If any network has a handle on crime procedural it must be the people at Discovery, who have a whole channel dedicated to true crime reenactments, Investigation Discovery. Still, the new “Killing Fields” (Discovery, 10 p.m.) comes so late in the true crime game, it’s been pegged as following in the shadows of “Serial,” “The Making of a Murderer” — and really one of the best first serialized crime sagas, “The Staircase.”
But the new series about a cold case south of Baton Rouge of a young LSU grad student succeeds on its own, mostly through the too good to be true character of Rodie Sanchez, the drawling retired detective who has never forgotten about the case. The episodes are supposed to be real time — which is a tricky business. What if they don’t find anything? The first episode is fascinating, mostly because of its sense of place — like the spooky bayou of “True Detective.” But because it’s ad-supported cable, it has to keep doing those things like recapping what they’re doing after every commercial break, which Netflix documentary series don’t have to do.
But it’s a promising direction for Discovery anyway. Unless they find Bigfoot or something.
“Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) returns for a third season after being unceremoniously yanked last summer after editing Ben Affleck’s history, which found slave-owning in his family past. The celebrity genealogy tonight studies Ty Burrell, Donna Brazile and Kara Walker.
“New Girl” (Fox, 8 p.m.) returns for a fourth season, all full of planning about Schmidt and Cece’s wedding. It kicks off an all comedy night that includes new episodes of “Grandfathered” (Fox, 8:30 p.m.), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox, 9 p.m.) and “The Grinder” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.).
A new “Frontline” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) looks at the rise of the Israeli prime minister and his extraordinary sales pitch to Congress this year in “Netanyahu at War.”
Network TV is back in business, by and large, so there are new episodes of “NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.) and “NCIS New Orleans” (NCIS, 9 p.m.); “Chicago Fire” (NBC, 9 p.m.) and “Chicago Med” (NBC, 10 p.m.). And Bradley Cooper pops up again on a new “Limitless” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
“Shark Tank” (ABC, 9 p.m.) is tailed by a new “Beyond the Tank” (ABC, 10 p.m.). But there are still reruns of “Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC, 8 p.m.), “The Muppets” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.), “The Flash” (The CW, 8 p.m.) and “iZombie” (The CW, 9 p.m.).
MTV gets into the elves business with “The Shannara Chronicles” (MTV, 10 p.m.) a new series based on the series of books I’ve never heard of. Poppy Drayton stars as the elf princess; Austin Butler is the human hybrid.
A former MTV star, Brandy, stars in the new comedy “Zoe Ever After” (BET, 10 p.m.) in which she stars as a single mom who starts to date again.
A docuseries about a cappella singing groups in New Jersey is called “Pitch Slapped” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.).
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association may be an object of occasional ridicule for its decisions on its best known event, the Golden Globes. But at least they’ve raised enough money in that big party to underwrite a number of film restoration projects, five of which are featured tonight on Turner Classic Movies. They include the original “King Kong” (8 p.m.), Robert Altman’s “Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” (10 p.m.), Ida Lupino’s “The Bigamist” (midnight), Jean Renoir’s “The River” (1:30 a.m.) and Elia Kazan’s “A Face in the Crowd” (3:30 a.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Wisconsin at Indiana (ESPN, 7 p.m.), East Carolina at Tulsa (ESPNews, 7 p.m.), Marquette at Providence (Fox Sports 1, 7 p.m.), Oklahoma State at Baylor (ESPN2, 8 p.m.), Temple at Connecticut (CBS Sports, 8 p.m.), Georgetown at Creighton (Fox Sports 1, 9 p.m.), Kentucky at LSU (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Tulane at Houston (ESPNU, 9 p.m.) and Boise State at Utah State (CBS Sports, 10 p.m.).
Pro basketball includes Milwaukee at Chicago (NBA, 8 p.m.) and Golden State at Lakers (NBA, 10:30 p.m.).
Hockey includes Montreal at Philadelphia (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Jason Leigh. The View: George Takei, Deborah Roberts, Al Roker. The Talk: Pauley Perrette, Kevin Frazier. Ellen DeGeneres: Jennifer Lopez. Wendy Lopez: Big Dady Kane, Caitlyn Becker. The Real: Renee Lawless, Aaron O’Connell, Candis Cayne. Meredith Vieira: Tia Mowry, Lisa Edelstein.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: John Krasinski, Killer Mike, George Church. Jimmy Kimmel: Natalie Dormer, PVRIS. Jimmy Fallon: Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, Cage the Elephant. Seth Meyers: Samuel L. Jackson, the Kids in the Hall, Sana Amanat, Matt Sorum. James Corden: Sarah Hyland, Jack McBrayer, Rami Malek. Carson Daly: Cary Fukunaga, the Julie Ruin Christopher Abbott (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Ringo Starr. Trevor Noah: Ryan Coogler. Conan O’Brien: Quentin Tarantino, Yves Rossey & Vince Reffet, Lil Dickey with Rich Homie Quan.