American Crime
Wednesday, 10 p.m., ABC
In this week’s episode of “American Crime,” Leyland School headmistress Leslie Graham (Felicity Huffman) works to position the institution ahead of the investigation that’s been launched following the charges of sexual assault brought by Anne Blaine (Lili Taylor). Meanwhile, Terri LaCroix (Regina King) has an intervention with her son, Kevin (Trevor Jackson), and Eric (Joey Pollari) takes a surprising detour.
One of the best things this season: the young actors who play the high-school students embroiled in the sexual-assault storyline — Pollari, Jackson, Connor Jessup, Renwick D. Scott II and Angelique Rivera. Creator John Ridley spoke to The Post about what it takes to find actors who can play believable kids.
How did you find these young actors who could handle sensitive material?
Casting director Kim Coleman found them, usually by looking in places that are not traditional. Connor, who plays Taylor Blaine, is phenomenal. He had only done one other series, “Falling Skies.” With Angelique, this is her first acting job. She was working at Disney World, playing Princess Jasmine. She came in and gave a really solid audition.
None of them conform to the types of kids you usually see on TV: the rebel, the good girl, the hellcat, the nerd.
In television, you traditionally cast really pretty people. On this show, we try to play down looks and have people look kind of real. We have people who look like people.
How did they handle themselves with the rest of the company?
It’s one thing to be a young actor who’s good. It’s another to have one who’s sitting across from Oscar winners [Timothy Hutton] and Emmy winners [Huffman and King] and not have them overreact and overreach.
Downton Abbey
Sunday, 9 p.m., PBS
The plans for the wedding of a certain couple hit a snag. And then some pigs cause trouble for Edith (Laura Carmichael) and her daughter Marigold. Unwanted Thomas (Robert James-Collier) contemplates moving on from the Abbey. Infertile Anna (Joanne Froggatt) has a doctor’s appointment. Tetchy Violet (Maggie Smith) and Isobel (Penelope Wilton) are at odds over health care.
Modern Family
Wednesday, 9 p.m., ABC
Sick of having the kids around the house, Claire (Julie Bowen) and her spawn seize an opportunity to leave the nest while Phil (Ty Burrell) is off visiting Alex (Ariel Winter) at college. Meanwhile, Jay (Ed O’Neill) helps Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) organize Lily’s (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) sleepover with her friends from her Vietnamese dance troupe, and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) are off on a hot pepper heist orchestrated by Manny (Rico Rodriguez) in order to meet a big hot-sauce delivery deadline.
Shades of Blue
Thursday, 10 p.m., NBC
Wozniak (Ray Liotta) sees informants everywhere, so Harlee (Jennifer Lopez) suggests that he polygraph the entire crew; an appeals case causes Wozniak to watch tapes from his first encounter with Harlee; and Espada (Vincent Laresca) helps Tess (Drea de Matteo) deal with her husband’s infidelity.
Telenovela
Monday, 8:30 p.m., NBC
Ana (Eva Longoria) and Xavi (Jencarlos Canela) run into their rivals, Kate (Kate del Castillo) and Diego (Carlos Ponce) — a couple on a competing telenovela. Ana and Xavi try to one-up them while building a home for a needy family. Gael’s (Jose Moreno Brooks) latest crush is a forbidden love.
Colony
Thursday, 10 p.m., USA
Series premiere. Set in the future, this new drama centers on the struggle of the Bowman family to survive and bring liberty back to the people of an occupied Los Angeles. Former FBI agent Will Bowman (Josh Holloway) and his wife, Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies), become separated from their son after The Arrival, the day a mysterious force came to the city and forced its residents to live under military rule, with rationed food, drink and vehicles, and a curfew enforced. Thus, when the powerful Proxy Snyder (Peter Jacobson, “House”) offers Will a chance to get his son back if he collaborates with the occupational government, Will and Katie find themselves faced with the toughest decision of their lives.
Code Black
Wednesday, 10 p.m., CBS
A love triangle begins to develop between Mario (Benjamin Hollingsworth), Angus (Harry Ford) and Heather (Jillian Murray) while the doctors treat patients from a chaotic multivehicle accident. Meanwhile, when Malaya (Melanie Chandra) learns Carla (Shiri Appleby) is at the hospital, she goes against Carla’s wishes and stays by her side during the delivery of her baby.
The Good Wife
Sunday, 9 p.m., CBS
Tensions run high as the entire Florrick family is crammed into Peter’s (Chris Noth) campaign bus with Eli (Alan Cumming) and Ruth (Margo Martindale) on their way to the Iowa caucuses. Once there, Peter attempts a high-risk political stunt to gain votes for his presidential bid. Starring Julianna Margulies.