A beautiful mind

Want to change the world? Then find yourself some fierce competition. That's the theme that drives "American Genius," a new series that utilizes talking heads and re-enactments to capture great rivalries that led to great innovation. Night 1 tracks Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates, as well as the Wright Brothers vs. Glenn Curtiss, two gladiator fights that resulted in two of the most important inventions in modern life. I'm not a big fan of re-enactments, especially in the case of Microsoft and Apple, in which plenty of actual footage is available. But what do I know? I don't quite qualify as a genius. Future heavyweight matches: David Sarnoff vs. Philo Farnsworth, William Hearst vs. Joseph Pulitzer and Stan Laurel vs. Oliver Hardy. 8 p.m. Monday, National Geographic Channel

Whoa!

After 22 years of separation, Bill and Ted are about to have another excellent adventure. Alex Winter (Bill) is the director of the documentary "Deep Web," and he's recruited his old time-traveling buddy Keanu Reeves (Ted) to narrate. The film focuses on the underground Internet world of Silk Road and how the government may have violated laws to put a stop to drug trafficking. It's a fascinating piece of work, despite the fact that there are no cameos from Napoleon or Genghis Khan. 7 p.m. Sunday, Epix

They're here

In the past the small screen has rarely been able to induce fear, but horror has taken a step up in recent years thanks to series such as "The Strain" and "American Horror Story." The latest entry is "The Whispers," which ups the ante by making children vulnerable to mysterious sources. Steven Spielberg is one of the executive producers. 9 p.m. Monday, KSTP, Ch. 5

Golden girls

Well, here's gratitude for you. "Hot in Cleveland" was most responsible for moving TV Land from rerun heaven to a serious player in original programming. But in an effort to attract younger viewers, the channel has canceled the series after six seasons. This 90-minute finale takes place largely in Las Vegas, which is appropriate since the series went from boom to bust within the blink of an eye. 9 p.m. Wednesday, TV Land

Neal Justin