1) “Big Little Lies” season-finale, 9 p.m., HBO. It’s a night for shows to conclude their second seasons, wrapping up mini-series-type stories. At 8 p.m. is CW’s eight-week “Burden of Truth”; then is this seven-week story. The first season won eight Emmys, including best actress (Nicole Kidman) and mini-series. The second ends with Celeste (Kidman) grilling her late husband’s mother (Meryl Streep) about his childhood tragedy. Also, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) feels secrets are tearing the five friends apart; they’re shown here, with Streep looming in the background.
2) “Burden of Truth,” 8 p.m., CW. In the first season, Joanna (Kristin Kreuk) was back in her home town, helping Billy and some teen girls sue a polluter. Now they’re in the city; so is one of those teens, Luna. She joined an Aborigine activist group and faces murder charges. The prosecution case looks strong, so Joanna is ready to call an unexpected witness.
3) “World’s Biggest Great White?,” 8 p.m. ET, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild (which reruns it at 11). This started as a Hawaiian adventure: A whale’s carcass had been dragged out to sea; people searched for it, hoping to film a shark feeding frenzy. Then they found a creature that had also been seen 2,400 miles away … and is considered the world’s biggest great white. It’s an interesting story, with great footage and key information.
4) Masterpiece: Grantchester,” 9 p.m., PBS. The world is changing in 1950s England and Geordie (Robson Green) doesn’t approve. He hates the new music and distrusts a giant machine that computes things. As a cop, he hates the fact that the crimesolving vicar has left; he reluctantly accepts the fact that the acting vicar is secretly gay (still a crime then). In a so-so episode – leading to a much better one next week — they work a case together; also, the church decides who will be the new vicar.
5) “The Movies: The 2000s,” 9 p.m. ET, CNN, rerunning at 11. Opposite forces have grabbed the movies lately. It’s been the age of the sequel and the franchise; “Marvel is arguably the biggest star in modern Hollywood,” historian Neil Gabler says. Still, strong indie directors “continued the spirit of the 1970s,” journalist Chris Connelly says. Some directors crossed over – from “Moonlight” to “Black Panther,” “Memento” to “Batman Begins.” And actress Jennifer Lawrence went from the micro-gem “Winter’s Bone” to superstardom.