TV best bets with ‘Young Rock,’ Woody Allen doc, Kevin James, Kenan Thompson sitcom, ‘The Black Church’

Will Smith narrates a Netflix series about the 14th Amendment.
YOUNG ROCK, "Working The Gimmick." Pictured: Uli Latukefu as Dwayne -- (Photo by Mark Taylor)

Credit: Mark Taylor/NBC

Credit: Mark Taylor/NBC

YOUNG ROCK, "Working The Gimmick." Pictured: Uli Latukefu as Dwayne -- (Photo by Mark Taylor)

This week’s new programming features poignant subject matter intermixed with light-hearted comedy.

On the heavier side, HBO explores some of the more controversial personal aspects of Woody Allen’s life in “Allen vs. Farrow” debuting Sunday, Feb. 21.

Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. on PBS will explore the impact of “The Black Church” on Feb. 16 and 17.

Will Smith on Wednesday, Feb. 17 will narrate a Netflix series “Amend: The Fight For America” focused on the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African-Americans and enslaved people who had been emancipated after the American Civil War.

And a potential Academy Award best picture hits theaters and Hulu Friday starring Frances McDormand called “Nomadland.”

On the lighter side, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has multiple actors play younger versions of him in a new NBC series Tuesday called “Young Rock.” Atlanta native and “SNL” veteran Kenan Thompson will follow with his first prime-time sitcom on NBC called “Kenan.”

Also on Netflix, Kevin James (”King of Queens”) will debut Monday, Feb. 15 with a NASCAR comedy called “The Crew,” in which he plays a crew member dealing with a new boss.

This covers Monday, Feb. 15 through Sunday, Feb. 21.

MONDAY

“The Crew” 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — The crew chief in a NASCAR garage finds himself at odds with the tech-reliant millennials brought in to modernize the team. Starring Kevin James.

“9-1-1″ 8 p.m. Fox — The 118 race to save the lives of workers trapped in a five-alarm factory fire.

“The Bachelor” 8 p.m. ABC — With hometowns on the horizon, Matt and the remaining women all take a serious look at their potential future together, resulting in more than a few difficult decisions.

“30 Coins” 9 p.m. HBO (first season finale) — Vergara, Paco and Elena confront biblical demons while the Cainites seize the village.

“Snowpiercer” 9 p.m. TNT — As the Big Alice crew are granted shore leave on Snowpiercer, Layton and Wilford have differing opinions on the future.

“Black Lightning” 9 p.m. the CW — The war between the 100 and the Kobra Cartel rages on.

“The Good Doctor” 10 p.m. ABC — Lim is challenged by the unique circumstances surrounding a pregnant patient with an aggressive tumor.

TUESDAY

“Young Rock” 8 p.m. NBC (new series) — This show will explore the crazy roller coaster that has shaped Dwayne Johnson into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he’s met along the way.

“The Resident” 8 p.m. Fox — As Nic struggles with her recovery, her close friend and former Chastain colleague, Billie, comes back to the hospital to support her.

“Kenan” 8:31 p.m. NBC (new series) — Atlanta native and “Saturday Night Live” vet Kenan Thompson plays a busy, single parent who is in denial about his dead spouse.

“The Black Church” 9 p.m. GPB (new series) — Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the roots of African American religion, beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the extraordinary ways enslaved Africans preserved and adapted faith.

“Each and Every Day” 9 pm. MTV — Explores the impetuousness of young people’s suicide attempts and advocates waiting before acting.

“Black-ish” 9 p.m. ABC — Dre is still hesitant about recreational use after catching Junior and Oliva smoking weed together.

“This is Us” 9 p.m. NBC — The Pearsons navigate huge family milestones together, from a distance.

“Prodigal Son” 9:01 p.m. Fox — The team investigates the murder of an architect who was tasked with renovating a supposedly haunted hotel.

“Big Sky” 10 p.m. ABC — While knocking on doors and searching for clues, Cassie unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Ronald, which puts her in danger and triggers her memory from the pair’s prior meeting.

