1) “The Wonder Years,” 9 p.m., ABC. Life gets sticky when your wife (shown here) fires your best friend … especially when your son and his are Soapbox Derby partners. Unlike some recent episodes of this comedy-drama, this one remembers the comedy part, creating an enjoyable half-hour. Read more…
1) “Only Murders in the Building” season-opener, Hulu. The first two seasons have been terrific; each has drawn a ton of Emmy nominations, including ones for best comedy series and for Steve Martin and Martin Short as best actor. Along with Selena Gomez, they (shown here) play podcast buffs who find murders. This time, the victim was a theater star and Oliver (Short) dreams of reviving his own career. There are two episodes this week, with Meryl Streep in support. Read more…
1) “The Bachelorette,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. It’s “fantasy suite” night, when Charity Lawson (shown here) invites the final three guys to separately each spend a night with her. (Historically, guys tend to accept these invitations.) Last week, she visited four home towns, then ousted Aaron Bryant. That leaves Joey Graziadel, a tennis pro from Hawaii; Xavier Bonner, a biomedical scientist from Ohio; and Dutan Olubeko, a medical specialist from Fresno. Read more…
1) “Grantchester” season-finale, 9-11 p.m., PBS. The eighth season has been the best one yet, solving smart mysteries while dealing with deep personal problems. Will has wallowed in guilt, since killing a man who ran in front of his motorcycle. Geordie has an arrogant new boss; also, Bonnie (Will’s pregnant wife) and Leonard (his former assistant, shown here with Will, center, and Will’s housekeeper) despair. Now some of that is resolved, while two more mysteries are solved. Read more…
1) “Ms. Marvel” opener, 8-11 p.m., ABC. Here’s a surprise bonus – a Disney+ mini-series, jumping to ABC. Iman Vellani, a Pakistan native who grew up in Canada, plays Kamala Khan, who plays videogames and writes fan fiction, especially about Captain Marvel. Then she gets a bangle from her grandmother and (shown here) her life transforms. This six-part tale concludes next Saturday, setting up a movie (“The Marvels”), tentatively set for Nov. 10. Read more…
1) “Secret Celebrity Renovation” season-opener, 8 and 9 p.m., CBS.. Fresh from hosting and producing “Tough as Nails,” Phil Koeghan has a personal task. He’s a New Zealand native, but spent part of his childhood in the island nation of Antigua. He returns there to help a former neighbor renovate a hospice center (shown here). Then Max Thieriot borrows his “Fire Country” timeslot (9 p.m.) to help with a home renovation for his boyhood best friend, who is a firefighter. Read more…
1) Pro football, 8 p.m. ET, NBC. In a strike-shattered year, football will be crucial for NBC. There’s the season-opener Sept. 7 and the Sunday-night games, starting Sept. 10. First is this pre-season opener, pitting teams that last year had 7-10 records and quarterback issues. The New York Jets (shown here) solved theirs by getting Aaron Rodgers. The Cleveland Browns had traded for Dashaun Watson; he missed a season and a half amid, sexual accusations, then had a rough return. Read more…
1) “Big Brother” opener, 8-9:30 p.m., CBS. This is what CBS has been pointing toward for months: Its summer shows get a late start, letting them sprawl into a reality-stuffed fall season. Tonight, Julie Chen (shown here) introduces the new housemates. The show continues at 9 p.m. Thursdays and 8 p.m. Sundays. Another reality show (“Secret Celebrity Renovation”) arrives at 8 p.m. Friday, with two more next week and several others (old and new) this fall. Read more…
1) “Southern Storytellers” finale, 9 p.m., PBS. We see talented people – writers Jesmyn Ward and Michael Waldron, singer-songwriters Justin Moore, Thao Nguyen and “Tank” Ball – express love of the South; we also see Natasha Tretheway (shown here) discuss love and hate. She was born (to parents whose mixed marriage was illegal in Mississippi), in town dominated by Robert E. Lee’s statue. The statue has been removed; a new memorial denotes her time as U.S. poet laureate. Read more…
1) “Cruel Summer” finale, 10 p.m., Freeform. Flashing between three times, each six months apart, we’ve seen teens transform. Megan (Sadie Stanley, shown here) and Luke went from platonic to passionate; then she hardened, covering up details of the night he died. This has required deft writing and acting; now, at last, we learn which people (directly and indirectly) were responsible for his death. Stick with this one to the final twist; it’s a strong finish to a surprisingly good tale. Read more…
