1) “American Masters: Unladylike,” 9 p.m., PBS. This summer’s PBS shows have been propeling us toward a milestone – the 100th anniversary (Aug. 26) of women’s vote in federal elections. But before the national change, individual states stepped in. We meet Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon, who was elected in 1896 to Utah’s state senate and sparked health reforms; her statue (shown here) is alongside the state capitol. And Jeannette Rankin, elected by Montana to Congress in 1916. It’s a strong hour that also includes black, Latina and American Indian activists.
2) More non-fiction, 10 p.m., PBS and FX. Many PBS stations (check local listings) will follow “Unladylike” with an “Independent Lens” profile of another remarkable woman: Dolores Huerta, now 90, combined with Cesar Chevez to run the National Farm Workers union. Meanwhile, FX launches a new season of “The Weekly,” the excellent New York Times series. It opens with a look at early COVID ordeals in New York’s hospitals.
3) “MacGyver,” 8 p..m., CBS. In a favorite timeslot for specials, this show gets bumped a lot. Last week, it was replaced by a Carl Reiner hour; in two weeks, it will be replaced by the second special featuring corona-era internet videos. Tonight has the rerun that was planned for last week: A cunning adversary forces Mac to choose between the life of a friend and the lives of hundreds.
4) “Masters of Illusion,” 8-10 p.m., CW. Magic acts fill the night. The first half-hour is new, the second is a rerun and both include Nathan Phan among several magicians. From 9-10 p.m., there’s a rerun from May, focusing on escape acts.
5) “Palm Springs” (Hulu) and “The Old Guard” (Netflix), any time, streaming. Here are new movies with opposite tones. Hulu has a comedy, with Andy Samberg falling for the bride’s sister (Cristin Milioti) at a wedding … and then getting caught in a time loop. Netflix has a dead-serious tale, with Charlize Theron as a freedom fighter. That follows its Wednesday release of “Stateless,” with Yvonne Strahovski in an Australian immigration detention center.