TONIGHT'S BEST
2021 Daytona 500 12:30 p.m. on 56
There is nothing like the aroma of race-car exhaust in the balmy Florida air, which is what fans at Daytona International Speedway might be thinking as the 40-car field gets the NASCAR Cup’s season underway with today’s Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin will be going for this third straight win in this race, which would make him the only driver in Cup history to do so. Opposing him on the 2.5-mile tri-oval will be past race winners Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, among others.
The Great North 5:30 p.m. on (CITYTV); 7:30 p.m. on #+; 9:30 p.m. on 6
After a January sneak preview, this sitcom from Loren Bouchard, the Emmy-winning producer of “Bob’s Burgers,” makes its official series debut. The comedy follows the adventures of the Tobin family, an Alaska clan headed by patriarch and single dad Beef Tobin (voice of Nick Offerman), who struggles to keep his weird assortment of kids close by his side, especially after only daughter Judy (voice of Jenny Slate) responds to the siren song of a local mall. Others in the voice cast include Megan Mullally, Will Forte and Dulcé Sloan.
American Idol 6 p.m. on (84) (CITYTV); 9 p.m. on #&+
After last season’s competition was forced to “go remote” because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Season 19 of this music competition (its fourth on ABC) resumes live coverage, with judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Ryan Seacrest also returns as host, as does in-house mentor Bobby Bones. Producers began virtual auditions for prospective contestants last August via custom-built Zoom technology. Candidates who made it past that stage performed for the socially distanced judges in a limited number of audition cities.