1) “The Blacklist,” 8 p.m. Friday, NBC. Here’s the second half of a story that’s dazzling in its twists and illusion.s In the season-opener, Red woke up in a French hospital, nearly paralyzed. Or he (and we) thought that happened. The hospital was fake, in Maryland. It was part of a ploy by the Russian spy whose existence is a secret — even to her daughter Elizabeth, who’s scrambling to find Red. He escaped and was re-captured. Stick with this, because more illusions are ahead, in an explosive (shown here) hour.
2) “All American” season-opener, 8 p.m. today, CW. It’s premiere week on CW, with eight season-openers and one debut (“Nancy Drew”) in five days. That starts with an hour that has a real-life tragedy in the background: “All American” has teens trying to rise above their tough roots in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw area. In real life, Nipsy Hussle — a rapper, activist and philanthropist from Crenshaw – was shot March 31; he died at 33. A memorial service for him offers a backdrop for some potent moments.
3) “The Good Doctor,” 10 p.m. today, ABC. For years, “House” offered a fresh take on medical TV, alternately harsh and humorous. David Shore, who produced that show, now runs “Good Doctor” and has one of the “House” co-stars guesting tonight: Robert Sean Leonard plays a fisherman who wants a marlin removed from his thigh – but without damaging the prize fish. Meanwhile, Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) prepares to lead her first surgery, while facing complications at home and at work.
4) “Black-ish,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, ABC. That “Good Doctor” episode launches ABC’s “cast from the past” week. “Black-ish” star Traceee Ellis Ross has her former “Girlfriends” castmates, Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones and Persia White. “The Goldbergs” (8 p.m. Wednesday) has “Cheers” folks – Kirstie Alley, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt. “American Housewife” (8 p.m. Friday) links Diedrich Bader with his “Drew Carey Show” mates — Carey, Ryan Stiles and Kathy Kinney.
5) “Finding Your Roots” season-opener, 8 p.m., Tuesday, PBS. Mia Farrow and Anjelica Huston grew up amid Hollywood privilege. Each, however, lost a parent (Farrow’s dad, Huston’s mom) at 17, and knew little about half the family tree. Now they get unsettling news: Farrow’s grandfather sent his wife to a mental home, where she died at 27. Huston’s ancestor fathered four slave children; his will set them free … but not until they were 30. It’s a fascinating hour that also includes Isabella Rossellini.
6) “Nancy Drew” debut, 9 p.m. Wednesday, CW. Nancy Drew started as a teen crimesolver. Her first book was in 1930, her first movie in ’38, her first TV series in ’95. But don’t expect a simple, crime-of-the-week approach this time. In the CW style, this is a heavily serialized story that’s dark in mood and in color palette. It’s a great-looking show and Kennedy McMann is excellent as Nancy. Still, some of the side characters – especially the police chief and Nancy’s father – are stiff cliches, hurting the story.
7) “Temptation Island” season-opener, 10:01 p.m. Thursday, USA. As winter nears, TV gives us pretty people in swimwear. This show splits up four couples, giving them separate temptations at a resort where, USA says, “24 sexy single men and women” await. Yes, that sounds familiar: Fox tried it in 2001 (twice) and 2003, then dumped it; USA revived it in January. Fox also had the similar “Paradise Hotel” in 2003 and 2008; it brought it back this summer … and soon cancelled it yet again.
8) “The College Admissions Scandal,” 8 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime, rerunning at 11:03 p.m. and 1:59 a.m. This seemed perfect for a TV movie – lies and regret in an upscale world. Rich people (including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman) paid for schemes to get their kids into top colleges. Surprisingly, Lifetime settled for fictional characters. Mia Kirshner plays a finance executive, with Penelope Ann Miller as a designer. Gretchen Carlson’s non-fiction hour is at 10:03 p.m. and 12:59 a.m.
9) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m. Saturday, NBC. These days, “SNL” stretches beyond the usual sources – movie and network-TV actors — for ihosts. Yes, it opened its season with Woody Harrelson, but it has followed with two streaming stars – Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”) last week and now David Harbour. He’s the big (6-foot-3) guy who plays the police chief on Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” bringing nominations for a Golden Globe and (twice) for Emmys. Camila Cabello is the music guest.
10) “Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America” debut, latenight Sunday (technically, 12:08 a.m. next Monday), AMC. Suddenly, TV has realized that great stories emerged with the hip-hop boom. There’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” (Wednesdays on Hulu), “Untold Stories of Hip Hop” (7 and 9 p.m. Thursdays on WE) and this one, with a fascinating start: A centuries-old spiritual was adapted by a jazz musician for a 1997 anthem … which was sampled in Kanye West’s much-honored epic, “Jesus Walks.”