1) “Hollywood Game Night” season-opener, 9 p.m., NBC. This reminds us of a sad fact: Thursdays – usually the best night for situation comedies – have suddenly become sitcom-free. Summertime reality shows have bumped comedy from CBS (“Big Bang,” “Mom,” etc.) and NBC. As a slight consolation, this opener has people from NBC’s “Superstore” (Nico Santos) and “The Good Place” (D’Arcy Carden, Marc Evan Jackson and Jameela Jamil, shown here), plus the “Ninja Warrior” hosts.
2) “The Outpost” season-opener, 9 p.m., CW. Last summer, this show got off to a shabby start. Poorly cast, it had a cheap look and an abundance of cliches, including a handsome knight for is heroine. Now the second season makes quick improvements, becoming almost adequate. It has a better look (filming moved from Utah to Serbia) and story. At the core is Talon, who has magic powers and believes she’s the last of the Blackbloods. We flash back to her tragic girlhood, then see a fierce new challenge.
3) “iZombie,” 8 p.m., CW. Hollywood used to like hard-nosed private eyes like Mike Hammer. Now one of them (named Mick Chisel) has been killed – via, of course, an ice pick to the head. Liv eats his brains to gain his memories, then assumes his no-nonsense attitude.
4) “Stand by Me” (1986), 8 and 10 p.m. ET, BBC America. The opening round of “The Movies” (which reruns at 9 p.m. and midnight ET Saturday) focused on the 1980s and included Rob Reiner’s hot streak. During the decade, he kept directing great movies — “Spinal Tap,” “Sure Thing,” “Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally” and this gem, about four boys on a misguided mission. The kids (River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman) and the director showed deep talent.
5) And more. After pausing last week to repeat its pilot film, “Reef Break” has a new hour at 10 p.m. on ABC; a plane has crashed on the island and the passenger is missing. And if you missed National Geographic’s moon-themed documentaries Sunday, catch the reruns now. “Apollo: Missions to the Moon” is 8 p.m. ET (rerunning at 11), with “The Armstrong Tapes” at 10.