1) “Bless This Mess” debut, 9:30 p.m., ABC. Newlyweds (Lake Bell and Dax Shepard) reach rural Nebraska, armed with the internet and unwarranted confidence. They would learn how to farm and to fix their crumbling house; what could go wrong? A lot, of course. Elizabeth Merriweater – creator of “New Girl” and “Single Parents” — directed and co-wrote (with Bell) thus fun opener.
2) “NCIS,” 8 p.m., CBS. In a decision that goes in the “duh” category, CBS recently renewed “NCIS” for next season. That will be the 17th; “NCIS” trails only “Gunsmoke” and two “Law & Order” shows. Tonight, a current murder victim is someone who was listed as dead after the Sept. 11 attacks.
3) “Reconstruction: America After the Civil War” conclusion, 9-11 p.m., PBS. W.E.B. Du Bois, the historian and activist, summed it up: “The slave went free, stood a brief moment in the sun, then moved backward toward slavery.” Last week’s included sunny moments, with a few more tonight — black towns, black newspapers, crusading journalist Ida B. Wells. Then we see the plunge into darkness – lynching, a convict-lease scheme and, in Wilmington, N.C., a massacre.
4) “The Village,” 9 p.m., NBC. Pregnant and broke, teen Katie gets a job at the nursing home where her mom is a nurse … and soon sees her in a new light. Also, Nick makes a discovery in therapy; Ron and Patricia host an open-mic event that brings a surprise.
5) “The Rookie” season-finale, 10 p.m., ABC. One of the season’s best new shows concludes with the rookies preparing for a test that could boost their careers. Then Nolan and Bishop are distracted by learning that a murder victim may be linked to terrorist plans.