Let us now praise the Air Force daredevils who were doing their own experiments as NASA was assembling astronauts, like the guy who went up 101,000 feet in a balloon to test the edges of the atmosphere in 1957, the doctor who tried to see how fast he could travel or stop (600 miles, with a 46.2 G force) because he didnt want to kill anybody else. Or the the guy who jumped 102,000 feet above the earth in a parachute in 1960. Their stories of these “Space Men” are told on a fascinating “American Experience” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
Tough to match the drama of Super Tuesday coverage (CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, 7 p.m.; ABC, CBS, NBC, 10 p.m.; PBS, 11 p.m., check local listings) with results from 13 states and a territory, a couple of victory speeches and plenty of concession speeches that sound like victory speeches, and the way these things have been going, probably some off color remarks or a photographer being slugged.
What was once welcomed back to prime time with giddy fanfare, “The Muppets” (ABC, 8 p.m.) may limp back to the puppet shop after tonight’s season finale, a one hour compilation of two episodes at which Miss Piggy breaks a leg and Jack White appears.
Julianna Marguiles, chef Lidia Bastianich and author Azar Nafisi discover their ancestors on “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings.
A strong episode of “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX, 10 p.m.) pits Johnnie Cochran against Christopher Darden in an episode directed by John Ridley.
“NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.) has been renewed for a couple of more years.
Two more hours of “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.) and its blind auditions.
Season seven of “Ink Master” (Spike, 10 p.m.) brings back contestants from past seasons.
Oscar winner Alicia Vikander stars as British pacifist Vera Brittain in last year’s “Testament of Youth” (Starz, 7:45 p.m.).
It’s Day 30 in Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar with the 1995 “Sense and Sensibility” (8 p.m.), “The Remains of the Day” (10:30 p.m.), “A Room with a View” (1 a.m.), “The V.I.P.S” (3 a.m.) and “Citizen Kane” (5 a.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Kentucky at Florida (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Virginia at Clemson (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), DePaul at Villanova (Fox Sports 1, 7 p.m.), Dayton at Richmond (CBS Sports, 7:30 p.m.), Baylor at Oklahoma (ESPN2, 8 p.m.), Indiana at Iowa (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Texas A&M at Auburn (ESPNU, 9 p.m.) and San Diego State at New Mexico (CBS Sports, 9:30 p.m.). Pro basketball has Chicago at Miami (NBA, 7:30 p.m.) and Atlanta at Golden State (NBA, 10:30 p.m.).
In NHL action, it’s Pittsburgh at Washington (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Gerard Butler, Chrissy Teigen. The View: Taraji P. Henson. The Talk: Lucy Hale, Nichelle Turner. Ellen DeGeneres: Kris Jenner. Wendy Williams: Morris Chestnut. The Real: Anthony Hamilton. Meredith Vieira: Katie Lowes, Taron Egerton.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Christina Hendricks, Chrissy Teigen, Adam Savage. Jimmy Kimmel: Will Forte, Ross Marquand, Miike Snow. Jimmy Fallon: Margot Robbie, Michael McKean, Kevin Delaney, Jimmy Greene. Seth Meyers: Jennifer Lopez, Morris Chestnut, Joel Grey, Patrick Carney. James Corden: Freida Pinto, J.J. Redick, Saffron Burrows. Carson Daly: Lucy Fry, Quilt, Thomas Morton. Tavis Smiley: Bishop Robert G. Brown, Steve Mazzie, Lianne La Havas. Trevor Noah: Neal Brennan. Larry Gilmore: Malcolm Gladwell. Conan O’Brien: Bob Odenkirk, Dr. Jennifer Berman, Carmen Lynch.