fogerty, Andra Day, Jame Foxx, Little Big Town). Then Connick, Irma Thomas and Trombone Shorty perform in iconic New Orleans locations. Read more…