1) “Franklin” debut, Apple TV+. In 1776, Ben Franklin headed to Paris with his teen grandson. He was 70 or 71 (25 years older than George Washington), gifted in science, romance and people skills; that last one would play a key role in the Revolutionary War. Michael Douglas (shown here), 79, and Noah Jupe, 19, star in a smart and well-crafted series, with the first three episodes (of eight) airing today.
2) “Now Hear This” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. Scott Yoo was 12 when he soloed with the Boston Symphony. Now, 40 years later, he examines the concept of prodigies. He meets a pianist who was 9 at the time of filming, a composer who was 11 and others, including Chloe Chua, now an international violin star at 17. It’s a fun journey, including a school that hopes they’ll “learn through joy.”
3) “Fire Country,” 9 p.m., CBS. Watching all these convicts work as firefighters, we might wonder if any of them ever flee. One does tonight and the sheriff (Morena Baccarin), who has a connection to Bode’s family, arrives. The hour doubles as a pilot for “Sheriff Country,” a possible spin-off next season.
4) More CBS dramas. On “SWAT” (8 p.m.), the team confronts doomsday preppers; also, Powell considers meeting the person she gave up for adoption at 18. Then “Blue Bloods” (10) ranges from voodoo to college admission practices – two issues that, we hope, aren’t intertwined.
5) ALSO: Amazon Prime has adapted the “Fallout” videogame into a post-apocalyptic adventure. “Next at the Kennedy Center” (10 p.m., PBS) has a Ben Folds concert linking young singers – Jacob Collier (also an instrumentalist), Dodie and Laufey – with the National Orchestra. Reruns include “Password” (Jimmy Fallon and a hyper Liza Koshy) at 8 on NBC and “Sight Unseen” at 9 on CW.