Daily Best Bets

1) “Blue Bloods” season-finale, 10 p.m., CBS. With coronavirus shutdowns, CBS’ strong Friday season is ending early. Next week, “Magnum” and “MacGyver” conclude; tonight – three episodes sooner than usual – it’s “Blue Bloods,” with a three-generation tale. Sean, 16, tracks a DNA report of a mysterious relative. His father Danny, a police detective, probes the murder of a witness. The police commissioner (Tom Selleck, shown here) — who ia Danny’s father and Sean’s grandfather — gets a woman’s request that her son get safer duty. Read more…

1) “Council of Dads” return, 9 p.m., NBC. After a grim prognosis, a man asked three friends to help raise his three kids if he died; he did. That was in the opener, which followed the “This Is Us” season-finale. Now that episode reruns at 8 p.m., leading to the secis ond one, another good one. One “dad” tries too hard, another doesn’t try hard enough, the third feels guilty. Also, the widow (Sarah Wayne Callies, shown here) feel overwhelmed and the eldest daughter has married and plans to move to New York City. Stick around; there’s a sharp plot twist at the end. Read more…

1) “What We Do In the Shadows,” 10 p.m., FX. Guillermo (the terrific Harvey Guillen, shown here) once seemed gentle and harmless, the mild aide (called a “familiar”) to do-nothing vampires in Staten Island. Then he learned he’s descended from vampire-hunters; now he uses his skills to protect his masters. Tonight, he infiltrates a vampire-hunter club. The result isn’t for everyone, but many people will consider this an odd delight. Read more…

1) “Secrets of the Dead” return, 8 p.m., PBS. The Notre-Dame cathedral (shown here) in Paris has had a huge role in fiction and fact. The hunchback hid there; it’s held the funerals of presidents and the coronation of Napoleon. When it burned a year ago, the rebuilding task seemed overwhelming. Still, this terrific film shows that it’s been constantly renewed. Construction started in 1160 and took a century; a 20-year remodeling began in 1844. Details – from flying buttresses to gargoyles – were added gradually. Read more…

1) “The Voice,” 8-10 p.m, NBC. This is a perfect time to catch up, as the show prepares for its detour. It had taped its episodes early, trimming to 17 contestants (including Arei Moon, shown here). But that was before the coronavirus was forcing shows to shut down or use social-distancing. Now “Voice” pauses to show what’s happened so far. Next week, the three-week finals will have music from home, “American Idol” style. Read more…

1) “Homeland” series-finale and “Penny Dreadful” debut, 9 and 10:10 p.m., Showtime. One of the all-time great series concludes. Carrie (the superb Claire Danes, shown here in a previous episode) returns to Afghanistan, trying to revive the peace treaty. That’s followed by a stylishly filmed tale set in 1938 Los Angeles, complete with Nazis, old Hollywood, radio evangelism and the demons of Mexican folklore. That last part is an odd but interesting detour from a strong drama, with the terrific casting of Nathan Lane as a crusty cop. Read more…

1) “Born Wild: The Next Generation,” 8 p.m., ABC. If you missed this Earth Day special Wednesday on cable, catch a quick rerun. Robin Roberts hosts, cutting to scenes worldwide. Chris Hemsworth (yes, Thor) shows us rescued koala cubs in Australia. National Geographic and ABC reporters look for other newborns, including monkeys in Sri Lanka (shown here), whales in Hawaii, lions in Kenya, seals in Canada and black bears in Minnesota. Read more…

1) “International Jazz Day from Australia,” 10 p.m., PBS (check local listings). All those music-from-home specials are fine, but sometimes we need the joy of musicians jamming. Taped a year ago in Melbourne, this includes jazz stars from10 countries, from Russia and the U.S. to Israel and Lebanon. They range from jazz classics to Ledisi (shown here) singing “Try a Little Tenderness” and everyone linking for John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Read more…

1) “Will & Grace” series finale, 9 p.m., NBC, with retrospective at 9:30. A sometimes-great series ends (again) in its usual fashion. This episode is sometimes goofy, sometimes warm, occasionally very funny. One of those occasions comes at the start, with the profoundly pregnant Grace; there’a a Lucy-like feel here. The Jack and Karen scenes are, as usual, too broad; the ones with Will and Grace (shown here) mix humor and human depth. After a decade off, this show returned for three more seasons; we’re glad it did. Read more…

1) “Jane Goodall: The Hope” (shown here), 9 p.m.. and midnight ET, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild. We glimpse Goodall at 26, pioneering the study of chimps in the wild. And we see her at 86, traveling the globe to promote a love of nature. It’s a warm, upbeat film – and one of three with Goodall, on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day. “Jane” (2017), a lovely film, is noon ET on National Geographic; “She Walks With Apes” – profiling Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas and newer generations – is 9 p.m. ET on BBC America. Read more…