Wednesday’s TV highlights: ‘Empire’ on Fox

SERIES

Underground Unbearable complications threaten to break the will to live of both Ernestine and Rosalee (Amirah Vann, Jurnee Smollett-Bell) in this new episode of the pre-Civil War historical drama. 7, 8, 9 and 10:05 p.m. WGN America

Blindspot With some help from Nas (Archie Panjabi), Jane and Weller (Jaimie Alexander, Sullivan Stapleton) contact an inside source and have a confrontation with an old foe in this new episode. Rob Brown, Audrey Esparza and Ashley Johnson also star. 8 p.m. NBC

Shots Fired A North Carolina town is rocked by shootings that may have been racially motivated in this new drama series from filmmakers Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood. Sanaa Lathan and Stephan James play investigators for the Department of Justice who come to suspect the state’s governor (Helen Hunt) isn’t telling all she knows. Richard Dreyfuss, Stephen Moyer and Tristan Wilds also are in the ensemble cast. 8 p.m. Fox

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit A rape suspect claims genetics drove him to commit assaults, a defense that enrages Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Greg Germann (“Ally McBeal”) guest stars. Kelli Giddish, Raul Esparza and Peter Scanavino also star. 9 p.m. NBC

The 100 Clarke (Eliza Taylor) arrives on the island and things take a turn for the worse. Bob Morley, Paige Turco, Devon Bostick, Chrisopher Larkin, Richard Harmon, Zach McGowan and Henry Alan Cusick also star. 9 p.m. KTLA

Empire Lucious (Terrence Howard) announces his new music project as this drama returns for its spring premiere. Taraji P. Henson, Jessie Smollett and Trai Byers also star with guest star Rumer Willis. 9 p.m. Fox

Cooks vs. Cons Geoffrey Zakarian returns to host a new season of this culinary competition in which a talented home cook tries to surpass the kitchen skills of a professional chef. Sunny Anderson and Amanda Freitag judge the dishes. 9 p.m. Food Network

The Magicians Quentin (Jason Ralph) continues to seek a solution to his problem with Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley), but may be approaching a dead end. 9 p.m. Syfy

Major Crimes Sharon’s (Mary McDonnell) son Ricky (Ryand Kennedy) comes home for a surprise visit while the squad investigates the murder of a retired LAPD fraud detective, who may have been killed for an arrest she made decades ago. 9 p.m. TNT

Chicago P.D. After receiving a tip that a hiker saw a desperate-looking young woman running barefoot through the woods, the Intelligence team finds a kidnapping victim locked in a shipping container but the case seems so bizarre that Voight (Jason Beghe) questions if it’s legitimate. Jesse Lee Soffer and Sophia Bush also star. 10 p.m. NBC

The Comedy Jam Comics and other celebrities re-create their memories of classic rock performances in this new series. In the premiere Tiffany Haddish performs “Proud Mary”; Bobby Lee sings “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”; Chris Hardwick takes on “Wanted Dead or Alive,” accompanied by Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. 10 p.m. Comedy Central

Time: The Kalief Browder Story After a delay in the case, a missing witness is found that reveals sloppy detective work. Kalief still refuses to plead guilty to a crime he didn’t commit, and is released a month later without explanation in part four of this six-part documentary series. 10 p.m. Spike

Hap and Leonard: Mucho Mojo While Leonard (Michael Kenneth Williams) is stuck in a dire situation Hap and Florida (James Purefoy, Tiffany Mack) try to come up with a plan to free him. 10 p.m. Sundance

The Expanse Holden’s (Steven Strait) hunt for the protomolecule, and the people behind it, force him to cross some personal ethical boundaries in order to sneak into the war zone, while Bobbie (Frankie Adams) becomes a pawn in the struggle between Earth and Mars. 10 p.m. Syfy

SPECIALS

There Will Be Water This new special documents the efforts of engineer Bill Watts to design a saltwater infrastructure in the desert and build greenhouses in the driest part of the planet, to supply fresh water, food, energy and jobs to a region desperate for new solutions. 8 p.m. National Geographic

Spillover: Zika, Ebola & Beyond The international concern about the Zika virus has given rise to renewed attention to viruses that “spill over” from humans to animals. This special documents the efforts by scientists to anticipate and contain such outbreaks. 10 p.m. KOCE

TALK SHOWS

CBS This Morning Matt Damon; Gary White; Eric Schmidt; Jonathan Rosenberg. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Aging parents; Dean Cain; Suzy Welch. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

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

Good Morning America Actor Dax Shepard; author Bruce Feiler; Frugal Foodie. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. Grace Rose fashion show; orthopedic surgeon; Tom Payne (“The Walking Dead”); Stephan James (“Shots Fired”); Jurnee Smollett (“Underground”). (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Live With Kelly Brendan Fraser; Lisa Rinna; UFC champion Holly Holm; co-host Mark Consuelos. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Rachel Maddow; author Bruce Feiler. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

Rachael Ray Foods that can cure common ailments: Dr. Ian Smith. (N) 10 a.m. KCAL

The Wendy Williams Show Rapper Rick Ross (album “Rather You Than Me”). (N) 11 a.m. KTTV

The Talk Daytime Emmy nominations; stars of “The Bold and the Beautiful.” (N) 1 p.m. KCBS

The Dr. Oz Show The Whole 30 diet plan; ballerina Misty Copeland on breaking racial barriers. (N) 1 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors A scam using one’s own voice; live-streamed suicides; liposuction to reduce and perk breasts. (N) 2 p.m. KCBS

Steve Harvey Anika Noni Rose and Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“The Quad”). (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

Harry Keith Urban; Dalen Spratt, Juwan Mass and Marcus Harvey (“Ghost Brothers”). (N) 2 p.m. KTTV; midnight KCOP

Dr. Phil 3 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Lena Dunham (“Girls”); Nick Viall and Peta Murgatroyd (“Dancing With the Stars”). (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

The Real The hosts give their thoughts on spring trends that need to end. (N) 3 p.m. KTTV

Tavis Smiley Sister Simone Campbell; musician Arturo Sandoval. (N) 11 p.m. KOCE

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

Conan Erin Andrews. (N) 11 p.m. TBS

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Woody Harrelson; John Cena; Martin Garrix and Dua Lipa. (N) 11:34 p.m. KNBC

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Glenn Close; Michael McKean; H. Jon Benjamin. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live Bill Hader; America Ferrera; Imagine Dragons performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With James Corden Josh Gad; Judy Greer; Maggie Rogers performs. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Seth Meyers Kristen Bell; Bill Nighy; Aquilo; Charlie Benante. (N) 12:37 a.m. KNBC

Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m. KABC

Last Call With Carson Daly Jason Silva; the Buttertones perform; the Ghost Brothers. (N) 1:38 a.m. KNBC

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ed.stockly@latimes.com