What to Watch on Wednesday, May 18

Your daily guide to the most interesting stuff hapenning on TV and streaming. All times Eastern.

PICK OF THE NIGHT

black-ish

ABC, 9:30 p.m.

After a season that tackled complex issues and thorny plotlines, tonight’s black-ish will get a little loose — and a lot retro. Titled “Good-ish Times,” the finale takes place inside Dre’s dreams, where the whole family is transported back to the ’70s as characters from the classic sitcom Good Times. “I’m a huge fan of Norman Lear,” black-ish creator Kenya Barris — who’s also writing the Good Times movie reboot for Sony — tells us. “The idea of playing with that set and having our characters play their characters, it’s all a little bit of a wink and thank-you to the audience for sticking with us for a year.” To truly capture the era, the episode includes a multicamera setup, a live studio audience, and, yes, throwback styles. “It was such a great period for fashion and hair,” says Barris. “We just wanted to have some fun with it.”

SEASON FINALE

Survivor

CBS, 8 p.m.

Tonight, the tireless and ageless Jeff Probst will preside as the show crowns its 32nd champion. For more on the finale, and the season at large, check out our considerable volumes of Survivor coverage here, all courtesy of EW’s Dalton Ross.

SEASON FINALE

Empire

Fox, 9 p.m.

In order to protect her family, Cookie uses Hakeem’s wedding as an excuse to organize a meeting with various associates from her past. Sounds like she’s going full Godfather now!

SERIES DEBUT

Genius by Stephen Hawking

PBS, 9 p.m.

Stephen Hawking will answer big questions like “Where Did the Universe Come From?” and “Why Are We Here?” But he won’t do it alone: The gimmick is that he’ll use employ everyday people to engage in large-scale experiments that illustrate these complex concepts. Your move, Bill Nye!

SEASON PREMIERE

Royal Pains

USA, 10 p.m.

The show’s final season begins with Hank treating a wounded politician. The politician got injured, of course, after he felt the Bern.

OTHER SEASON FINALES

The Middle (ABC, 8 p.m.), The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:30 p.m.), Modern Family (ABC, 9 p.m.), and The Last Panthers (SundanceTV, 10 p.m.)

Because there are a lot!