‘Being Serena’ off the tennis court
Are sports stars interesting outside of the arena? The five-part documentary series “Being Serena” (10 p.m., HBO, TV-PG) follows one of the most dominant athletes of her generation. It begins tonight with her sudden discovery that she had become pregnant, her decision to play through the Australian Open and win her 23rd Grand Slam event, and her efforts to balance life as an expectant mother with the demands of training as an elite athlete.
Along the way, we hear from her longtime agents and fiance, watch her with her trainers and doctors and listen as the tennis star shares her private side.
A thoughtful woman who has conducted press conferences in fluent French, Serena Williams is spectacularly composed and focused, admirable and even inspirational. But if you expect “Being Serena” to be as exciting as her work on the court, you are in for a disappointment.
MIDWEEK PARANOIA
If it’s Wednesday, it must be paranoid. “The Americans” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) ticks down toward the end of the Cold War and its series finale. New episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” begin streaming on Hulu.
“Colony” (10 p.m., USA, TV-14) returns for a third dystopian season, set in a world after an alien invasion. As the season begins, intrepid resistance fighters Will (Josh Holloway) and Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies) have escaped the prison state of Los Angeles and are living in the woods along with their kids and their former collaborator, Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson).
As both an alien-placating weasel and now as an ever-complaining hanger-on, his character often offers a bit of cynical comic relief.
It’s nice to see the gang out in nature. As we learned on “Lost,” if you’re going to keep things baffling, you might as well provide some nice scenery.
NATURE’S HARRY POTTERS
“Nature” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG) explores the inventive means animals employ to survive. Not unlike Harry Potter, puff adders use an “invisibility cloak” to hide from prey.
VEHICLE HISTORIES
Ever wondered, “What’s my car worth?” “Sticker Shock” (10 p.m., Discovery, TV-14) features a scrum of experts on car maintenance and history who explore the provenance of exceptional vehicles.
‘KARATE KID’ FOLLOW-UP
For those remotely curious, the subscription YouTube Red service offers “Cobra Kai,” a follow-up to “The Karate Kid,” starring Ralph Macchio, more than 30 years removed from the original.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Eddie (Forest Whitaker) fights for control on “Empire” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› The mayoral race between Fred (Luke Perry) and Hermione (Marisol Nichols) heats up on “Riverdale” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).
› “Nova Wonders” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG) ponders the trillions of microbes that live in our bodies.
› A patient and selfstyled psychic has happy visions on “Code Black” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› Halstead and Atwater worry that arms of war may flood the streets on “Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
› Still dogged by Ethan (Michael J. Fox), Kirkman negotiates a hostage’s release on “Designated Survivor” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› Deception is the name of the game on “Survivor” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
› A mystery woman resurfaces on “The Blacklist” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
› Between the lines on “The Goldbergs” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).