Mike Hughes on TV

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…