High-school drama gets its own Friday Night Lights thanks to Rise

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Tuesday, March 13. All times are Eastern.

Top pick

Rise (NBC, 10:01 p.m.): Sprawling cast, nonfiction source material, documentary-style camerawork, an inspiring educator, a struggling small town in need of a rallying point, showrunner Jason Katims—does any of this look familiar to your clear eyes, or stir anything in your full heart? Shot through with a heavy dose of Glee (the musical aspect, the LGBTQ storylines, the starting quarterback with the hidden talents), Rise takes Katims back to his Dillon, Texas roots, albeit in a different region of the United States (post-industrial Pennsylvania this time) and a decidedly lower-contact subject matter: A production of Spring Awakening, spearheaded by the zealous new head of the Stanton High School drama department, Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor). Watch for Erik Adams’ take on the first season later today; following the premiere—which NBC is launching off the back of This Is Us’ season finale—Ali Barthwell will have the detailed play-by-play.

Regular coverage

The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.)
Black Lightning (The CW, 9 p.m.)
This Is Us (season finale) (NBC, 9 p.m.)

Wild card

For The People (ABC, 10 p.m.): The latest Shondaland attraction also boasts attributes that have proven successful for the production house and the network with which it’s no longer exclusive: It’s a courtroom drama with the Grey’s Anatomy/How To Get Away With Murder setup of young, good-looking novices diving headlong into a high-stakes career. Will their personal lives get all tangled up in their professional ones? Only time will tell.