‘Legends’ returns, ‘Supergirl’ vacations
The CW shuffles its comic-book collection, replacing “Supergirl” on the schedule with “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (8 p.m., TV-14) for the next nine weeks. Look for “Supergirl” to return mid-April for the completion of its third season.
Tonight’s resumption of the third season of “Legends” includes a visit from John Constantine (Matt Ryan). Those who follow such things may recall that Ryan starred in “Constantine” on NBC some years back. Shows may get canceled, but superheroes are forever.
Now that “Valor” has been most likely canceled, the CW has 10 scripted series on its rotating schedule. Of those, six are based on comic books; “Supernatural” is a horror/fantasy series based on urban legends and fairy tales, “Dynasty” is a reboot of Aaron Spelling’s primetime soap opera, and “Jane the Virgin” is a spoof of telenovela conventions.
For “realism,” CW fans have to watch “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a musical based on a deeply depressed young woman’s delusions!
SUPERCHARGED DISEASE
Long-buried secrets with deadly consequences loom large in the 2017 documentary “Atomic Homefront” (8 p.m., HBO, TV-14). During the development of the Manhattan Project — the secret, hasty effort to create America’s first atomic bomb — the federal government decided to process uranium in a plant located in downtown St. Louis.
Over the decades, residue from that operation was moved to a variety of landfills subject to leakage and flooding. Residents of otherwise leafy suburban neighborhoods have seen terrifying rates of cancer and other diseases. “Homefront” focuses on mothers who became activists after their children died from illnesses related to the nuclear waste.
DOG DAYS
The 2018 Westminster Dog Show (8 p.m., FS1) presents its first group competitions, including the hound, toy, non-sporting and herding breeds. May the best pug win!
MILITARIZED COPS
“POV” presents the documentary “Do Not Resist” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14), exploring the increasingly militarized tactics of local police forces. The United States government provided surplus military hardware worth billions of dollars to police forces after the 9/11 terror attacks. The film contends that some of this equipment, including surveillance technology, has become part of day-today operations, like serving warrants.
Concerns about this trend cross the usual cultural and political lines. The current miniseries “Waco,” seen Wednesday nights on the Paramount Network, features an FBI negotiator (played by Michael Shannon) who worries that the use of armored vehicles, automatic weapons and snipers has corrupted his mission. And that series is set in the early 1990s.
More recently, the reaction to protests in Ferguson, Missouri, caused many to worry about armies of police confronting demonstrators. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul insisted that equipment made available to counter potential terror attacks was “not supposed to be used for riot suppression.”
One has to wonder how television depictions of police work on shows like “S.W.A.T.” has contributed to this trend.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Denzel Washington received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the activist, author and civil-rights leader in the 1992 biopic “Malcolm X” (7 p.m., Sundance), directed by Spike Lee.
› Coverage of Winter Olympics events include alpine skiing, snowboarding and speed skating (8 p.m., NBC), as well as curling and hockey (8 p.m., NBCSN).
› A reporter wears the cuckold’s horns on “Lucifer” (8 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-14).
› New Orleans hosts “Antiques Roadshow” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-G).
› Roosevelt receives the wrong kind of publicity on “The Alienist” (9 p.m., TNT, TV-MA).
› A trip to Tuscany on “The Bachelor” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› “Big Brother: Celebrity Edition” (8 p.m., CBS).
› Improvisation matters on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (9 and 9:30 p.m., CW, repeat).