A Fiery ‘9-1-1,’ ‘Good Doctor’ Homecoming and ‘Idol’ Reunion, Italian Mystery in ‘Signora Volpe,’ All in the ‘NCIS’ Family

A 9-1-1 emergency gets personal when the dispatcher call center goes up in flames. A familiar face returns to The Good Doctor as soon-to-wed Shaun and Lea become subjects of a documentary. Former American Idol favorites return for a 20th-anniversary celebration. A spy turns sleuth in Italy in Acorn’s Signora Volpe. Original NCIS star Sean Murray welcomes his daughter to the show in a guest role as a wayward teen.

FOX

9-1-1

This time it’s personal. The 118 comes to the rescue when the dispatch call center they know so well catches fire, and Bobby (Peter Krause) risks his own neck to save wife Athena’s (Angela Bassett) daughter May (Corinne Massiah) and her co-worker Claudette (Vanessa E. Williams). For the first time, Chimney (Kenneth Choi) works alongside his brother Albert (John Harlan Kim) as firefighters, and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) springs back into action with Buck (Oliver Stark) to help an electrician in peril.

Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne on The Good Doctor
ABC/Art Streiber

The Good Doctor

Antonia Thomas, whose warmth as Dr. Claire Browne has been missed, returns for the first of two guest appearances, just in time for the impending nuptials of Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) and Lea (Paige Spara). Their unusual relationship has caught the attention of a documentary filmmaker, who’s following them with a camera to record their every move, because that won’t be awkward at all.

ABC

American Idol

Special

The singing competition presses pause to mark the once-upon-a-time pop phenomenon’s 20th anniversary, reuniting some of the show’s earlier stars to recapture those glory days in an hourlong concert. Among the pairings: Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard and Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, Season 7 victor David Cook and his Season 8 successor, Kris Allen, and Season 10’s all-country Final 2, Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina.

Emilia Fox and Tara Fitzgerald in Signora Volpe - Season 1, Episode 1
Moris Puccio/AcornTV

Signora Volpe

Series Premiere

Umbria, the “green heart” of Italy, is the glorious setting for a new series of three feature-length mysteries starring Emilia Fox (Silent Witness) as international spy Sylvia Fox—or “Volpe,” because as a handsome local police captain reminds her, “Everything sounds better in Italian.” Sylvia arrives in Umbria to visit family after clashing with her colleagues at MI6, and before long, the spook becomes a snoop when her niece’s dashing but mysterious fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Naturally, Sylvia is a whiz at following clues—it helps when your toothbrush contains a secret flash drive—and she’s not bad at taking down bad guys when the situation demands.

Cay Ryan Murray and Sean Murray on the NCIS set
Sonja Flemming/CBS

NCIS

It’s all in the family when original series star Sean Murray welcomes daughter Cay Ryan Murray onto the show as a guest star. She’s Teagen Fields, one of several partying teens caught breaking into Marine Base Quantico, and while investigating, McGee (Murray) forms a special bond with Teagen. Wonder why?

Better Call Saul - Season 6 - Bob Odenkirk
Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

Better Call Saul

After last week’s harrowing episode, the drama takes a bit of a breather to showcase an elaborate charade by Saul/Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) in their ongoing crusade to ruin Howard’s (Patrick Fabian) reputation. And we get a rare glimpse into Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) life at home.

Inside Monday TV:

  • 9-1-1: Lone Star (9/8c, Fox): Still on his self-improvement tour, Owen (Rob Lowe) leaves Austin for Los Angeles to confront his estranged father (Robert Pine) and work through emotional childhood issues.
  • Celebrity IOU (9/8c, HGTV): Snoop Dogg pays it forward for Commish, the commissioner of his youth football league, helping Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott transform his friend’s detached garage into a luxury retreat. Followed by the premiere of Lil Jon Wants to Do What? (10/9c), in which the Grammy-winning hip-hop star works with builder Anitra Mecadon to renovate homeowners’ less-than-perfect cribs.
  • The Endgame (10/9c, NBC): In the Season 1 finale, an escape plan goes sideways, and Val (Ryan Michelle Bathé) learns a secret about her husband Owen (Kamal Angelo Bolden). The real cliffhanger: Will NBC renew the action thriller for a second season, or could they be left without an endgame to execute?
  • Try Harder! (10/9c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): Independent Lens presents Debbie Lum’s acclaimed documentary that spends a year in the life of high-achieving students in San Francisco’s Lowell High School as they compete for prestigious college admissions.