1) “Masterpiece: Flesh and Blood” opener, 9 p.m., PBS. As her 70th birthday nears, a wealthy widow (Francesca Annis) has a new love (Stephen Rea; they’re sown here). Her three children are skeptical; then again, their own lives are riddled with problems. There are so many troubles that this four-week series keeps teetering toward soap-opera … then is saved (barely) by the classy British cast (especially Imelda Staunton as an enigmatic neighbor) and writing. There’s a mystery here, plus some harsh blows to every character.
2) “The Walking Dead” season-finale and “Walking Dead: World Beyond” debut, 9 and 10:06 p.m., AMC. The “Dead” finale is just what we expect – harsh, exciting, sometimes wildly gory – as people try to both escape and kill the Whisperers who disguise as and encourage the zombies. But the sequel is a surprise – a flash forward to life in a town of 10,000, walled from the zombies. It’s a teen drama that’s easy to like … until the final minutes, when the characters launch a poorly defined mission.
3) Basketball and “Blackish,” ABC. The third game of the best-of-seven Lakers-Heat finals starts at 7:30 p.m., with pre-game at 7. That collides with football (Eagles-49ers) at 8:20 on NBC … and leads into the “Black-ish” specials, at about 10 and 10:30. The first – Junior is stunned when he disappears from the voter rolls – is fairly good, while making strong points about democracy. The second is better; it’s a fanciful, animated tale that has Dre’s boss using his wealth to seek election.
4) “The Good Lord Bird” and “The Comedy Store” debuts, 9 and 10 p.m., Showtime. The good news is that Ethan Hawke is brilliant as a wild-eyed John Brown, at war with slavery. The bad is that “Lord Bird” is an hour of sheer excess and gains nothing from its fictional element, a Black boy whom Brown mistakenly dresses as a girl. But stick around, because “Comedy Store” is a terrific documentary series. It’s peppered with clever lines, as Mike Binder talks to fellow comics about a comedy club they love.
5) Much more. From “The Simpsons” at 8 on Fox to the wondrous “Fargo” at 10 on FX, it’s a great night. (A lone exception is the clumsy and badly acted “Pandora” season-opener, at 8 p.m. on CW.) At 10 p.m., two series debut, PBS’s “Cobra” is set in the British government during crisis. And at 10 p.m. ET (barring breaking news, a strong possibilityz0, CNN’s “First Ladies” starts with Michelle Obama. As profiles go, it’s oddly short in tracing her formative years. It is, however, a deep and thorough look at the White House years, including the blistering attacks she faced.