TV best bets for the week of March 24
Sunday, March 24
“Action”
Showtime, 8 p.m.
New series
Peeling back the curtain on a once-taboo industry, this four-part series chronicles the lives of professional gamblers, bookies and oddsmakers throughout the 2018 NFL season following the Supreme Court decision to lift a ban on sports betting. The series offers intimate access to a diverse group of individuals within the sports gaming community, looking at the effects of the legislation from their perspectives, and culminates with one of the biggest gambling days of the year, Super Bowl Sunday.
“Into the Badlands”
AMC, 10 p.m.
Season premiere
AMC’s martial arts drama begins its eight-episode final season. As the last episodes unfold, long-buried secrets will be revealed, new alliances will be forged, and the saga will climax in an epic battle to end all battles.
“Mission Declassified”
Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
New series
Award-winning investigative reporter Christof Putzel explores history’s most legendary and notorious mysteries. By decoding recently declassified documents, Putzel discovers new, or simply missed, clues and connections that could finally unlock decadeslong mysteries surrounding legendary cold cases. The series premiere finds Putzel examining the case of three prisoners who escaped the notorious Alcatraz prison in 1962 and were presumed to have died. But did they?
Monday, March 25
“Jesus: His Life”
History, 8 p.m.
New series
This eight-part series uses a combination of scripted drama and interviews with prominent religious and historical experts to retell the life of Jesus Christ, from his birth to his death and resurrection. Each episode is told through the perspective of a key figure in Jesus’ life: Joseph, John the Baptist, Mary, Caiaphas, Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate, Mary Magdalene and Peter. Two episodes will air weekly over the four weeks leading up to Easter Sunday.
“One Nation Under Stress”
HBO, 9 p.m.
Filmmaker Marc Levin (Class Divide, Brick City) follows Dr. Sanjay Gupta as he tries to uncover the root causes of why American life expectancy is falling and is now shorter than that of comparable developed countries. His investigation uncovers an epidemic of self-inflicted deaths driven by stress.
“Women, War & Peace”
PBS, 9 p.m.
Season premiere
Exploring how some of the biggest international stories of recent memory have been shaped by women, this series returns for two nights with four never-before-told stories about women who risked their lives for peace, changing history in the process. Monday’s first episode introduces Catholic and Protestant women who came together during Northern Ireland’s bloody civil war and shaped the historic Good Friday Agreement peace deal. Then, follow three Egyptian women during Egypt’s Arab Spring.
Tuesday, March 26
“MasterChef Junior”
Fox, 8 p.m.
The remaining home cooks are challenged to debone an entire fish before turning it into a dish that’ll impress judges Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi and Aaron Sanchez.
“Temptation Island”
USA Network, 10 p.m.
Season finale
Find out which couples made it through all the temptations over the course of the rebooted reality series’ first season.
“Miracle Workers”
TBS, 10:30 p.m.
Season finale
As the comedy wraps up its first season, Craig (Daniel Radcliffe) risks it all in a desperate attempt to save Earth and all of mankind.
Wednesday, March 27
“Million Dollar Mile”
CBS, 9 p.m.
New series
In this unprecedented competition series, contestants will have the chance to win $1 million every time they run the Million Dollar Mile. Standing in their way is the most challenging obstacle course ever designed and a group of elite athletes with one mission: to stop the contestants from winning the money at all costs. The 10-episode series is hosted by former college and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and sportscasters Matt “Money” Smith and Maria Taylor.
“What We Do in the Shadows”
FX, 10 p.m.
New series
This series spinoff of the 2014 cult-hit comedy film “What We Do in the Shadows” centers on four centuries-old vampires who live together in a house in Staten Island and have their nightly lives filmed by a documentary crew. The undead denizens try to maintain their lifestyles and satisfy their bloodthirst while adjusting to the modern world. Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen and Mark Proksch star.
“Happy!”
Syfy, 10 p.m.
