CBS, 7:00 p.m. ET
Last Sunday, the day after Mike Wallace died, Morley Safer opened that evening’s 60 Minutes by noting the passing of his longstanding friend and colleague, and promising a full tribute the following week. Tonight, Safer and 60 Minutes make good on that promise, with the entire program devoted to the man who was there at the beginning of this invaluable TV newsmagazine when it launched in 1968, and who, more than anyone else, was responsible for its mainstream, Top 10 success. This hour is not to be missed; Wallace, in terms of TV history, will be. In both cases, though, attention must be paid.
Discovery, 8:00 p.m. ET
The Making Of episode, one of my favorite hours of this excellent series, is repeated tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Then, at 8, comes a new installment: Life in the Freezer, including stunning looks far beneath the northern ice shelf, and even way, way above it: to the aurora borealis. And if these northern lights, shown in sped-up time-lapse photography, don’t amaze you, you just may be incapable of amazement.
PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET
(Check Local Listings) With this new two-hour dramatic adaptation for television, Gwyneth Hughes becomes the latest writer to tackle the unfinished business of Charles Dickens’ last novel, incomplete at the time of his death. Matthew Rhys stars as John Jasper, the uncle of young Edwin (Freddie Fox), who’s long been in love with his young fiancé, Rosa (Tamzin Merchant). It’s actually a love triangle of sorts, with the uncle having dark designs on Rosa – a passion of which Edwin is, at first, utterly oblivious. If you find yourself drifting off near the end of Edwin Drood, and don’t finish it, don’t feel too bad. Neither did Dickens.
AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET
Last week, Joan (Christina Hendricks) threw her husband out. This week, she returns to work, sliding back in to her old place at the executive conference table to run meetings with an efficiency as crisp as her wardrobe. “Any new business?” You bet. Welcome back, Joan.
HBO, 10:30 p.m. ET
SERIES PREMIERE: This may be the most heavily promoted series in years, and one of the best-reviewed as well – though some of the reactions are diametrically opposed. Here at TVWW, though, we appear to be in general agreement. We like Lena Dunham’s new series -- a lot. Poke around the site for interviews, reviews, and links to my Fresh Air with Terry Gross radio coverage. Then, by all means, watch Girls.