What to Watch on Wednesday: Sweet and funny ‘Wonder Years’ reboot premieres
Muhammad Ali (8 p.m., PBS NC) - Tonight we get the finale of a four-part Ken Burns documentary following the life of one of the most consequential men of the 20th century — three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who captivated billions with his combination of speed, agility and power in the ring, as well as his charm, wit and outspokenness outside of it.
The Wonder Years (8:30 p.m., ABC) - This new series — sweet, funny and socially relevant — is the much anticipated reboot of the beloved Fred Savage “Wonder Years” from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s (and set in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s), but this time with a Black family at the center of the story. The show, set in Montgomery, Alabama, in the late 1960s, focuses on 12-year-old Dean (Elisha “EJ” Williams), the youngest child in the Williams family, trying to figure out where he fits in: his brother is athletic (and serving in Vietnam), his sister (Laura Kariuki) is popular, his mom (Saycon Sengbloh) is smart and his dad (Dule Hill) is cool. Dean decides to be “The Great Uniter,” and starts by trying to organize the first integrated baseball game between his team and his friend Brad’s (Julian Lerner) team. And of course, Dean has to have a crush, and that will be Keisa, played by Milan Ray. Don Cheadle narrates the story as older Dean.
Alter Ego (9 p.m., Fox) - This new series is another singing competition show, and another one with a twist: this one uses avatars instead of images of real people (and instead of masked/costumed people — Fox has already done that one!). Singers “from all walks of life become the stars they’ve always wanted to be” when they perform as they’ve always wanted to be seen, reinventing themselves to present their true personalities through motion capture technology. The judges are singer Alanis Morissette, singer Nick Lachey (you can watch his wife on the new “NCIS: Hawaii”), singer and visual artist Grimes, and singer/actor will.i.am. The host is Rocsi Diaz.
Old favorites returning for new seasons
All of the Chicago shows are back tonight — “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD.” They start at 8 p.m. on NBC.
The Goldbergs (8 p.m., ABC) - In the Season 9 premiere, the family pays tribute to Pops, who was played by the late George Segal, venturing down memory lane by visiting Pops’ favorite stomping grounds. Adam films the outing, giving it a “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” theme. Segal died on March 23, 2021.
Survivor (8 p.m., CBS) - Season 41 starts with 18 new castaways beginning their battle for $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor.
The Masked Singer (8 p.m., Fox) - Season 6 starts with debut performances from the characters in Group A, ending with a shocking double elimination.
The Conners (9 p.m., ABC) - Season 4 launches with a special live episode. In the episode, the Conners continue to deal with the pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.
Home Economics (9:30 p.m., ABC) - Connor invites the Hayworth clan to a San Francisco 49ers game as he tries to close his latest business deal in the Season 2 premiere.
A Million Little Things (10 p.m., ABC) - In the Season 4 premiere, Gary struggles in the aftermath of his encounter with Peter, and Regina and Rome put on a united front following the closure of Someday and the deportation of Tyrell’s mother.
Some programming descriptions are provided by networks.