“Temptation Island” 10 p.m. USA (sixth season debut) — Temptation Island welcomes four new couples. Let the fun, drama and partying begin.

“The Oval” 10:30 p.m. BET (second season debut) — Laura’s grisly discovery scares her almost to death. Maude gives Gayle a reality check on how things will progress going forward.

WEDNESDAY

“Amend: The Fight For America” 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — Will Smith hosts this look at the evolving, often lethal, fight for equal rights in America through the lens of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

“Behind Her Eyes” 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — A single mom becomes entangled in a twisted mind game when she begins an affair with her psychiatrist boss while bonding with his mysterious wife.

“Chicago Med” 8 p.m. NBC — Will runs into trouble when one of his trial patients falls ill. His own stress and symptoms have Ethan struggling to get through the day.

“The Masked Dancer” 8 p.m. Fox (first season finale) — The final three are the Tulip, the Cotton Candy and the Sloth.

“The Black Church” 9 p.m. GPB (part two of two) — The second two hours cover the post-Civil War era.

“Chicago Fire” 9 p.m. NBC — A fire at a homeless encampment leaves Severide and Casey searching for answers.

“Seal Team” 9 p.m. CBS — As Bravo continues grappling with major changes, the team spins up on a mission in Ecuador.

“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” 9 p.m. Bravo (11th season debut) — Dolores and David struggle to overcome a fight about her plastic surgery, and Jennifer is stuck in the middle of her parents’ marital issues.

“S.W.A.T.” 10 p.m. CBS — A tragic mission leads each member of the SWAT team to confront their emotional distress in varied ways.

“Resident Alien” 10 p.m. SciFi — Harry travels to the Ute Reservation to help Asta’s grandmother and learns what it means to belong.

THURSDAY

“Good Eats Reloaded” 3:01 a.m. Discovery+ (third season debut) — Alton Brown is back.

“It’s a Sin” 12:01 a.m. HBO Max (new series) — It’s 1981, and a gang of friends move in together, in the heart of London. As the decade unfolds, we follow their hopes and dreams, highs and lows, all coming out and coming of age. But a terrible new virus is on the rise, and they’ll need each other more than ever as the fight begins.

“Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” 8 p.m. ABC — Contestants are Jennie Garth (playing for Central Illinois Food Bank), Karamo Brown (playing for Hollywood Food Coalition) and Patton Oswalt (playing for WC Kitchen).

“Hell’s Kitchen” 8 p.m. Fox — The teams compete in a challenge to see who can identify the proteins in three Surf & Turf dishes the fastest.

“Your Attention Please: The Concert” 8 p.m. Hulu — Host by Craig Robinson, the musical event will feature performances by five groundbreaking artists: 24kGoldn, Joy Oladokun, Kiana Ledé, Lil Yachty and Swae.

“Mr. Mayor” 8 p.m. NBC — Neil tries to convince Orly that a casual fling is more serious than it is.

“Walker” 8 p.m. CW — When his past unexpectedly collides with his present life, Walker is forced to resume his undercover identity to keep his family safe.

“Young Sheldon” 8 p.m. CBS — Meemaw takes matters into her own hands when Sheldon’s philosophy teacher, Professor Ericson, sends him into a tailspin.

“Law & Order: SVU” 9 p.m. NBC — Benson teams up with Lt. Barek and the Bronx SVU to track down a serial rapist with victims in both boroughs.

“Mom” 9:01 a.m. CBS — When Bonnie can’t decide what to do with the spare bedroom, bigger issues are uncovered.

“Last Man Standing” 9:30 p.m. Fox — When Ed pits Mike and Joe against each other to find the next classic car for renovation, Chuck teaches them a valuable lesson.

“The Widower” 10 p.m. NBC (new series) — “The Widower” goes behind the scenes of one of the country’s most confounding murder investigations, revealing a tale of evil and a tireless quest for justice in real-time.

