1) “Baker and the Beauty” debut, 10 p.m. today, ABC. Viewers know the plot: A young Cinderella type – sweet-spirited, attractive, with modest means – meets a handsome prince or mogul or such. But now the genders switch: Daniel (Victor Rasuk) is in a hard-working Miami family that has a bakery; Noa (Nathalie Kelley, who was Cristal in the first year of the “Dynasty” reboot) is a Kardashian-type pop-culture star. They meet by (shown here) in an opener that’s beautifully filmed and charmingly played.
2) “One Day at a Time,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Pop. Hispanics used to be on the TV sidelines. Now they’re the center of some shows, including “Baker” and this fun comedy. With its “Schitt’s Creek” lead-in gone, it’s sandwiched this week at 6:30 and 10:01 p.m. by “Selena” (1997), with Jennifer Lopez terrific as a pop star. This “One Day” is a Halloween tale (really) and adds Marla Gibbs as a neighbor. She’s the same age (88) as co-star Rita Moreno … and much younger than producer Norman Lear, 97.
3) “What We Do in the Shadows” season-opener, 10 and 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, FX. This isn’t for everyone; vampire comedies never are. But many people will find it hilarious. These vampires have been in Staten Island for a century, without doing much. Guillermo (the terrific Harvey Guillen) has been their assistant (called a “familiar”) for a decade, and secretly kills attacking vampires. That makes the opener very violent … and very funny, especially with Haley Joel Osment as a second familiar.
4) “Last Man Standing,” 8 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Fox. There still are plenty of traditional, vampire-free comedies – especially on Thursdays, when three networks go for laughs. This week’s first “Standing” has a clever plot and Bill Engvall returning as Rev. Paul. Obsessed with winning in the church bowling league, Mike (Tim Allen) is jettisoning teammates. One son-in-law bowls a 150 … but only if he adds up three games. Also, Ed (Hector Elizondo, 83) takes offense at jokes about old people.
5) “The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart” debut, 8-10 p.m. today, ABC. Fox’s “Flirty Dancing” used dance to create romance; now ABC tries the same thing with music. Over six episodes, young singers will date and croon each other. Most sing pop or R&B, but the 12 men include three country, two folk and one jazz; the 11 women include one musical-theater and one country. The latter is Jamie, 21; in the opener, she kisses Trevor (29, country) and Ryan (28, jazz/funk); complications ensue.
6) “Songland” season-opener, 10:01 p.m. today, NBC. Suddenly, Mondays are getting a makeover – two new shows on ABC and this new season on NBC. Each week, four hopefuls perform for producers (including Ryan Tedder, the OneRepublic singer) and for a performer or group – this week, country’s Lady Antebellum. Three are chosen to work in the studio with a producer; one will have the song recorded. That seems to work; in the first season, seven of the 11 songs hit No. 1 on an iTunes chart.
7) “Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate,” 7 p.m. Tuesday, HBO and PBS Kids, plus TBS, TNT, TruTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and HBO Latino. We knew we could count on Elmo – red, cheery and childish – to be a bright spirit in dark times. Now he has this special, talking about life during social-distancing. He shows families baking cookies and doing crafts and such; he also has celebrities doing songs and silly dances. Guests include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne Hathaway and Tracee Ellis Ross.
8) “New Amsterdam” season-finale, 9 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. With the virus shutdown, dramas fall short of their usual 22 episodes. Last week, Fox’s “The Resident” ended at 20; now another hospital show wraps up at 18. The finale is extra-long – starting at 9 p.m., instead of 10 – and extra well-made. One deeply moving story has Max scrambling to help a young patient; another has Iggy facing gun-rights issues. Then there’s some humor with Kapoor, plus a crisis sweeping through many unrelated patients.
9) Nature shows, everywhere. April 22 will be the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – a big deal on PBS and cable. Now some spots are starting early: Disney+ has added “Penguins” and “Elephant,” two DisneyNature films that had been intended for theaters. On Saturday, BBC America reruns its gorgeous “Seven Worlds, One Planet” from 2-9 p.m.ET ; that same day, Nat Geo Wild celebrates natural America from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m,ET and debuts “Jungle Animal Rescue” (filmed in India) at 10:03 p.m.
10) “Masterpiece: World on Fire,” 9 p.m. Sunday, PBS. Sunday has been particularly affected by the virus shutdowns. A “Walking Dead” spin-off (planned for April 12) and a new “Fargo” (April 19) were postponed. “American Idol” has delayed its live episodes; in May, CBS will replace its dramas with Sunday movies. One Sunday solution is to catch this terrific World War II mini-series. This week, Lois sings to the troops – including her ex-lover Harry – in France. Her brother is in a fierce naval battle.