A great case is made for B.B. King as king of the blues in the biography “B.B. King: The Life of Riley” by Jon Brewer making its debut on “American Masters” (PBS, 9 p.m.). He was working on it up until the bluesman’s death last may at 89, so it includes interviews from various stages of his long career, augmented by commentary from such figures as Robert Lockwood Jr., to Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana and Bono. And there are a lot of great performance clips. Morgan Freeman narrates.
It’s followed by another salute to an even more recently deceased musician with the fine 2013 documentary “David Bowie: Five Years” (PBS, 10 p.m.), chronicling his years from Ziggy Stardust to “Let’s Dance.”
Another documentary, “Meru” (Showtime, 9 p.m.), follows a trio of climbers taking the tough, near-vertical Shark’s Fin route on Mount Meru in the Himalayas.
From Mexico City, “The Amazing Race” (CBS, 8 p.m.) returns for its 28th season by using 11 teams of social media stars, which is to say, a bunch of nobodies who think they’re stars already. It could be insufferable.
For Sunday’s holiday, a replay of a couple of Peanuts specials, “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “A Charlie Brown Valentine” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.).
The political consequences of the Paris attacks are weighed on a new “Vice” (HBO, 11 p.m.).
Richard Engel, Killer Mike, Margaret Cho, Anna Navarro and Josh Green are the scheduled guests on a new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
A male pigeon prepares himself for motherhood on a new “Animals” (HBO, 11:30 p.m.).
Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar has “Tootsie” (8 p.m.), “Kramer vs. Kramer” (10 p.m.), “The Deer Hunter” (midnight), “Goodfellas” (3:15 a.m.) and “Bloodbrothers” (5:45 a.m.).
NBA All Star weekend in Toronto gets underway with the Rising Stars Challenge (TNT, 9 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops include Ohio at Buffalo (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Dayton at Rhode Island (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), UCLA at Arizona (ESPN, 9 p.m.) and Monmouth at Rider (ESPNU, 9 p.m.),
Daytime Talk
The View: Diane Sawyer, Chris Harrison. The Talk: Seth MacFarlane, Anders Holm. Ellen DeGeneres: President Barack Obama, DNCE. Wendy Williams: Billy Bush, Kit Hoover, Melissa Garcia. Meredith Vieira: Hoda Kotb, Belly Dec.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Patricia Heaton, Quincy Jones, DeRay McKesson, Grace (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: George Clooney, Dave Salmoni (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Ray Romano, Lucy Hale, Brandi Carlile (rerun). Seth Meyers: Dakota Johnson, Brian D’Arcy james, Carly Rae Jepsen, Janet Weiss (rerun). James Corden: Sarah Hyland, Jack McBrayer, Rami Malek (rerun). Carson Daly: Alessandra Ambrosio, Drenge, Brittany Ashley. Tavis Smiley: Ben Ratliff, Stanley Nelson.