“When We Rise” (ABC, 9 p.m.) is a high minded and generally recommended history of the gay rights movement, a sincere effort by Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter of “Milk” to provide history and hope in an eight-hour project. It begins tonight feeling a little bit like an After School Special, since it largely stars kids. It’s the installment directed by Gus Van Sant, however, and its characters “grow up” in subsequent episodes to fight for civil rights, confront the AIDS crisis and win the right to marry (though another chapter has not been announced to address any 2017 setbacks).
The documentary “Tickled” (HBO, 10 p.m.) is a surprising foray into darkness from a New Zealand entertainment reporter who falls into the weird story of “competitive tickling” videos, a lucrative fetish market run by shadowy figures who then go after him with a vengeance, just as they went after the young men who they exploited. It’s a fascinating tale, that is followed by the shorter addendum, “The Tickle King,” about what happened when the principals showed up to disrupt festival screenings.
Henry Louis Gates shines a light on the civilization that came from a maligned continent in the new three-part series, “Africa’s Great Civilizations” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings). He begins by chronicling the rise of Christianity and Islam there.
On the eve of the new administration’s first joint address to Congress, look back at how speeches were crafted in the last one, with “The Obama Years: The Power of Words” (Smithsonian, 8 p.m.), in which six of Barack Obama’s key speeches during his career are studied, with commentary from Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Rep. John Lewis and speechwriters Jon Favreau and Cody Keenan. Jesse Williams narrates.
A prequel to the motion picture franchise, the new series “Taken” (NBC, 10 p.m.) looks at the early days of CIA operative Bryan Mills, the Liam Neeson character now played by Clive Standen. Jennifer Beals plays his boss.
Judge Wapner died before he could see “The High Court” (Comedy Central, midnight), the high concept new series in which a stoned Doug Benson takes actual cases and renders decisions. Just like a regular TV court show, except for that odd smell.
“The Voice” (BC, 8 p.m.) returns for its 12th season, with Gwen Stefani reclaiming her spinning coach’s chair alongside Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Alicia Keys.
Before he makes his choice, “The Bachelor” (ABC, 8 p.m.) is visited by a former “Bachelorette,” Andi Dorfman.
Fashion turned out the be the least newsworthy aspect of the Academy Awards Sunday, but here’s the “Fashion Police” (E!, 8 p.m.) assessment of the Oscars.
Norman’s date goes all wrong on “Bates Motel” (A&E, 10 p.m.).
“Jane the Virgin” (The CW, 9 p.m.), solves and issue at school.
Dany Glover narrates a new batch of “Cold Case Files” (A&E, 9 p.m.).
Oscars are over, but Turner Classic Movies’ alphabetical 31 Days of Oscar is still stuck in the Ts with “Three Comrades” (6:45 a.m.), “Three Little Words” (8:30 p.m.), “The Three Musketeers” (10:15 a.m.), “Through a Glass Darkly” (12:30 p.m.), “The Time Machine” (2:15 p.m.), “The Time, The Place and the Girl” (4:15 p.m.), “T-Men” (6:15 p.m.), “To Be or Not to Be” (8 p.m.), “To Each His Own” (10 p.m.), “Tom Jones” (12:15 a.m.), “Tom, Dick and Harry” (2:30 a.m.), “Too Young to Kiss” (4 a.m.) and “Top Hat” (5:30 a.m.).
NBA action includes Milwaukee at Cleveland (TNT, 7 p.m.) and Indiana at Houston (TNT, 9:30 p.m.).
Hockey has Los Angeles at Minnesota (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops includes North Carolina at Virginia (ESPN, 7 p.m.), West Virginia at Baylor (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Miami at Virginia Tech (ESPN2, 9 p.m.), Oklahoma at Kansas (ESPN, 9 p.m.) and Norfolk State at Hampton (ESPNU, 9 p.m.).
Women’s games include Connecticut at South Florida (ESPN2, 7 p.m.) and Baylor at Oklahoma (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Jerry O’Connell, DJ Khaled, Flo Rida, Ryan Seacrest. The View: David Hyde Pierce. The Talk: Bradley Whitford, Nancy O’Dell. Harry Connick: Mark Cuban, Leighton Meester, Candice Thompson. Ellen DeGeneres: Samuel L. Jackson. Wendy Williams: Bevy Smith, Lloyd Boston, Robert Verdi, Melissa Garcia. The Real: Craig Robinson, Shekinah Jo.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Connie Britton, Zoey Dutch, Lori McKenna. Jimmy Kimmel: Mike Birbiglia, Lady Antebellum, Bell Biv DeVoe. Jimmy Fallon: Aaron Paul, Keri Russell, 2 Chainz with Gucci Mane. Seth Meyers: Matthew Broderick, David Boreana, Regina Spekor, Vinnie Colaiuta. James Corden: Dr. Phil McGraw, Sara Bareilles, Linkin Park with Kaiara. Carson Daly: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Caspian, Jenny Zigrino. Trevor Noah: John Oliver. Conan O’Brien: Adam Scott, Genesis Rodriguez, the Vamps.