1) “American Music Awards 50th Anniversary,” 8-10 p.m. , CBS. From its 1974 debut, this spent decades as a ratings powerhouse. Then it stumbled; there have been no awards since 2022, with none planned until May. First, here are interviews, old clips and new performances from Mariah Carey, Kane Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Green Day, Brad Paisley (shown here) and more.
2) “The Little Mermaid (2023), 8-11 p.m., ABC. A week later than expected, here’s the start of the “Wonderful World of Disney” movie night. There will be light Halloween films for the rest of October, followed by “Coco,” “Moana” and more. First, a non-cartoon reboot: Its star (Halle Bailey) and songs are fine, but there’s little visual beauty or emotional oomph.
3) “Ridley,” 8 p.m., PBS. This wraps up an exceptionally good mystery. It’s in this show’s wheelhouse – quietly potent stories, with remote locations and remote emotions. “Van der Valk” (10 p.m.) also wraps a two-parter; the brilliant “Moonflower Murders” has the fourth of six parts.
4) “The Simpsons,” 8 p.m., Fox. In a “White Lotus” take-off, the family goes to a luxury resort. That’s followed by an overblown “Universal Basic Guys,” with Mark obsessing on being a hero. Then come “Bob’s Burgers” and, at 9:30, Thor and Loki visiting “Krapopolis.”
5) “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” 9 p.m., AMC, repeating at 10:28. On a French island, Daryl struggles to protect Laurent, viewed as the messiah. Meanwhile, Carol has (under false pretenses) found a plane ride to France. At times, this episode gets repetitive or hard to believe (even when you accept zombies), but there’s also intense action and emotion.
— Mike Hughes, TV America