1) “The Choice,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Once every four years, the “Frontline” people create a side-by-side portrait of the presidential candidates. The result tends to be deep, detailed and even-handed. Even against strong competition — including top people (shown here) on the “America’s Got Talent” finale — this is must-see TV. Read more…
1) “The Voice,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. The 26th season begins, with Reba McEntire as the only judge returning from the 25th. Gwen Stefani will have her eighth turn, but skipped last spring; Michael Buble and Snoop Dogg will have their first. Tonight, that leads into the debut of “Brilliant Minds” (shown here), Next week, the auditions will also include Tuesdays; this week, that’s the night for the “America’s Got Talent” finale. Read more…
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 Read more…
1) “The Equalizer,” 8 p.m., CBS. The fifth-season opener is still five weeks away, so the show goes back to a much earlier episode. This is the second one of the fourth season, with a young girl killed during an illegal street race. Robyn probes the crash (shown here) and her daughter considers a military career. Read more…
1) “Secret Celebrity Renovation,” 8 p.m., CBS. A year ago, this amiable show wrapped its third (and, seemingly, final) season. But here’s a new, stand-alone episode. Baseball star Mookie Betts returns to Nashville to renovate his father’s house. Soon, he’s swinging a sledge hammer (shown here) instead of a bat, with help from designer Sabrina Soto and construction guy Rob Mariano. Read more…
1) “Young Sheldon,” 9 p.m., CBS. As last week’s rerun ended, the family learned that Sheldon’s father had died. Now comes the funeral (shown here), a complicated time for a teen unfamiliar with most emotions. This rerun (like next week’s series finale) is a skillful mix of humor and pain. Read more…
1) “MasterChef” finale, 8-10 p.m., Fox. This started with home chefs from four generations. But in recent weeks, the remaining older chefs (ages 52, 62, 63 and 70) were ousted. Surviving are Kamay Lafalaise, 34; Michael Leonard, 27; and Becca Gibb, 24. They’ll prepare an appetizer, entree and dessert; then the judges (shown here in a previous episode) will choose the $250,000 winner. Read more…
1) “America’s Got Talent,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. The 10 finalists perform; then viewers vote … and wait a week to learn who won. The choices include two singers (including Dee Dee Simon, shown here), a comedian and a magician, plus a dance group, an acrobatic group, an aerial duo, a drone duo, a dog act and an “air dance” group. They’re from Japan, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Tanzania and the U.S. Read more…
1) “Family Feud,” 8-11 p.m., ABC. At 9 p.m., Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend, (they’re shown here) face her food-show mate, David Chang. Other half-hours skip families and have colleagues from shows — two teams from “The Golden Bachelor”; “9-1-1” vs. “Jury Duty”; “Deadliest Catch” vs. “Star Trek” shows. At 10 is a “Best of Steve Harvey” compilation. Read more…
1) Emmy awards, 8 p.m. ET, ABC (5 and 8 p.m. on the West Coast). Eugene and Dan Levy are the father-son hosts, honoring the best in a strike-shortened season. Leading are two FX shows: “Shogun” (shown here) has 25 nominations, including best drama; “The Bear” has 23, including best comedy. The red carpet starts at 6 p.m. ET on E, 7 on ABC. Read more…
