1) “The Kennedy Center at 50,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. Fifty years (and 23 days) ago, the center opened, offering an elegant home for … almost everything. Now it has a 50t-birthday celebration, on the same night as Disney World (shown here). This concert ranges from classical to hip hop. There are splendid moments from Kelli O’Hara, Dianne Reeves, violinist Raymond Chen and more. Joshua Henry opens the show with a passionate “A Change is Gonna Come” and closes it – joined by Common and a chorus – by turning “Glory” into one of the greatest TV moments of 2021.
2) “50 Years of Walt Disney World,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. Just 23 days after the Kennedy Center opened, Disney World began. Now – exactly on its 50th birthday – Whoopi Goldberg hosts a celebration. Unlike the Kennedy Center special (which is strictly a concert) this will have a little music and a lot of talk and history. Performing are Christina Aguilera an Halle Bailey (of Chloe x Halle).Talking are Anthony Anderson, John Stamos, Tom Brady and more, plus Disney’s past presidents and creative forces.
3) “S.W.A.T.” season-opener, 8 p.m., CBS. After four years of intense, urban action, here’s a detour — Hondo on horseback in Mexico’s ranchland. Last season, he talked to the press about racism in the police department; he was demoted and now retreats to a friend’s vacation home; in the cowboy tradition, he’s soon helping strangers. It’s a two-week tale that helps “SWAT” move to its new night.
4) “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods” season-openers, 9 and 10 p.m. CBS. It’s the fourth season for “Magnum” and the 12th for “Blue Bloods” – starring Tom Selleck, the original Magnum. In the former, Higgins is away and she and Magnum work separate cases. In the latter, Frank (Selleck) argues with the mayor again and his son Danny consults a psychic (Callie Thorne) on a murder case.
5) “The Many Saints of Newark,” any time, HBO Max. Some 14 years after “The Sopranos” ended, this prequel movie starts streaming on the same day it reaches theaters. Michael Gandolfini plays a young version of Tony Soprano – a role his late father James mastered. Also on streamers, it’s a big day for Netflix. That includes a movie (Jake Gyllenhaal as a 9-1-1 operator in “The Guilty”), a Broadway-bound show (“Diana: The Musical”) and the entire “Seinfeld” series, now in its new home.