1) “Bring the Funny” debut, 10 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. Like reluctant lovers, NBC and “Last Comic Standing” had a tenuous relationship. The show – a stand-up comedy competition — ran for nine seasons, but was cancelled three times – once for a year, then for three, then forever. Now, four years later, a new show arrives. Instead of being confined to stand-up, it will include sketch troupes, magicians and more. Amanda Seales (second from left) hosts, with Jeff Foxworthy, Kenan Thompson and Chrissy Teigen as the judges.
2) “Love Island” debut, 8 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. Once the old-folks network, CBS is trying to fill its summer with sexy singles. “Big Brother” gets three hours a week – 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 8 p.m. Sundays – and now “Love Island” gets five; after its 90-minute opener, it will be 8-9 p.m. weekdays. Based on a British show, this is similar to Fox’s twice-failed “Temptation Island.” We start with singles at a tropical resort; some hook up, others are sent home, with new people showing up.
3) “Snowfall” season-opener, 10 p.m. Wednesday, FX. Even with the death and despair, the first two seasons sometime felt upbeat: Franklin, a brainy teen, soared as a crack cocaine dealer. He was arrested, then freed because Teddy, needed him for the Iran-Contra scheme. But now we see crack’s grip: The opening scene is fierce; so is the closing one … preceded by taut dialog between Franklin and the local cop. It reflects the talent of producer John Singleton, who died of a stroke in April, at 51.
4) “The Bachelorette,” 8-10:01 p.m. today, ABC. For two shows — “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” — this tends to be a highlight; it’s when we visit the home towns and meet the families of the final four. Now Hannah Brown, 24, a former Miss Alabama, can mostly stays close to her Southern roots: The guys are from Georgia (Luke Parker, 24, an import/export manager), Tennessee (Jed Wyatt, 25, a singer/songwriter), Florida (Tyler Cameron, 26, a contractor) and California (Peter Weber, 27, a pilot).
5) “American Experience: Chasing the Moon,” 9-11 p.m. today through Wednesday, PBS. With the 50th anniversary of the moon landing 13 days away, PBS goes into full moon mode. These three nights have related shows at 8 p.m. and then this documentary mini-series at 9. The film’s pacing is sleepy, but there are key insights, especially from Sergei Khrushchev, 84, whose father (Nikita, then the Soviet premier) was considered the U.S.’ mortal enemy. Sergei is an American citizen who taught at Brown.
6) Baseball All-Star game, 7:30 p.m.ET Tuesday, Fox. Baseball’s best meet in Cleveland, with bragging rights at stake. The American League dominated at first, then the National League took over. It led, 40 wins to 26 (plus a tie) until 1996, when the AL struck back – 12 straight wins (plus another tie), then three NL wins and now six more for the AL. That puts it ahead 44-43-2, at a time when the World Series has evened out (five apiece lately) and the NL leads in inter-league wins during the season.
7) “The Big Bang Theory,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. How thorough is CBS’ summer makeover? Even “Big Bang,” a ratings leader, is sidelined. “Love Island” (see No. 2) and “Big Brother” replace the Thursday comedies; for now, this transplanted rerun is the only “Big Bang” scheduled. Fortunately, it’s a terrific one: Visiting Wil Wheaton’s house on “Dungeons and Dragons” night, Leonard finds William Shatner, Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”), director Kevin Smith and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
8) “Florida Girls” debut, 10 p.m. Wednesday, Pop. Here is fresh turf for TV comedy – four young women with no diplomas, no money, no prospects. One likes to fight, one likes to steal, one dreams of marrying her 57-year-old boyfriend. The fourth actually ponders getting her GED. That’s the role played by writer-producer Laura Chinn, who says she grew up this way. Her humor may be too coarse and caustic for some viewers, but others will consider it a frank and funny visit to a new universe.
9) “The Outpost” season-opener, 9 p.m. Thursday, CW. Filmed on the cheap in Utah, this had a clumsy start last summer. It was badly acted, poorly written and burdened with cliches, including its heroine linking with a handsome knight in semi-shining armor. Fortunately, the second season has a better start. Now filmed in Serbia, it has quick adjustments. At the core is Talon, who believes she’s the last of the Blackbloods, with magic powers. We flash back to her tragic girlhood, then see a fierce new challenge.
10) “Masterpiece: Grantchester” season-opener, 9-11 p.m. Sunday, PBS. It’s transition time. We see Sidney (James Norton) do his final work as a crimesolving vicar; we also meet his replacement … who, by coincidence, is equally tall, hip and handsome. To do it, the show glues together two episodes, one with a strong, 1950s civil-rights theme. In both, the solution is way too sudden and easy. That’s the show’s ongoing fault; its redeeming strength comes in a portrait of a good man, torn by his own flaws.