FRIDAY

“Nomadland” 12:01 a.m. Hulu — Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.

“For All Mankind” 12:01 a.m. AppleTV+ (second season debut) — The season will be set in 1983, about 10 years after the first season and in the midst of the Cold War.

“Tell Me Your Secrets” 12:01 a.m. Amazon Prime (new series) — Three characters, each with their own troubling backstory, are pushed to the edge as the truth about their pasts and motives becomes murkier.

“I Care A Lot” 3:01 a.m. Netflix — A shady legal guardian lands in hot water when she tries to bilk a woman who has ties to a powerful gangster.

“The Blacklist” 8 p.m. NBC — The Task Force must race to stop simultaneous danger presented by two blacklisters. Cooper approaches a congressman for intel.

“His Killer Fan” 8 p.m. LMN — A female-led, music-centric thriller that puts the audience front-row center in a tortuous tale of friendship, obsession and fanaticism. This is the first scripted film by Atlanta-based Crazy Legs Productions.

“MacGyver” 8 p.m. CBS — When Mac and the team are unable to prevent Department of Defense intel from falling into Codex’s hands, Mac must scale a vertical cliff using only gear he can cobble together himself.

“Shark Tank” 8 p.m. ABC — An entrepreneur from San Luis Obispo, California, tries to solve an age-old problem for women: wearing high heels that are sexy and comfortable.

“Magnum P.I.” 9 p.m. CBS — When Higgins is abducted, Magnum discovers it’s retaliation related to one of his first cases on the Island, and he, Rick and TC must break out an ex-client from prison in order to save him.

“Patrice O’Neal: Killing is Easy” 10 p.m. Comedy Central — A tribute to comedian Patrice O’Neal (1969-2011) featuring recollections by family and friends, including Bill Burr, Colin Quinn, Kevin Hart, Jim Norton and more.

WEEKEND

“Saturday Night Live” 11:29 p.m. Saturday NBC - Regé-Jean Page of “Bridgerton” fame hosts. Bad Bunny sings.

“The Walking Dead” AMC+ (10th season winter debut) — The communities thought they could build a better future separately, but the recent loss of one of their own drives them to band together. New leaders rise when a disturbing and dangerous threat is unmasked, and an escaped captive revisits his past. (The episode is being released one week early for AMC+ subscribers.)

“American Idol” 8 p.m. Sunday ABC — More auditions.

“Boiling Point” 8 p.m. Sunday BET (new series) — This series will explore dramatic flashpoints in American history — George Wallace’s Stand in the schoolhouse door, Bloody Sunday in Selma, the Attica Prison uprising, L.A. riots, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the killing of George Floyd.

“The Vaccine: Conquering COVID” 8 p.m Sunday Discovery — An overview of how scientists found a vaccine so quickly.

“Allen vs. Farrow” 9 p.m. Sunday HBO (new series) — A four-part doc explores: the sexual abuse allegations against Allen from his daughter, Dylan; Allen and Farrow’s custody trial; and Allen’s subsequent romantic relationship with Farrow’s adoptive daughter, Soon-Yi Previn.

“When Calls the Heart” 9 p.m. Sunday Hallmark (8th season debut) — Elizabeth tries to come to terms with how she feels about Nathan and Lucas.

“NCIS: Los Angeles” 9 p.m. Sunday CBS — Callen goes to the National Counterterrorism Center on the pretext of interrogating a Russian asset from the crashed plane case he investigated months earlier.

“Modern Marvels” 10 p.m. Sunday History (18th season debut) — Adam Richman takes over as the new host.

“Lincoln: Divided We Stand” 10 p.m. Sunday CNN While the issue of the expansion of slavery is tearing the country apart, Lincoln reveals how poignant oration, political savvy and moral conviction can help a lawyer from Illinois ascend.

“The Rookie” 10 p.m. ABC — Officer Nolan’s decision to return to school in order to become a training officer is proving to be much harder than he expected.