Wednesday’s TV highlights: ‘The Story of Us With Morgan Freeman’ on National Geographic

SERIES

Riverdale The second season of the “Archie” comics-inspired drama begins as Fred’s (Luke Perry) fate is uncertain after the diner shooting. KJ Apa, Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse also star. 8 p.m. KTLA

Empire Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) recalls the time she spent in prison, while Lucious (Terrence Howard) seeks an intervention for himself when he asks for his family’s feelings about how he’s treated them. 8 p.m. Fox

Speechless Ray (Mason Cook) gets in over his head when he makes up a fake charity to impress his girlfriend and uses JJ (Micah Fowler) in the process. Minnie Driver also stars. 8:30 p.m. ABC

SEAL Team Jason (David Boreanaz) and the team head for the South China Sea to save researchers who are held hostage aboard a ship. Max Thieriot, A.J. Buckley and Jessica Paré also star. 9 p.m. CBS

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Brooke Shields guest stars as one of three women suspected of mutilating a man. Rollins and Carisi (Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino) investigate. Mariska Hargitay also stars, with guest star Peter Hermann, Hargitay’s real-life husband. 9 p.m. NBC

Dynasty This new reboot from former “Gossip Girl” producers alters the premise of the popular 1980s prime-time soap. There’s now a Cristal (Nathalie Kelley), whose entry into the wealthy, powerful Carrington family — by marrying patriarch Blake (Grant Show) — alarms his daughter (Elizabeth Gillies) in the series premiere. 9 p.m. KTLA

Modern Family Superstition takes hold of Phil (Ty Burrell), who’s convinced that he’s in for a run of bad luck, but Claire (Julie Bowen) has no patience for his worries. Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara also star. 9 p.m. ABC

NOVA The mysteries of England’s Stonehenge are explored in this new episode, which documents archaeological digs that have yielded new evidence about how the site was built 5,000 years ago. 9 p.m. KOCE and KPBS

Worst Cooks in America The final two recruits cook a restaurant-quality meal for a panel of culinary experts in the season finale. 9 p.m. Food Network

The Story of Us With Morgan Freeman Produced by the team responsible for Freeman’s previous project, “The Story of God,” this new six-part series examines the forces that bind humanity together. In the premiere, Freeman meets Shin Dong-hyuk, who is believed to be the only person ever to escape from a North Korean labor camp. 9 p.m. National Geographic

Designated Survivor A pandemic gives President Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) a new kind of crisis to handle, while Hannah and Rennett (Maggie Q, Ben Lawson) come across information that could affect the chief executive and his family. Natascha McElhone, Italia Ricci, Adan Canto, Kal Penn, Zoe McLellan and Paulo Costanzo also star in this new episode of the political thriller. 10 p.m. ABC

Frontline Scott Pruitt once targeted the Environmental Protection Agency in court, now he’s its administrator in the Trump administration and has begun making changes in policy, documented in this new episode. 10 p.m. KOCE and KPBS

Mr. Robot The series premiere picks up immediately after last season’s cliffhanger, where Elliot (Rami Malek) was shot by Tyrell (Martin Wallstrom). Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin and Portia Doubleday also star. 10 p.m. USA

TALK SHOWS

CBS This Morning (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Pierce Brosnan; Claire Foy. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America Harlem Globetrotters; Margot Robbie; Domhnall Gleeson. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. Roma Downey; professional wrestler MJ Jenkins; skier Lindsey Vonn; veterinarian Michelle Oakley; Emily Loftiss. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Megyn Kelly Today (N) 9 a.m. KNBC

Live With Kelly and Ryan Jimmy Fallon (“Everything Is Mama”); K.J. Apa (“Riverdale”). (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Van Jones. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Wendy Williams Show John Leguizamo (Broadway’s “Latin History for Morons”). (N) 11 a.m. KTTV

The Talk James Van Der Beek; Carrie Ann Inaba; Deborah Norville. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS

The Dr. Oz Show Deconstructing meatloaf; Paula Deen reveals how she lost 40 pounds; Morgan Freeman. (N) 1 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors Spider bite warning signs; a woman loses 100 pounds through sleep hypnosis; anti-aging treatment. (N) 2 p.m. KCBS

Steve Wanda Sykes and Deon Cole. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

Harry Craig Robinson (“Ghosted”); singer Vaughn “V-Keys” Henry. (N) 2 p.m. KTTV

Dr. Phil A couple claims that their daughter verbally, mentally and physically abuses their entire family. (N) 3 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Sean “Diddy” Combs and French Montana; Gina Rodriguez. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

The Real Tina Knowles Lawson; Elaine Welteroth. (N) 3 p.m. KTTV

Tavis Smiley Chadwick Boseman. (N) 11 p.m. KOCE

Charlie Rose (N) 11 p.m. KVCR; 11:30 p.m. KOCE

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Margot Robbie; Stephen Moyer; Rachel Feinstein; Daveed Diggs. (N) 11:34 p.m. KNBC

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Andrew Garfield; Tracy Ullman; Wolf Parade. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live Renée Zellweger; Marc Maron; Sir Rosevelt performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With James Corden Josh Gad; Rachel Bloom; Michelle Dockery; Charlie Puth. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Seth Meyers Taran Killam; Japandroids perform; Joe Russo. (N) 12:37 a.m. KNBC

SPORTS

Baseball The Yankees visit the Indians for the decisive fifth game of their playoff series. 5 p.m. FS1

For more sports on TV, see the Sports section.

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TV listings for the week of Oct. 8 - 14, 2017 in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies

ed.stockly@latimes.com