1) “Human Footprint,” 9 p.m., PBS. The notion of “biocontrol” — one part of nature controls another — can work well: In Thailand, 10,000 ducks are released to gobble up farm pests. And it can fail: In 1935, Australia brought cane toads (shown here) to stop beetles; they soon swarmed everywhere … just as rabbits did earlier. Like last week’s opener, this is a terrific hour. Read more…
1) “High Potential,” 8-11 p.m., ABC. Here are the first episodes of what became the season’s most-watched new show. Kaitlin Olson (shown here) plays a high-IQ single mom; working as a cleaning lady at a police station, she cracks a case. At 9 p.m., she probes the attempted murder of a tap dancer. At 10, she uses her cleaning knowledge to solve a hotel-room mystery. Read more…
1) “Yes, Chef” finale, 10 p.m., NBC. We’re down to three chefs. Zain Ismail, only 28, has links to Mauritius, India, Texas and Los Angeles. Lee Frank, 46, is descended from Holocaust survivors. Emily Brubaker (shown here), 44, once vowed not to work with her husband (right) again. Now they do link; each finalist has two aides, for a high-stress, three-course dinner. Read more…
1) “Nautilus” opener, 9 p.m., AMC, rerunning at 11:23. This starts well — a richly crafted series, loosely based on Jules’ Verne’s fantasy classic. There’s a rogue captain (shown here), a clever damsel, an invincible enemy and a great ship. By the second hour, however, we see the show’s limits. We’re stuck in a big ship in a (really) big ocean, with endless crises ahead. Read more…
1) Cartoons, cable. There are lots of them — even on HBO. It has “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (2024), shown here, at 8. The Disney Channel has “Encanto” (2021) at 6:15 and “Phineas and Ferb” episodes, new (10 p.m.) and old (5:25, 5:50, 10:30). Freeform goes all day, from the “Cars” trilogy at 7 a.m. to the “Monsters” films at 6:55 and 9 p.m. Read more…
1) “My Mom, Jayne,” 8 p.m., HBO and Max. Jayne Mansfield(shown here) was a brainy beauty with a chaotic life. She posed in Playboy, did a nude scene in a movie, starred on Broadway, had three husbands and five children. At 34, she died in a car crash. Now Mariska Hargitay — the Emmy-winning actress who was 3 when her mom died — has made this documentary. Read more…
1) “CMA Fest,” 8-11 p.m., ABC. The night will be stuffed with 30 country songs, from hosts Ashley McBryde (shown here) and Cody Johnson and others. There’s Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Ella Langley. Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins, Riley Green and more, including Shaboozey with Jelly Roll. Read more…
1) NBA draft, 8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN. Chances are, we’ll be hearing the same teams over and over. Duke? It has three likely first-rounders — Cooper Flagg (shown here), expected at No. 1, plus Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Rutgers? Despite a losing record, it may have two (Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey) in the top five. And Brooklyn (prior to trades) has four first-round picks. Read more…
1) “Age of Innocence” (1993), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Some 88 years after her death, Edith Wharton’s tales thrive. A gorgeous (but way too soapy) version of “The Buccaneers” is on Apple TV+; now here’s Martin Scorsese’s masterful take on her Pulitzer-winner,starring Michelle Pfeiffer (shown here), Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis. It won an Oscar for its costumes and drew four more nominations. Read more…
1) “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything,” Hulu. Walters (shown here) reached “Today” in 1961, when it was still a male domain. She was the latest of the “Today girls” … and then was much more. She dominated mornings, created “The View,” drew huge ratings for primetime specials and led a complicated personal life. Here’s a profile, starting a big week for streamers.
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