1) “Frontline: For Sama,” 10-11:30 p.m., PBS. As Russian bombers destroyed the Syrian city of Aleppo, a young journalist sent reports over the internet. She married the doctor who led a makeshift hospital; years later, they pondered taking their baby to safety. Eventually, Waad Al-Khateeb (shown here) took her films and linked with a British director, weaving a five-year story that has it all – love, death, youthful idealism, war-weary pain, lifesaving and lives lost. The result is simultaneously painful and bracing.
2) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox. Last week, Dr. Irving Feldman realized that he’s in love with Jessica Moore, the lovable nurse. Then – after working a double shift because of short-staffing – she fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a tree. That throws us into a powerful (but flawed) episode. This uses two TV cliches – the patient who resists help and the loved one who gets in the way; the latter is all the worse when the loved one is a doctor. Still, it’s a potent episode that stirs minds and emotions.
3) “Empire,” 9 p.m., Fox. Can anyone break from the charm and/or ferocity of Lucious Lyon? His sometimes-wife Cookie tries, as part of a brassy talk show; his son Andre tries, as acting head of the company Lucious started. The business-scheme scenes don’t add up and the personal scenes are wildly overheated. We’ll have to accept “Empire” for what it is, a glitzy soap opera with a great soundtrack.
4) “The Conners,” 8 p.m., ABC. Last week, Dan made two things clear: His daughters should mend their feud in time for Thanksgiving and his granddaughter should quit being with Odessa. Don’t bet on either of those; do bet this will be a good holiday episode, in the “Roseanne”/”Conners” tradition.
5) “This Is Us,” 9 p.m., NBC. Here’s another Thanksgiving episode, this time in new circumstances. It’s in the Philadelphia townhouse Randall’s family moved into, when he was elected to the city council.