What to Watch on Monday: Ron Howard takes you to ‘Mars’

Mars (9 p.m., National Geographic) – In this new limited series from Ron Howard and Brian Glazer, set in 2033, the first human mission to Mars enters the red planet’s atmosphere, but the crew of Daedalus faces a life-threatening emergency.

Also on tonight . . .

Gotham (8 p.m., Fox) – Gordon and Bullock sift through evidence from the murder at Lee and Mario’s engagement party.

Jane the Virgin (9 p.m., The CW) – Alba lets Jane read the letters from her estranged sister as long as she doesn’t reach out to her family.

Cake Wars (9 p.m., Food) – Seven teams compete in the Season 5 opener.

Soundbreaking (10 p.m., UNC-TV) – This new eight-part series traces the sonic evolution of the voice and musical instrument. It starts with a look at the role of the record producer and their contrasting styles, from George Martin and Sam Phillips to Tom Petty and Dr. Dre.

Timeless (10 p.m., NBC) – In Nixon-era Washington, Rufus and Lucy embark on an investigation that rattles them.