TV tonight: 'Middle,' 'Earth: A New Wild,' 'Nashville'

The Middle
ABC, 8 ET/PT

Aunt Edie passes away tonight, which is a particular problem for Axl, who has already used her death more than once as an excuse to get out of some school assignments. He'll have plenty of time to work through his issues, as the family —Aunt Edie included — boards a train to South Dakota to take their aunt to her final resting place.

Earth: A New Wild
PBS, 9 ET/PT (times may vary)

Conservation scientist M. Sanjayan hosts this new PBS nature series, which explores our relationship with the other animals who occupy the planet. Shot in 29 countries, spread from Africa to the Arctic, the series promises to offer natural history footage with a twist: rather than just showing whales, pandas, lions and tigers on their own, human-free, it shows ways in which we interact with them, and explores new theories on how we can all co-exist.

Nashville
ABC, 10 ET/PT

ABC has had a great deal of success with over-the-top drama on Thursday — and less success with the same on Wednesday, perhaps because Nashville's heart never seemed to be in the right hyperbolic place. The show, however, returns with its pot boiling and its ill-fated lovers, Rayna and Deacon, on separate paths — with Rayna dealing with Luke's anger over their cancelled wedding and Deacon facing bad news of his own.