A Christie Caper, ‘Abbott’ Field Trip Finale, ‘This Is Us’ Hits 100, New Boss on ‘FBI: Most Wanted’

Series Premiere

Agatha Christie’s go-to sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple, are nowhere to be seen in this three-part romp from Christie’s 1934 novel, adapted by writer/director Hugh Laurie with breezy panache. Dopesick’s Will Poulter stars as a village vicar’s aimless son, Bobby Jones, a war veteran who steps into danger after discovering a man who has just fallen from a cliff, uttering his final words “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” With that query and a mysterious photograph among his few clues, Bobby stirs the interest of irreverent socialite Lady Frances (Lucy Boynton), and they set off as amateur sleuths to get to the root of this tangled puzzle. The trail leads to a creepy sanatorium whose sinister director is played by Laurie, one of several notable cameos (Emma Thompson and Jim Broadbent appear briefly as Lady Frances’ distracted parents).

Season Finale

9/8c

Passing with flying colors and an early Season 2 renewal, this terrific workplace sitcom ends its midseason run with the teachers off to the Philadelphia Zoo, escorting their students on a field trip. Naturally, principal Ava (Janelle James), who neglected the paperwork for school district approval, sees the outing as an opportunity to attract single dads, ergo her animal print costume. (“Meow, y’all.”) But for earnest Janine (Quinta Brunson) and veteran teacher Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), the day brings existential challenges questioning their future at Abbott. Never fear, they’re too good to let get away, and we hope they’ll be teaching for years to come.

The emotional family drama reaches a milestone—its 100th episode—with one of its more expansive stories, bridging years as we observe the dissolution of Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby’s (Chris Sullivan) troubled marriage, and the divorce’s painful but ultimately affirming aftermath. Framed by Kate’s second marriage to Philip (a charming Chris Geere), this episode is a reminder that some endings are truly beginnings. Which won’t make the end of this series next month any easier for fans to process.

10/9c

Described as “charming but formidable,” Dylan McDermott pivots from his villainous role on Law & Order: Organized Crime to playing Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott, heroic leader of the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force. He’s filling the shoes of the late, lamented Jess LaCroix (Julian McMahon), and while the team sizes him up, and vice versa, there’s work to be done, including the investigation of a series of murders linked to the forbidden romance of a teenage girl and an older boyfriend.

Inside Tuesday TV:

• Finding Your Roots (8/7c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): Both winners of Emmys for HBO’s Watchmen, Regina King and executive producer Damon Lindelof learn their family histories, discovering they have more in common than they imagined.
• Rise of the Nazis: Dictators at War (9/8c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): The second round of this gripping BBC docuseries (airing weekly through April 26) dives into Hitler’s conflict with the equally ruthless Russian dictator Joseph Stalin. The Nazi leader’s ill-advised sneak attack on the Soviet Union will have devastating consequences for the German regime.
• black-ish (9:30/8:30c, ABC): In the next-to-last episode of the groundbreaking comedy, the generations bond when Pops (Laurence Fishburne), Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Junior (Marcus Scribner) go on a “man trip.” Back home, the twins Diane (Marsai Martin) and Jack (Miles Brown) consider their futures as they think about college.
• The Thing About Pam (10/9c, NBC): The true-crime saga ends with alleged killer Pam Hupp (Renée Zellweger) goes to wild lengths to extricate herself from her web of lies. This calls for the biggest Big Gulp ever.
• CMT Campfire Sessions: Little Big Town (8/7c, CMT): Inspired by the digital series, this special invites the acclaimed country-music foursome to an intimate, fireside setting where they pare down their hits, share new music and swap stories with friends.