Origins’ and ‘Poppa’s House’ Finales, ‘Most Wanted’ Franchise Expands

This fast-paced competition from the producers of Top Chef is one of the juiciest TV cooking contests to arrive in a while, in part because of the conflicting personalities of its judges and hosts, the prickly Martha Stewart and the cuddly José Andrés. They preside over a cast of 12 experienced chefs (many with TV resumés) who all have attitude issues to adjust, whether it’s arrogance, insecurity, stubbornness or perfectionism. In the brisk opener, they’re all forced to work together in teams to create and produce a four-course meal on a 90-minute deadline. An early villain emerges in Top Chef veteran Katsuji Tanabe, described by Andres as “the King Kong of trash talking.”

Andres is also showcased in another show that’s good enough to eat, as the Emmy-nominated docuseries marks its 10th anniversary with profiles of four of today’s most influential and admired chefs. The subjects include Andres, honored as much for his humanitarian efforts as his exuberant cooking, and farm-to-table pioneer Alice Waters, Thomas Keller and TV personality Jamie Oliver. The upbeat Andres sets the tone when he describes his philosophy: “If you give people the spark of possibility, that spark becomes a big flame of hope.”

The most brooding of the NCIS spinoffs puts the spotlight on the young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) in the powerful Season 1 finale when an ambitious MP with an awfully familiar name — Lara Macy (Claire Berger), played in the original series by Louise Lombard — pursues an investigation into the assassination of Pedro Hernandez, the drug dealer who killed Gibbs’ wife and daughter. As Franks (Kyle Schmid) and Lala (Mariel Molino) put their own careers in jeopardy covering for the probie, Gibbs has his own ideas about how to put this dark incident to rest. Quite a few cliffhanger twists set the stage for next season. An hour earlier, on the original NCIS (9/8c), McGee (Sean Murray) puts his own reputation on the line when he investigates the deputy director for corruption.

The family affair that provided a sitcom playground for Damon Wayans, his son Damon Wayans Jr. and other members of the extended Wayans comedy troupe was canceled last week, making the Season 1 finale a series finale. In the episode, Poppa (Wayans) has a big secret to share with his radio co-host, Ivy (Essence Atkins). On the home front, Junior (Wayans Jr.) finds his wife Nina (Tetona Jackson) taking over his short-film project.

America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons (8/7c, Fox): The pioneering true-crime franchise expands with a three-week spinoff whose goal is to find missing people and reunite them with their families. Harris Faulkner hosts, as a panel of crime experts discuss cases and head out on field investigations while urging viewers to call in tips to help local authorities. Followed by a new episode of America’s Most Wanted (9/8c), hosted by John and Callahan Walsh.

INSIDE MONDAY TV:

• The Voice (8/7c, NBC): Sheryl Crow and LeAnn Rimes are the mentors as the singing competition moves into the Playoff round, with Crow joining Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé‘s teams and Rimes with John Legend and Adam Levine‘s teams while they prepare to make the toughest decisions yet, advancing only two singers from each team to advance to the live shows.
• American Idol (8/7c 5 pm/PT, ABC): The Top 12 singers perform songs inspired by memorable Idol moments from past seasons (will someone please do She Bangs?), with an appearance by Season 3 winner Fantasia and artist-in-residence Jelly Roll.
• The Neighborhood (8/7c, CBS): Original Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris guests as the owner of a rundown café that Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer) remembers fondly from his childhood, and Marilu Henner returns as Dave’s (Max Greenfield) mom, Paula, who joins her son on a visit to his dad Lamar (Kevin Pollak) behind bars.
• All American (8/7c, The CW): While recovering from his attack, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) finds support, and Coop (Bre-Z) helps Khalil (Antonio J Bell) deal with his feelings of guilt.
• Paradise (10/9c, ABC): A pivotal episode of the post-apocalyptic drama reveals much about Secret Service Agent Billy Pace’s (Jon Beavers) background and connection to the big-picture conspiracy. Can he be trusted?