Mike Hughes on TV

1) Hip hop birthday, Showtime. Hip hop – with its surge of DJs, rappers, break-dancers and more – began on Aug. 11, 1973, historians say, with a West Bronx party. Now Showtime celebrates with a marathon. That includes highlights of “Video Music Box” at 10 a.m., followed by a film about Cypress Hill (11:30), mini-series about Supreme Team at 1 p.m. and Wu-Tang Clan (shown here) at 4 p.m. and then a film about rapper Biz Markie at 8. Read more…

1) “The Challenge: USA” opener, 10 p.m., CBS. This is the final piece in CBS’ August surge. Spun off of a long-running MTV show, it takes 24 reality-show alumni to Croatia (shown here). Nine started on “Big Brother” and seven on “Survivor, including winners Michele Fitzgerald and Chris Underwood.” The show follows “Big Brother” on Thursdays and (for the next three weeks) on Sundays. Read more…

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…