1) “Quantum Leap,” 8 p.m., NBC. For Raymond Lee (shown here, center), this is a leap into fairly familiar turf. Lee (who has Korean roots) plays Ben, forever leaping into different bodies; now he’s in a young Korean-American. It’s April 29, 1992, the day of battles between Korean merchants and Blacks who were angered by a not-guilty verdict for the Los Angeles police who beat Rodney King. This hour gets way too talky, but does deliver emotional impact.
2) “Magnum P.I.,” 9 p.m., NBC. After the dark, talk-filled “Quantum Leap,” this show offers a quick antidote. Even the silly start (rushing to a detective-license exam) includes a “Magnum” mainstay – a sleek, red car zooming through blue-sky Hawaii. That’s followed by two fairly high-octane stories – one involving a missing gamer, the other involving Jin Jeong’s former crime colleague.
3) “Sullivan’s Crossing,” 8 p.m., CW. The crisis is over now; the kidnapped teen was rescued and Frank is recovering from the accidental gunshot. But Maggie – a surgeon, retreating to her dad’s Nova Scotia campground – has questions. She finally learns a little about Cal (Chad Michael Murray), but her dad (Scott Patterson) bears secrets. This is developing into a solid, well-crafted drama.
4) “Nova; Ancient Earth” finale, 9 p.m., PBS. This fifth episode starts with the event that changed everything: About 66 million years ago, a giant meteor brought the extinction of about 75 per cent of all living things, including dinosaurs. With fewer predators, new species could emerge, including humans. We see scientists pondering cave paintings from 25,000 and 45,000 years ago. It’ s a fascinating finish to a terrific series.
5) “The Morning Show,” Apple TV+. A week before its season-finale, one of TV’s best shows finds everything in flux. As this hour begins, Marks (Jon Hamm) is ready to buy the network for $40 billion. Cory (Billy Crudup) is ecstatic; Alex and Bradley (Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon) are wary. Reviews of the episode are embargoed, but you can expect some big things.
— Mike Hughes, TV America