Week’s top-10 for July 31: CBS starts its reality surge

1) “Big Brother” opener, 8-9:30 p.m. Wednesday, CBS. This is the week CBS has been pointing to. As strikes loomed, it delayed four summer reality shows until August. That lets them sprawl deep into the fall season, where they’ll be joined by several more. For now, “Big Brother” (shown here with Julie Chen) is at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 9 p.m. Thursdays and 8 p.m. Sundays; this fall (with Survivor” and “Amazing Race” on Wednesdays), it’s 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 p.m. Sundays.

2) “Secret Celebrity Renovation” season-opener, 8 and 9 p.m. Friday, CBS. Phil. Keoghan (the “Tough as Nails” and “Amazing Race” host) is a New Zealand native, but spent parts of his childhood in Canada and Antigua. Now he returns to the latter, an island nation, to help a former neighbor renovate a hospice center. At 9, Max Thieriot helps with a home renovation for his boyhood best friend, who is a firefighter. Thieriot’s “Fire Country” returns next week

3) “Cruel Summer” finale, 10 p.m. today, Freeform. In its 10-week run, this has been a surprise – a teen drama with deeply layered characters, played with subtle skill. The finale ripples with twists, as we learn which people (directly and indirectly) were responsible for Luke’s death. Sadie Stanley has been superb as Megan, but now we see the quiet perfection of Griffin Gluck, Paul Adelstein and Braeden De La Garza as Luke, his dad and his brother.

4) “Breeders” season-openers, 10 p.m. today, FX. The fourth and final season leaps ahead five years, so the show re-cast (for the second time) Luke and Zoe. He’s 18 now, with a strong love interest and — in the final minute of the first of two half-hour episodes – news that transforms the series. Meanwhile, his parents (Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard) haven’t quite separated. The result is an involving (and melancholy) drama, with moments of sharp humor.

5) “Bachelorette,” 9-11 p.m. today, ABC; “America’s Got Talent,” 8-10 p.m. Tuesday. NBC. As new shows arrive, these annual summer pillars continue. On “Bachelorette,” Charity Lawson visits four guys’ in their homes, then dumps one. “AGT,” which paused last week for a special, has its eighth round of auditions. It has already fast-tracked singers Putri Ariani and Lavender Darcangelo, plus a choir, a dance group and a percussion group.

6) “Reservation Dogs” season-openers, Wednesday, Hulu. As last season ended, the teens finally achieved their goal – taking the ashes of their friend Daniel to California. Bear said he wasn’t going back to Oklahoma … and they have no way to do it anyway, because their car was stolen. That sets up simultaneous stories with Bear and with the others. The result juggles drama, comedy and surrealism, centering on some deeply likable characters.

7) Pro football, 8 p.m. ET Thursday, NBC. In this strike-shattered year, football will be crucial for NBC. That includes the season-opener Sept. 7 and the Sunday-night games, starting Sept. 10. First is this pre-season opener, pitting two teams that had 7-10 records and quarterback woes. The Jets solved theirs by getting Aaron Rodgers. The Browns had traded for Dashaun Watson; after missing a season and a half amid sexual accusations, he had a rough return.

8) CW makeover. Even before the strikes, the CW was shifting to lower-cost shows. Today, the disappointing “Run the Burbs” debuts at 8:30; it’s one of three Canadian comedies, with the adequate “Son of a Critch” at 8 and the clever “Children Ruin Everything” at 9. The Australian “Bump” returns at 9:30. Saturday has the season-opener of the OK “Great Chocolate Showdown” at 8 and the debut of the goofy “Recipe for Disaster” at 9 and 9:30.

9) “Grantchester” season-finale, 9-11 p.m. Sunday, PBS. Things open amid despair: Geordie (a cop) is being pushed toward retirement by an arrogant boss. Will (a crimesolving vicar) has wallowed in guilt since killing a man who ran in front of his motorcycle. Bonnie (Will’s pregnant wife) and Leonard (his former assistant) despair. Now “Grantchester” wraps two strong murder mysteries and hits emotional peaks, concluding its eighth and best season.

10) More Sunday dramas. One more show departs and three arrive. At 8 p.m., PBS’ “Ridley” wraps its season-ending two-parter; the mystery itself is so-so and settled early, but the season ends with warm layers of emotion. At 9 are the season-openers of HBO’s “Winning Time” and Showtime’s “The Chi.” (This season, Emmett and Kiesha struggle with his push to expand his restaurant.) At 10:05, Showtime starts “Black Snow,” an Australian murder mini-series.