It isn’t easy to create a character like “House,” who has a prickly personality but still manages to save the day. The latest attempt is the detective “Backstrom” (Fox, 9 p.m.), borrowed from a Swedish series of books and portrayed here by Rainn Wilson, who tries to bury his Dwight Schrute character forever by being an unshaven, slovenly drunk. Some of his young and shiny co-workers are annoyed with him and others are in awe of his investigative skills, which begin with him putting himself in the place of the perpetrator. That it’s from “Bones” maven Hart Hanson who worked on Bones” makes you think it should be a little sharper than it is, but so far it’s character types in the service of solving another crime of the week.
Another new reality show from Dick Wolf, who used to decry such things is “Nightwatch” (A&E, 10 p.m.), which follows third shift emergency workers in New Orleans in a series that seems a little sleeker than the many previous ride-around-with-first-responders type of shows.
Also new tonight is “Million Dollar Critic” (BBC America, 10 p.m.), featuring a British restaurant critic Giles Coren, who travels to the U.S. to eat its cuisine. The title can’t possibly refer to his salary. First stop is Philly for a cheesesteak.
“Morgan Spurlock: Inside Man” (CNN, 9 p.m.) returns for a new season, this time looking into how close robots have come to replicating people and — with a little mustache — maybe him too.
“The Taste” (ABC, 8 p.m.) reaches a conclusion and hands out a prize. And the failed comedies “Bad Judge” (NBC, 9 p.m.) and “A to Z” (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) play their final episodes.
Amber has labor pains on “Parenthood” (NBC, 10 p.m.).
A death occurs on an episode of “Mom” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) that displays everything wrong with the series.
Watson starts her new job at an insurance firm on “Elementary” (CBS, 10 p.m.) but kind of misses the police cases.
The comic and sitcom star Al Madrigal, who has appeared on “The Daily Show” and “About a Boy” makes a documentary about fellow half-Latino, half-white Americans in “Half Like Me” (Fusion, 10 p.m.).
People were calling Lenore Skenazy the ‘World’s Worst Mom” (Discovery Life, 9 p.m.) after letting her son ride the subway alone at 9. Now she’s got a show by that name where she tries to shoot down helicopter parents.
Ed Begley Jr. plays a doctor in a new episode of “Portlandia” (IFC, 10 p.m.).
Debbie Reynolds, who wins the Screen Actors’ Guild Lifetime Achievement Award Sunday is honored tonight on Turner Classic Movies with some of her best loved movies: “Singin’ in the Rain” (8 p.m.), “The Catered Afair” (10 p.m.), “The Mating Game” (11:45 p.m.), “The Unsinkable Moly Brown” (1:30 a.m.) and “Mary, Mary” (3:45 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops include South Florida at Temple (ESPNews, 6:30 p.m.), George Washington at Fordham (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.), Ohio State at Northwestern (ESPN, 7 p.m.), DePaul at Seton Hall (Fox Sports 1, 7 p.m.), UCF at Connecticut (EBS Sports, 7 p.m.), Coastal Carolina at North Carolina Aheville (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Maryland at Indiana (ESPNU, 9 p.m.), Arizona at Stanford (ESPN2, 9 p.m.), Murray State at Eastern Illinois (CBS Sports, 9 p.m.), Washington at Colorado (Fox Sports 1, 9:30 p.m.) and Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga (ESPNU, 11 p.m.).
NBA action includes San Antonio at Chicago (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Brooklyn at Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).
The Australian Open (ESPN2, 11 p.m.) reaches its third round.
Then there are early events in the “X Games” (ESPN, 9 p.m.) from Aspen.
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Don Cheadle, Simon Helberg. The View: Mike Huckabee, Colleen Ballinger. The Talk: Eddie Izzard, Big Boy, Molly Sims. Ellen DeGeneres: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Sam Hunt. Wendy Williams: Anthony Mackie. Meredith Vieira: Carson Daly, Alison Sweeney. Queen Latifah: Julie Chen, Aisha Tyler, Dae Annable (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Jeff Goldblum, Michael Somerville, Nicole Atkins (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Blake Shelton, Bob Costas, Motley Crue. Jimmy Kimmel: Edward Norton, Al Michaels, the Decemberists. Seth Meyers: Felicity Jones, Hines Ward, Sebastian Maniscalco. Late Late Show: Adam Sandler, Lena Dunham, Maria Bamford, Judd Apatow. Carson Daly: Lauren Cohan, Dum Dum Girls, Meatbodies (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Jorge Ramos, Paulette Brown. Jon Stewart: Jennifer Aniston. Conan O’Brien: Ron Howard, Regina Hall, Rae Sremmurd (rerun).