1) “Superman & Lois” debut, 9-10:30 p.m., CW. Yes, Superman (shown here) has a whole city (Metropolis) – and a whole world – to protect. But at the core, he’s still a Kansas kid; in this well-crafted opener, he’s tugged back home with his family. His wife, Lois Lane, is still a star reporter, but his own newspaper job is wobbling. They have twin boys – one a top athlete, the other brainy and reclusive – who don’t know their dad’s secret … and might develop his superpowers. Now their lives will transform.
2) “Assembly Required” debut, 10:03 p.m., History. Here’s an easygoing hour, gently removed from COVID worries. Each week, three contestants – in at-home workshops – will be shipped some goods. Giving instructions from afar will be Tim Allen and Richad Karn, the “Tool Time” guys from “Home Improvement,” aided by April Wilkerson, a DIY whiz. In this opener, the contestants are skilled, Wilkerson is all-knowing and Allen and Karn keep things light and fun.
3) Biden speech? Presidents aren’t required to do a State of the Union address during their first year, but that’s become a tradition. Joe Biden has been expected to give his speech at 9 p.m. ET today, but that wasn’t officially confirmed. Networks have prepared either way: CBS only scheduled reruns for tonight; PBS switched “The Black Church” to consecutive nights last week, to leave this open.
4) “Queen Sugar,” 8 p.m., Oprah Winfrey Network, rerunning at 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Last week’s season-opener (rerunning at 2 a.m.), was filmed before the COVID shutdown; with a sense of hopefulness, Ralph Angel proposed to Darla. Now they begin their wedding plans, Nova meets Calvin’s family, Micah adjusts to fraternity life … and the pandemic starts to take hold.
5) “Matilda” (1996), 7 p.m., Freeform. Danny DeVito, who co-stars, brilliantly directed this film about a bright little girl in a cruel world, based on a dark-humor book by Roald Dahl (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). Other movies? “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018), an Oscar-winner for best animated feature, is 8 and 10:30 p.m. on FX. “Mix-Up in the Mediterranean” (2021), with Jeremy Jordan as twins (one gay, one straight) who trade places, is 9 p.m. on Hallmark.