April Fools at ‘Abbott,’ Doctor’s Dilemma on ‘Chicago Med,’ Love on the Spectrum, Expedition Files

Abbott Elementary

April Fools’ Day is no joke to the teachers of Abbott Elementary, especially to a control freak like Gregory (Tyler James Williams) and, somewhat surprisingly, superstitious principal Ava (Janelle James), who barricades herself in her office to avoid being a target. When an anonymous prankster leaves notes and booby traps around the school, the teachers begin a search for the culprit, eventually turning on each other. Jeez, can’t they take a joke?

Chicago Med

As Chief of Psychiatry, Daniel Charles, Oliver Platt has been a steady hand at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center since the show’s beginning, but who can help him when he suffers his own mental health crisis? In the first of a two-episode showcase for the veteran actor, Dr. Charles is unsettled after taking a seemingly tragic call on the suicide prevention hotline where he volunteers. Haunted by the caller’s voice as he endures a particular harrowing day, challenged by one patient as a “freak who needs sick people like me to feel whole,” the good doctor is on the verge of a meltdown himself.

Love on the Spectrum

How to describe love? “It just feels like chomping on candy,” says Logan, one of three new singles on the autism spectrum who’s joining the incredibly endearing and Emmy-winning docu-reality series for its fourth season. Several fan-favorite couples return for more romantic adventures, including a trip to London for Anglophile Connor and his girlfriend, Georgia, and house-hunting for James and Shelley. It’s impossible not to root for them all.

Expedition Files

The intrepid Josh Gates is back to demystify legends and poke holes in history in the docuseries’ fourth season. Among the provocative topics tackled in the premiere: the truth behind the vanishing of the USS Scorpion Navy submarine during the Cold War, theories regarding the ultimate fate of Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and what really happened during Paul Revere’s iconic midnight ride.

Shrinking

Graduations can be an emotional time, and in the poignant comedy’s next-to-last episode in its third season, widowed therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) is a wreck as he considers his empty nest once Alice (Lukita Maxwell) leaves home. He’s also dealing with conflicting daddy issues, involving his own distant dad (Jeff Daniels) and the impending departure of his mentor and true father figure, the newly retired Paul (Harrison Ford). If Jimmy lets out what he’s really feeling, it’s not going to be pretty. But it may be necessary.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• Scrubs (8/7c, ABC): J.D. (Zach Braff) provides solace to a menopausal and moody Carla (Judy Reyes), whose cowed husband Turk (Donald Faison) is hiding in the hallways. But will it be enough to get J.D. invited to the couple’s yearly barbecue?
• Survivor (8/7c, CBS): In a first over 50 seasons, a pivotal tribal council unfolds under a blood moon during a two-hour episode. But before that, buffs are dropped. Expect a brief interruption for President Trump’s speech at 9/8c.
• The Masked Singer (8/7c, Fox): Will Cat Witch (Kylie Cantrall) walk away the Season 14 winner with the Golden Mask Trophy? Or will it be Crane, Galaxy Girl, or Pugcasso? All will be revealed in the two-hour finale.
• Chicago Fire (9/8c, NBC): Severide (Taylor Kinney) clashes with new Acting Battalion Chief Hopkins (Rob Morgan). Followed by a new episode of Chicago P.D. (10/9c).
• America’s Culinary Cup (10/9c, CBS): The remaining chefs form teams of three to create and serve vegetarian meals, including an all-veggie dessert.
• Conspiracies & Coverups (10/9c, Discovery Channel): The truth is out there for former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante, who rips the lid off of state secrets, including, in the opener, Cold War-era MK Ultra mind-control techniques and experiments.
• Our New World (10/9c, PBS): A two-part natural history series uses innovative visual effects to explore how animals, plants, and other ecosystems are transforming and migrating in the wake of global warming and climate change.

 ON THE STREAM:

• The Housemaid (streaming on Starz): The psychological thriller starring Sydney Sweeney as live-in help hired by a wealthy employer (Amanda Seyfried) makes its streaming debut.
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (streaming on the PBS app): Great Performances at the Met presents composer Mason Bates’ and librettist Gene Scheer’s ambitious adaptation of Michael Chabon‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
• Imperfect Women (streaming on Apple TV): A new chapter in the mystery series unfolds from the perspective of the murder victim, Nancy (Kate Mara), revealing her insecurities as a wealthy wife who sees herself as a “white trash girl from Bakersfield playing dress-up” while hosting an eventful New Year’s Day party.
• Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer (streaming on Netflix): The British comedian riffs on finding her voice and confidence after an awkward adolescence.
• Dear Killer Nannies (streaming on Hulu): John Leguizamo stars as Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar Gaviria in a Spanish-language drama series told from the point of view of his young son, Juan Pablo.