1) “American Housewife,” 8:30 p.m., ABC. As the season gradually emerges, here’s a boost: Now ABC has all of its Wednesday comedies in place. They range from “Goldbergs” at 8 to “Black-ish” at 9:30; now “Housewife” arrives a week later than the others. It starts with what was supposed to be last season’s finale: Kate scrambles to make sure Taylor (Meg Donnelly, shown here) graduates from high school. Also, her husband finishes his ghostwriting project and their younger-daughter agrees to try sleep-away summer camp.
2) “The Conners,” 9 p.m., ABC. Ever since its “Roseanne” years, this has savored its Halloween episodes. And now? The city is discouraging the holiday, so the family comes together to try to give a memorable holiday for Mary. She’s the daughter of D.J., played by Michael Fishman, who makes his directing debut.
3) “Nature: Australian Bushfire Rescue,” 8 p.m., PBS. Australia’s “Black Summer” was epic. It burned 46 million actres and sent smoke almost 7,000 miles. The human toll was fierce, but this involving hour looks at efforts to save the animals. In the woods, a koala-sniffing dog finds creatures clinging to treetops, but needing water. In a rehab center, orphaned kangaroos are mended and gradually released. And in Sydney, Wanda Wombat find solace … and scratches her rescuer’s leather couch.
4) “The Con,” 10 p.m., ABC. Eager to get their kids into the best colleges, parents paid large sums to “consultant” Rick Singer. His methods, the FBI says, included bribing test officials and bribing coaches … who would “recruit” people who had never played their sport. This hour – including re-creations of wiretaps – looks at the probe that eventually involved the famous (Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman) and wealthy. One client says he cut ties with Singer after being told to lie in an essay.
5) And more: “The Masked Singer” returns at 8 p.m., now that the World Series has been settled. (The Dodgers won it, in six games.) Also at 8, Cinemax has “Winter’s Bone” (2010), an indie gem (nominated for the best-picture Oscar) starring the then-unknown Jennifer Lawrence. And popular Halloween films collide: FX has “Goosebumps” (2015) and “Goosebumps 2” (2018) at 6 and 8 p.m.; Freeform has “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) and “Monsters University” (2013) at 6:30 and 8:30.