Daily Best Bets

1) “Perfect Harmony” and “The Good Place,” 8:30 and 9 p.m., NBC. By Ivy League standards, it’s a rough one-two punch. First, a former Princeton prof manages to make a whole town mad at him; then a Princeton grad turns out to be a total jerk who figures he’s too good for regular-folks Heaven. Both episodes are clever and and one manages to get an esteemed Emmy winner caked in mud (shown here). But don’t get them confused: In one, “fork” is a substitute for a nasty word; the other celebrates a Fork Festival. Read more…

1) “Almost Family” debut, 9:01 p.m., Fox. For the first eight minutes, this seems like a pretty good romantic comedy. Julia (Brittany Snow, shown here) is an amiable redhead, racing (via bike) between a dating hook-up and a tribute for her dad. Then, suddenly, her world collapses. This is one of those rare shows that leaps between two kinds of drama – one gentle, the other packed with rage – plus comedy. It pulls it off, thanks to good writing and great acting, especially from Snow, Tim Hutton and Emily Osment. Read more…

1) “This Is Us,” 9 p.m., NBC. Last week’s season-opener repeated a clever trick from the pilot film: Introduce some apparent strangers, without telling us a time-leap is involved. Only in the final minutes did we see that the blind singer (shown here) is a future view of Kate’s baby. In the present, the teen father befriended Deja, Randall’s adopted daughter; the alcoholic veteran (Jennifer Morrison) met Nicky, Jack’s long-lost brother. Now Randall’s family adjusts to life in the city, where he’s a new councilman. Read more…

1) “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. Abishola has no hobbies, no diversions, no distractions. “Nigerians don’t do useless things,” she says. Bob (Billy Gardell) would love to be distracted; he fell for her when she was his cardiac nurse. Both are short on words and long on charm; but where can the show finds more laughs? That’s what goofy relatives are for. In last week’s opener, we met his weird siblings; in this episode (which is quite funny), we meet her even-weirder aunt and uncle (shown here). Read more…

1) “Masterpiece: Poldark” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. The final season begins, for an epic that has a cinematic look and giant plot twists. This busy (but well-crafted) opener includes arson and an assassin, plus love, hate and political corruption. Part is in London, where Ross (a member of Parliament) rushes to help a friend, as the slavery issue rages. And part is back home (shown here), amid the beauty of Cornwall. Ross’ wife faces threats, his first love Elizabeth is dead and Elizabeth’s widower seems to be losing his sanity. Read more…

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-opener, 11:29 p.m., NBC. Woody Harrelson hosts, 17-year-old Billie Eilish is the music guest … and almost everyone is back. Even Kate McKinnon (shown here as Ruth Bader Ginsburg), who was rumored to be leaving, returned; the one surprise is Leslie Jones leaving the show that made her a mid-life star. “SNL” added Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang (its first Asian-American regular) and Shane Gilliis … then dumped Gillis four days later, after old comments (including anti-Chinese ones) surfaced. Read more…

1) “Transparent” finale, any time, Amazon Prime. Sometimes, but not often, tragedy begets triumph. That’s what the characters want here; it’s also what the show achieved … slowly. An award-winner, it imploded when Jeffrey Tambor (who starred as Maura, a trans woman) was dumped. Now – 22-plus months after the previous episode – here’s a musical finale. The early numbers are brilliant; then a solemn sameness takes over during the memorial service (shown here). “Transparent” drifts, but bounces back with “Joyocaust” and pure triumph. Read more…

1) “Perfect Harmony” debut, 8:30 p.m., NBC. Bradley Whitford (shown here) has just won his Read more…

1) “Modern Family” season-opener, 9 p.m., ABC. It’s the 11th and final season for one of TV’s best comedies. For five straight years, this won the best-comedy Emmy; one year, all six adults were nominated. A lot has happened since this began: Haley, then barely a teen, tonight (shown here) is arguing with her parents about how to raise her twins. Read more…

1) “The Resident” and “Empire” season-openers, 8 and 9 p.m., Fox. Once just another hospital show, “Resident” turns strongly cinematic. It opens in the imagination of Nicolette, mourning a death; then it heads to the basement (shown here), for a spectacular action scene. There are flaws here – the villains are badly overdrawn and transparent – but this has become a first-rate drama. And “Empire”? Well, it stays itself – fun and fascinating, yet way overboard. The one Lucious/Cookie scene is great, but the hour ends with waves of melodrama. Read more…