1) “Night Court” debut (shown here), 8 and 8:30 p.m., NBC. This blends key pieces of past comedy hits: There’s “Night Court” and John Larroquette, who won four Emmys as Dan Fielding, before withdrawing from consideration. And there’s Melissa Rauch, who was Bernadette on “The Big Bang Theory.” Now she plays the daughter of Judge Harry Stone, taking over his courtroom … and luring Fielding back. The result is big and broad and, often enough, quite funny.
2) “New Amsterdam” series finale, 9-11 p.m., NBC. These five seasons have been busy for Max. He took over as medical director, left for England and returned. His wife died; he fell in love with Helen, who left him … and fhe ell for Wilder, a gifted surgeon who is deaf. Now the show ends with a medical crisis (involving cancer trials) and personal transitions.
3) “The Resident,” 8-9 p.m., Fox. Just before NBC’s hospital show ends forever, Fox’s show ends its season … or maybe more. This season was trimmed from 22 episodes to 13, with no word on whether it will return. Tonight’s hour feels like a series finale (a good one), wrapping up all the personal stories, while tackling two major cases – involving the governor and Bell’s granddaughter. We hope “Resident” returns; if it doesn’t, this is a strong exit.
4) American Experience,” 9-11 p.m., PBS, Twice, Zora Neale Hurston savored an all-Black world – first in her Florida hometown, then at Howard University. For the rest of her life, however, she was a bridge – bringing her culture to white audiences via novels, plays and anthropology reports. It was a bumpy ride; she drew steep praise, yet in her final years was a cleaning woman. But she transformed the views of people who dismissed cultures as “primitive.”
5) ALSO: Two new shows have their third episodes. At 9 p.m., Fox’s “Alert” involves a college student who went missing when she was at a house party. At 10, ABC’s “Will Trent” involves a small-town murder case that may be linked to a past cover-up.