1) “Frontline,” 10 p.m., PBS. Who deserves blame for the slow COVID response? Almost everyone, “Frontline” has found. Earlier, it pointed to the Trump response; now here’s the case against China (shown here) and the World Health Organization. On Dec.26, 25 days after the first case, Chinese officials and hospitals were finally warned of the danger; still, the government remained in denial for four crucial weeks. Secret tapes of WHO meetings show deep worries … but spokesmen kept downplaying the problem.
2) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” 8 p.m., NBC. Inspired by her neighbor’s freeform life, Zoey vows to be unstructured and carefree. She’ll make a carefree-things-to-do list … which really isn’t in the spirit of things. Then … well, one decision changes her day, just as the company owner returns. Throw in an ethical dilemma for Simon, plus Zoey’s usual quirk (she hears people’s thoughts, including her own, through pop songs) and you have another first-rate episode.
3) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox. This episode hits some extremes. Early on, it has a wonderfully offbeat marriage-proposal scene; at the end of the hour, it introduces a twist that seems absurd. In between, the subject is mothers: A teen is eager to move away from her mom; Devon, in deep despair after his father’s COVID death, is suddenly face-to-face with his mom.
4) “Prodigal Son,” 9 p.m., Fox. It’s not easy to concoct father-and-son murder mysteries, when the dad is a serial killer doing life in prison. Tonight brings one solution – a murder inside the prison. The story is far-fetched, but it’s alongside an ongoing issue: Malcolmtries to keep his guilt-ridden sister from remembering that she (not he) is the one who killed an abusive guy in their family home.
5) “Black-ish” and more. This second day of Black History Month concludes the epic “Roots” minis-series, from 3-10 p.m. on Sundance. (The first half, which ran Monday, reruns from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) But you can also catch key subjects on ABC’s comedies. At 9 p.m., “Black-ish” has Bow trying to discourage her husband from teaching her White cousin to be an ally tof Blacks. At 9:30, flashing back to her 1980s childhood, “Mixed-ish” has her mom and aunt debate who’s the stronger Black woman.