1) “Matlock” debut, 8 p.m., CBS. In a tradition that goes from Miss Marple to Elsbeth, an older woman – unnoticed or underestimated — triumphs. This time, it’s Kathy Bates (shown here) as a lawyer bearing the same surname as an old TV lawyer. She’s a delight, but stick around: A final twist pushes an already-excellent show to a higher level.
2) “Snowpiercer” series finale, 9 p.m., AMC, rerunning at 10:05. For four seasons, this train has zoomed around a frozen Earth. Now Nima – the mild-seeming scientists – is ready to fire a rocket that could save or doom mankind. In a compelling finish, people struggle to stop him.
3) “Rescue HI-Surf” debut, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT, after football), Fox. Yes, Hawaii provides gorgeous backdrops and the rescues are high-octane. The rest, however, is surprisingly weak. In this episode and the one at 9 p.m. Monday, the three younger guys are blank (albeit well-chiseled); their two bosses are moderately interesting, at best.
4) “Universal Basic Guys,” 9 p.m. ET (6 PT), Fox. After a rough start – one awful episode, one so-so one – there’s finally has an episode that’s almost OK. It combines a boomerang, a scary house, a sex doll (this cartoon isn’t for all ages) and the Devil’s flying son. Somehow, that all merges neatly.
5) Crime-solvers: ABC reruns the “High Potential” pilot (a pretty good one) at 8:01 p.m., on the eve of the second episode. And two PBS shows wrap up solid, two-part stories. “Ridley,” at 8 p.m., and “Van der Valk,” at 10, sandwich an episode of the clever “Moonflower Murders.”
— Mike Hughes, TV America