Mommy and Daddy Issues on ‘Morning Show,’ Inside the International Space Station and the Great Pyramid, Family Matters on ‘Chicago Med’

The Morning Show

Family ties bring great distraction and even grief to UBN “face of the network” Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) and ex-CEO Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) in an eventful, though typically exasperating, episode of the past-its-prime media melodrama. For Alex, who’s desperately trying to land an exclusive interview with then-President Biden to bolster the network’s damaged reputation, her wayward and estranged professor father, Martin (Jeremy Irons), makes ill-timed headline news with his latest antics, setting up an explosive showdown between father and daughter. Cory, wigging out over his troubled film project, receives an alarming call from his ailing mother, Martha (Lindsay Duncan), causing him to drop everything and rush to her Connecticut home. Alex’s very bad day begins with a shouting match between her and Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) over the TMS anchor’s betrayal of Claire (Bel Powley), in which each challenges the other, “How do you sleep at night?” Pro tip: Watching The Morning Show this season is a pretty good narcotic.

NOVA

Marking the 25th anniversary of continuous human presence in space, public TV’s premiere science program explores the history of the International Space Station over two episodes. In the first, “High-Risk Build,” engineers recall the perilous construction of the ambitious project, which was stalled for years by the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Next Wednesday’s installment, “Science and Survival,” shares astronauts’ stories of life aboard the ISS and how crews coped with unexpected emergencies. (Thankfully for them, this doesn’t include a visit by cast members of 9-1-1.)

Expedition Unknown

Josh Gates launches the 16th season of his investigative docuseries with a two-part visit to Egypt’s iconic Great Pyramid, gaining exclusive access to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. With cutting-edge 3D scans of the structure’s tunnel system, he attempts to replicate the construction of the mammoth tomb, finding secrets under the stone. Followed by the Season 3 premiere of Expedition Files (10/9c), where Gates looks into mysteries involving the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa and the eternal search for the Holy Grail.

Chicago Med

Expect emotional fireworks and more than a few tears when hospital administrator Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) gathers the family on behalf of her ex-husband Bert (Gregory Alan Williams), who’s been living with Alzheimer’s dementia and, after suffering a fall at his facility, hasn’t opened his eyes since. Followed by new episodes of Chicago Fire (9/8c), where Severide (Taylor Kinney) shadows Battalion Chief Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) for the day, and Chicago P.D. (10/9c), with Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) caught in a deadly conspiracy after a humdrum errand goes sideways.

Down Cemetery Road

Who is the mysterious stalker who saved Sarah Trafford (Ruth Wilson) from the “friendly neighborhood assassin” and is now taking her on the opposite of a joyride? Answers are forthcoming in this fast-paced adaptation of Mick Herron‘s (Slow Horses) thriller, and with Sarah on the run, snarky private investigator Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson) looks into her client’s mystifying disappearance while seeking the killer of her husband.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• Shifting Gears (8/7c, ABC): Riley (Kat Dennings) hires her son Carter (Maxwell Simkins) to work at her coffee shop, because that sort of nepotism always ends well. Back at her dad Matt’s (Tim Allen) workplace, conflict between a client and wisecracking Stitch (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) could derail a dream build.
• Nature (8/7c, PBS): Saturday Night Live alum Bobby Moynihan narrates “The Pigeon Hustle,” which explores the secret world of the polarizing birds as they survive the urban jungles of New York City and London.
• Survivor (8/7c, CBS): The castaways have little time processing the message delivered to them by boat before they have to prepare for the first individual immunity challenge. Followed by The Amazing Race (9:30/8:30c), where the travelers skydive through Romania, and one team struggles through a sheep-herding challenge.
• Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (8/7c, The CW): The detectives investigate who hired a hitman to take out a grocery empire executive.
• Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas (8/7c, Food Network): Guy Fieri gathers 32 renowned chefs for a holiday edition of the food competition, starting with three matchups in which teams of two prepare sweet and savory dishes based on the spin of the Randomizer.
• Abbott Elementary (8:30/9:30c, ABC): The school adopts the district’s “No Phones Day” initiative, and no one’s surprised when it affects the staff more than the students.
• The Golden Bachelor (9/8c, ABC): Mel takes the last two ladies on overnight dates in Antigua before making his final choice. Followed by Shark Tank (10/9c), with Poppi prebiotic soda founder Allison Ellsworth joining the Sharks for the first time.

 ON THE STREAM:

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (streaming on Disney+): The Marvel reboot makes its streaming debut, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the legendary team.
• Tyler Perry’s Finding Joy (streaming on Prime Video): Shannon Thornton stars in a holiday romcom as fashion designer and romance-novel devotee Joy, whose getaway to Colorado during a snowstorm leaves her roughing it in a cabin in the company of a rugged stranger named Ridge (Tosin Morohunfola).
• Loot (streaming on Apple TV): Molly (Maya Rudolph) goes all out to treat her loyal assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) to the perfect day.