TV's Best Bets

Thursday, April 21

“Young Sheldon,” 8 p.m., CBS. Sheldon and his sister are trying to figure out more about the family drama. It’s a big one: Their brother Georgie, 17, lied to an older woman, Mandy, about his age; now she’s pregnant. Georgie is played by Montana Jordan, 19, the lone Texas native in the main cast of a show set in Texas. Mandy is played by Emily Osment, 30, a former child star who has emerged as a skilled actress in Chuck Lorre shows — “Mom,” “The Kominsky Method” and now “Young Sheldon.”

“Atlanta,” 10 p.m., FX, rerunning at 10:44 and 11:28. In a quietly potent episode, the guys get some subtle lessons in greed, London-style. Paper Boi has a top-dollar fashion designer suddenly at his command; Darius introduces someone to his fondness for Nigerian food. In an excellent episode, both stories bring sudden jolts; so does Ern finally re-connecting with his sometimes-girlfriend.

“Jumanji: The Next Level” (2019), 8-10:30 p.m., ABC. The Thursday dramas are on another break; they’ll be bumped by the pro-football draft next week before their May return. Tonight, there’s this action-comedy, the fourth in a franchise that has people caught up in a role-playing game. This time, the key characters — played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina and more — find their personalities shifting bizarrely.

“Welcome to Flatch,” 9:30, Fox. Kelly and Shrub aren’t usually the volunteering type, but now they agree to help seniors with computers. Soon, the town gets a lesson in “catfishing” — maneuvering people via fake online identities. And Cheryl, the newspaper editor, has been attacked for her alliance to the rival town; now Big Mandy teaches her self-defense.

“Independence Day” (1996), 7-10 p.m., Paramount Network. Will Smith helps save the Earth from aliens by … well, maybe giving them a stern slap. Not really, but it’s an adequate fantasy adventure, on a night full of popcorn films. Showtime has the dazzle of “Flashdance” (1983) at 6:45 p.m.; Starz has a double-feature of “Spider-Man Homecoming” (2017) at 6:43 and “Thor: The Dark World” (2013) at 9. Also, Paramount follows with “Star Trek Beyond” (2016) at 10.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Thursday TV's Best Bets