Stars align for Hurricane Harvey relief benefit
The fundraising special “Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief” (8 p.m., ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CMT) will feature appearances by entertainers Beyonce, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Barbra Streisand, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and others. As of this writing, the benefit has been expanded to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Irma as well.
POWER OF PRINT
Most historic anniversaries noted on television are of the pop-cultural variety. “Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG) commemorates a more profound historical event, the 500th anniversary of the “95 Theses” of 1517, one of the most consequential manifestos ever written.
Other clerics, thinkers and theologians had questioned the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church before Martin Luther. He was aided by the emergence of the printing press.
As this re-enactment-heavy feature makes clear, Luther’s theses, challenging the sale of indulgences and other practices, had been reprinted and distributed without Luther’s permission or knowledge. Savvy printers were eager for “content,” and they knew that Luther’s controversial material would sell. “Idea” does a good job of exploring the relationship of Luther’s beliefs and the revolutionary power of print. In many ways, Luther was the first great thinker to see his ideas go “viral.”
NFL’S STRIKE SEASON
The “30 for 30” (8 p.m., ESPN) documentary “Year of the Scab” recalls 1987, the year NFL players went out on strike two weeks into the season. “Scab” explores the choices of the players who crossed the picket line. Eager for their big break, they were shunned as strike-breakers and resented by the returning players they had hoped to join.
FEDS AFTER ABACUS
“Frontline” (10 p.m., PBS) presents the documentary “Abacus: Small Enough To Jail,” profiling the owners of Abacus Federal Savings in New York’s Chinatown, the only U.S. bank to be prosecuted as a result of the 2008 financial crisis.
‘MINDY’S’ LAST STAND
Now streaming on Hulu, “The Mindy Project” enters its sixth and final season. Originally broadcast on Fox, “Mindy” stars Mindy Kaling (“The Office”), who also appears tonight on CBS’s “The Late Late Show With James Corden.”
Unlike Netflix and Amazon, which offer whole seasons at a time, new episodes of “Mindy” will stream on Hulu every Tuesday.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Semifinals unfold on “America’s Got Talent” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› An emotionally scarred fleet commander must share duties with his ex-wife on the pilot episode of “The Orville” (9 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-14).
› The three-night, six-hour limited series “Top of the Lake: China Girl” (9 p.m., Sundance, TV-MA), starring Elisabeth Moss and Nicole Kidman and directed by Jane Campion, concludes.
› A double-cross has deadly consequences on “Somewhere Between” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› Ted Kaczynski’s defense strategy unravels on the season finale of “Manhunt: Unabomber” (10 p.m., Discovery, TV-14).
› Tracy Brand arrives on “The Flash” (8 p.m., CW, repeat, TV-PG).
› A petty officer expires on “NCIS” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
› On two episodes of “blackish” (ABC, repeat), Bow’s biracial background (9 p.m., TV-PG), Dre’s sister (9:30 p.m., TV-14).
› The spear of destiny on “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (9 p.m., CW, repeat, TV-14).
› Privacy in the computer cloud on “Bull” (10 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).