1) “NCIS: Sydney,” 8 p.m., CBS. A week later than first scheduled, here’s the season-opener. It’s intense, starting moments after the first season ended: The people who kidnapped JD’s son had a phone link to Col. Rankin. With one flaw (a stiff and stereotyped higher-up from NCIS), it’s a strong hour, with action (shown here) and intensity.
2) “Fire Country,” 9 p.m., CBS. Bode is on a camping trip with his dad and brother when – you kind of knew this would happen – they try a tough rescue. Also, Bode’s mom feels torn, when a baby is surrendered at the fire station. That’s followed by a hostage crisis on “SWAT.”
3) Critics Choice awards, 7-10 p.m., E. After being postponed twice because of California wildfires, the awards are handed out, in a busy night hosted by Chelsea Handler. The best-movie field is led by “Wicked” and “Conclave” (11 nominations) and “Emilia Perez” and “Dune: Part Two” (10). Among TV shows, “Shogun” and “Abbott Elementary” have six.
4) “Happy’s Place,” 8 p.m., NBC. We finally meet the person who’s key to this tangle – the mother of a half-sister Bobbie (Reba McEntire) didn’t know about. Despite the usual excesses from Gabby, the episode has a fairly good blend of humor and emotion.
5) ALSO: We can catch two hours of magicians on CW, with “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” at 8 p.m. and “Masters of Illusion” at 9. Or we can watch fiction about a teen with magic powers: On “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” Billie uses those powers to help a friend in Magic Club and then to compete against the Robotics Club.