1) “American Masters,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. When Doc Severinsen was 6, he insisted on learning the trumpet; his dad (a small-town dentist) preferred a violin. Doc (shown here) is still playing and touring, 87 years later. “You can’t say to Picasso, ‘Put the paintbrush down,’” his third wife says, adding that she’s “happy he’s with a trumpet player (Cathy Leach, a music professor) now.” Rippling with great music, this film views his diligence (including gym work-outs), plus pizzazz he molded with Johnny Carson.
2) “Hysterical,” 9-11 p.m., FX. Being a female comic is complicated, we’re told. “It was never an even playing field,” Sherri Shepherd says; “Men always get to do things first,” Iliza Schlesinger says. This documentary meets 15 women. Many (like male comics) had complex childhoods: Two were Black kids in white neighborhoods … some were gay in a straight world … others were anorexic or 6-foot-3 or had an eyepatch; one couldn’t retain education. All emerged as funny and (sometimes) happy.
3) “Ben-Hur” (1959), 8 p.m. to midnight ET, Turner Classic Movies. This epic won 11 Academy Awards, including best actor (Charlton Heston) and best picture. It returns for Easter weekend, with other religious-themed fil,s coming Saturday and Sunday. Also today, UPtv reruns the first season of “The Chosen” (a crowdfunded story of Jesus’ life) from 1:30 to 9 p.m. ET, followed by “The Passion of the Christ” (2004) at 9 and 11.
4) “Magnum P.I.,” 9 p.m., CBS. A Marine veteran’s car has been stolen – with her service dog inside. This gets complicated, because the car thief may be an escaped kidnap victim.
5) STREAMING: It’s a tough week for tech moguls. HBO Max has just launched “Made for Love,” a comedy with Cristin Milioti fleeing her husband, a billionaire who implanted a chip in her. Today, Amazon Prime has “WeWork,” a documentary about the company that soared (leasing shared space to start-ups) until it had a sea of excess. Also streaming today: Netflix has “The Serpent,” dramatizing the story of Charles Sobhraj, convicted of “hippie trail” murders in 1970s Asia.