‘True Lies,’ ‘Mandalorian’ Returns, 31 Days of Oscar, ‘Survivor’ Begins Again

True Lies

Steve Howey (Shameless) and Ginger Gonzaga are the absurdly gorgeous reincarnations of Harry and Helen Tasker—the super spy and wife who thinks he’s a boring computer salesman—in a series version of the hit 1994 action comedy. In the lavishly produced pilot, Harry whisks Helen to Paris mid-mission to prove he’s not having an affair, and she instantly gets caught up in his intrigues: tied up, dangled from a helicopter (a nod to the original movie) and recruited to join Harry’s team in the covert Omega Sector. If it’s enjoyable escapism you’re after, this is hard to beat. (See the full review.)

The Mandalorian

The adventures of helmeted bounty hunter Din Djarin aka/The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal, who gets to show his face on The Last of Us) continue in a third season of the Star Wars spinoff as he heads to Mandalore with Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) in tow. Battlestar Galactica vet Katee Sackhoff is back as fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze, and as long as allies like Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) and Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) remain in his corner, our money’s on Mando to keep vanquishing his foes.

Survivor

Washing up on the beaches of Fiji, 18 new players are divided into three tribes as the 44th edition of the enduring game of “outwit, outplay, outlast” begins. The first challenge is all about getting basic supplies for camp, with the two losing tribes choosing between a physical or mental challenge to earn what they need. No one ever said being a Survivor would be easy.

Abbott Elementary

Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) are in deep denial that their kiss during the teachers’ conference will have any consequences. But how to do right by their mutual friend, and Janine’s current beau, Maurice (Vince Staples)? Back at school, Jacob (Chris Perfetti) is dismayed by his students’ choice for a mural project, and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) find an unlikely ally in their crusade to keep Abbott from becoming part of a chain charter school.

Not Dead Yet

Nell (Gina Rodriguez) faces, and shares, some painful truths when she realizes her perfect mate is a dead guy (Langston Kerman, a charmer). How their relationship plays out is just one of several surprises in the sitcom’s best episode to date.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• 31 Days of Oscar (starts at 6 am/ET, Turner Classic Movies): All month, TCM salutes Oscar history by airing films that have either won or been nominated for the coveted trophy. The lineups are organized by genre, with “Family Ties” the theme during the daytime hours of March 1 (highlights include 1948’s I Remember Mama at 1:30 pm/ET, followed by 1958’s raucous comedy Auntie Mame at 3:45 pm/ET). The evening is all about “Adventure,” starting with Errol Flynn’s The Adventures of Robin Hood (8 pm/ET) followed by the great Humphrey Bogart–Katharine Hepburn odyssey The African Queen (10 pm/ET).
• Chicago Med (8/7c, NBC): A janitors’ strike creates a mess at the hospital, while budget cuts rile the firefighters on Chicago Fire (9/8c) and Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) goes undercover on Chicago P.D. (10/9c).
• Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (9/8c, Fox): After all manner of grueling challenges, the remaining recruits have one last test in the season finale: the ordeal of enemy interrogation. Who will crack?
• Beauty and the Bleach (9/8c, Fuse): Queer Eye’s Tan France takes on the controversial beauty trend of skin lightening in the latest “Fuse Docs” special.
• Inside the Murdaugh Murders Trial (9/8c, CNN): Anchor and senior legal analyst Laura Coates hosts a “CNN Primetime” special, grilling defense and prosecution experts and trial analysts about the high-profile double murder trial of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh.
• South Park (10/9c, Comedy Central): The town becomes obsessed with high-end Japanese toilets. Just when you thought it was safe to … oh, never mind.
• Wreck (streaming on Hulu): A darkly comic six-episode thriller invites 19-year-old Jamie (Oscar Kennedy) to infiltrate the crew of a cruise ship to search for his missing sister, while murders wreak havoc on the decks above.