1) “Thomas Jefferson” opener, 8-10 p.m., History. Jefferson (shown here, in a painting) was filled with contrasts: He was shy (his inaugural address was barely audible), but his writing roared … He sold all his books (creating the Library of Congress) to avoid bankruptcy – then bought more … And he wrote of freedom, but failed to free his slaves. It’s an intriguing story, told over three nights.
2) “The Bachelor,” 8-10 p.m. ABC. There are ten women left, including a lawyer, a nurse and a tech engineer who doubles as a model. Grant Ellis takes them to Madrid, for a week that includes a bullfighter and bull riding. The latter, fortunately, involves a mechanical bull.
3) “On TV: A Black History Month Special,” 8 p.m., CBS. This special includes glimpses of groundbreaking actors (Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, Isabel Sanford), news people (Harold Walker, Michele Clark) and shows (“Star Trek,” “All in the Family”). It interviews current actors – but, oddly, only those who are on CBS shows.
4) “A Remarkable Place to Die,” www.acorn.tv. A big-city police detective takes a job in her gorgeous New Zealand hometown … and instantly has a murder case. Each of the four weekly episodes is movie-length; each has a separate case (this first one is terrific) and ties into an overall story. That story is so-so, but Chelsea Crayford, who stars, is subtly excellent.
5) ALSO: More shows start streaming today. Acorn has a lightweight episode of “Murdoch Mysteries”; Britbox has the four-part “A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story,” a true story starring Lucy Boynton. And a current Black drama (CW’s “All American”) is at 8, when CBS has its special about Blacks on TV.
— Mike Hughes, TV America