WWII Drama in ‘Mincemeat,’ ‘Dinosaur Apocalypse’ on ‘Nova,’ Disney’s ‘Quest,’ A ‘Flash’ Funeral

Operation Mincemeat

Oscar winner Colin Firth (currently in The Staircase on HBO Max) and Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen star in a fascinating fact-based WWII caper as intelligence officers who come up with an audacious scheme to slip misinformation to the Nazis. The plan: plant false intel on a corpse dressed as a military courier, set him adrift in the ocean and hope for the best. Kelly Macdonald co-stars as the secretary both men fall for. Hey guys, there’s a war to win first.

NOVA

With the help of newly unearthed fossils from a North Dakota dig, and CGI special effects, Sir David Attenborough brings alive the final days of the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago when an asteroid wiped them out and ended the Cretaceous period. In the two-hour Nova special, scientists led by paleontologist Robert DePalma discover rare fossils that may be connected to that pivotal earth-shaking impact.

The Quest

As if a Dungeons & Dragons game had magically come to life, this immersive series from producers of The Lord of the Rings, The Amazing Race and Queer Eye creates a tangible fantasy world called Everealm, into which eight teenage heroes, or Paladins, enter to take on a series of challenges. Their quest involves taking on an evil Sorceress to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Familiar plot, new approach.

The Flash

Let’s hope none of The Quest’s Paladins meet a similar fate as the late, lamented Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker), whose encounter with Deathstorm has left the rest of Team Flash grieving. In an episode titled “Funeral for a Friend,” the survivors go after a bank-robbing Meta to distract them from their mourning.

The Conners

Last week, Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Ben (Jay R. Ferguson) patched up their differences and decided to get married. But before they can share their impulsive and joyful news to the rest of the family, they learn that Aunt Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and Neville (Nat Faxon), and her daughter Harris (Emma Kenney) and Aldo (Tony Cavalero), have similar good news to share. You know we’re heading toward season-finale time when couples begin planning their weddings.

Inside Wednesday TV:

• The Racism Virus (9 pm/ET, streaming on NBC News NOW): Vicky Nguyen hosts a special report on the resilience of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the wake of a rise of hate crimes since the pandemic. Interviews include NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig, NBA star Jeremy Lin, actor Daniel Dae Kim and Lo van Pham, the first Asian-American to be named an on-field NFL game official.
• The Goldbergs (8/7c, ABC): Guess who’s playing monster-in-law? Beverly Goldberg (Wendi McLendon-Covey) can’t help meddling in the lives of newlyweds Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Geoff (Sam Lerner) when they move in after a mold crisis in their own home.
• The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (8/7c, Bravo): New to the glittery tribe for Season 12: Diana Jenkins and Sheree Zampino, better known as Will Smith’s ex.
• Chicago P.D. (10/9c, NBC): Capping an all-new night of Chicago procedurals, P.D.’s Intelligence team reopens a cold case that could help solve a new crime. But digging into buried memories prompts Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) to worry about their adopted daughter Makayla’s (Ramona Edith Williams) own mental state.
• Our Father (streaming on Netflix): A troubling documentary follows Jacoba Ballard’s discovery through a DNA test that she wasn’t an only child but has seven half-siblings—the result of her family’s fertility doctor using his own sperm to inseminate patients without their knowledge.
• The Challenge: All-Stars (streaming on Paramount+): The reality competition’s third season brings back 24 all-star finalists or winners to rise to new challenges in Panama. Expect old rivalries to pick up where they left off as they vie for a $500,000 prize.