Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 8 p.m.) — Agent Coulson and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team “spring into action after a brilliant scientist is kidnapped,” according to TV Guide. I’m kind of wishing that the show had a lot more Ming Na and Agent Coulson, and a lot less everyone else. Let us hope that tonight they move past the adventure-of-the-week, and move into a series’ long arc.
Frontline (PBS, 9 p.m.) — In “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, investigative reporters for ESPN, make the case that the NFL spent two decades fighting science and trying to cover up the long-term effects that concussions have on the brain.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 8:30 p.m.) — Audiences seem to be a little conflicted about Andy Samberg’s show: They either like it already, or like the unrealized potential. I fall into the latter camp. Good news, though: Despite low ratings, Fox has ordered more scripts, so we may get to see if that unrealized potential comes to fruition.
New Girl (Fox, 9 p.m.) — I kind of dig where this season is heading, especially with tonight’s episode in which Schmidt tries to break up Jess and Nick in retaliation for outing him last week to both of his girlfriends. THAT’S DARK.
The Goldbergs (ABC, 9 p.m.) — My favorite part of this show so far is the button at the end of each episode, where series creator Adam Goldberg shows actual video-camera footage of his family in the 1980s. It hits me right in the heart-spot.
Trophy Wife (ABC, 9:30) — I really want this show to be better, just for Bradley Whitford’s sake. He deserves a series that isn’t cancelled after 13 episodes.
Sons of Anarchy (FX, 10 p.m.) — It’s another super-sized episode, which is driving me batty. Tuesday night is already crowded enough without the extra half hour tacked on to each episode. TV Guide offers no description of tonight’s episode, but “Mad King” is the title. Given what happened in last week’s bloodbath, I’m excited to see how it plays out.
LATE NIGHT LISTINGS: Seth Meyers, who will soon take over the show that David Letterman started, is on Letterman tonight; Leno has Billy Crystal; Elton John is on Kimmel; Sarah Michelle Gellar, is on Ferguson; Miley Cyrus is on Fallon; and Paul Giamatti stops by the Colbert Report.