Season premiere
Former detective Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni) and his imaginary friend Happy (voice of Patton Oswalt) are back as the adaptation of the graphic novel returns. Nick and Happy endured a chaotic Christmas last time, and Season 2’s Easter setting promises to bring pandemonium to a whole other level. As a newly sober-ish Nick struggles to do right by his ex-wife and daughter, he finds his fresh start tested by a familiar enemy — Sonny Shine, who is on a mission to Make Easter Great Again (MEGA) with the help of his demented Easter Bunny henchmen.
Thursday, March 28
Major league baseball
ESPN, beginning at 1 p.m.
Baseball season opens today, and ESPN airs a tripleheader featuring the Baltimore Orioles at the N.Y. Yankees, the Arizona Diamondbacks at the defending NL champion L.A. Dodgers and the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox at the Seattle Mariners.
“Abby’s”
NBC, 9:30 p.m.
New series
Stop in at the “best bar in San Diego” and you’ll find Abby (Natalie Morales), who runs this unlicensed neighborhood hangout in her backyard, along with a colorful cast of oddballs who call the place home. Just be prepared to follow some rules. Neil Flynn (“The Middle,” “Scrubs”) also stars in this comedy from Michael Schur (“The Good Place,” “Parks and Recreation”) and Josh Malmuth (“Superstore,” “New Girl”).
“Tacoma FD”
truTV, 10:30 p.m.
New series
On the heels of the breakout theatrical release of “Super Troopers 2,” co-creators and stars Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme will be donning new uniforms in this 10-episode comedy, which is set in a firehouse in one of America’s rainiest cities. This firehouse stays entertained with creative competitions, friendly first responder rivalries and bizarre emergency calls. Leading the firehouse shenanigans are Chief Terry McConky (Heffernan) and Capt. Eddie Penisi (Lemme), alongside an eclectic crew played by series regulars Hassie Harrison (“Southbound”), Eugene Cordero (“Black Monday,” “The Good Place”), Marcus Henderson (“Get Out”) and Gabriel Hogan (“Heartland”).
Friday, March 29
“The Highwaymen”
Netflix
Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson star in John Lee Hancock’s (“The Blind Side”) drama that follows the untold true story of the legendary detectives who brought down notorious outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
“Osmosis”
Netflix
New series
Set in near-future Paris, this sci-fi series is about an app that matches singles with their soulmates by mining their brain data. But decoding true love comes at a price.
“The Blacklist”
NBC, 8 p.m.
In the first of two back-to-back episodes, Red (James Spader) and the task force hunt for legendary fugitive Robert Vesco (guest star Stacy Keach), one of history’s most notorious con men. In the following episode, Red directs Liz (Megan Boone) to investigate a secret organization of assassins hired by global intelligence agencies to eliminate former agents — a case with ramifications that will change the task force forever.
Saturday, March 30
“A Brush With Love”
Hallmark Channel, 8 p.m.
Discouraged artist Jamie is convinced by her best friend to paint a portrait of the “perfect man,” and when it is finished, they discover that it resembles a real-life Prince Charming named Michael. Jamie and Michael embark on a whirlwind romance, but when Jamie starts spending time with her friend’s blue-collar brother, she finds herself torn between the man who’s perfect on paper, and someone who’s perfectly imperfect.
“Tigerland”
Discovery Channel, 9 p.m.
Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this year in the prestigious U.S. Documentary Competition, this film makes its television debut. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ross Kauffman (Born Into Brothels) and produced by Oscar winner Fisher Stevens (“The Cove”), “Tigerland” follows Russian scientist Pavel Fomenko and the conservationist family of Kailash Sankhala of India in their efforts to lead tiger-preservation movements that strive to keep this legendary but endangered big cat from disappearing entirely.
“Animal ER Live”
Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.
New series
This four-week event series, airing live on Saturday and Sunday nights, follows animal emergencies in real time as they occur at animal hospitals and mobile vet emergency units across the country. The series is anchored by veterinary experts in a studio in New York City and embeds camera crews across the country with teams of specialized veterinarians as they work to save the lives of pets.
