1) “American Experience,” 9-11 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. To the outside world, Woodstock (shown here) was a mess – too much mud and chaos, too little food and water. But the people who were there tell a different story – a mega-crowd absorbing good vibes and great music. Just shy of the 50th anniversary (Aug. 15-18), this compelling film views Woodstock from the start … including the scramble for a new site, five weeks before the event. The stage barely got finished, the fence never was finished, but the party went on.
2) “BH90210” debut, 9 p.m. Wednesday, Fox; rerunning at 8 p.m. Friday. Here’s something different – a scripted show, pretending to be a reality show. Six of the original “Beverly Hills, 90210” stars play themselves … or perverse versions of themselves. Attending a fan fest, they re-ignite old flames and feuds … then ponder a reboot. Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering star. Luke Perry, who died in March at 52, hadn’t planned to be in it.
3) “Bulletproof” debut, 8 p.m. Wednesday, CW. Here’s another show just starting; it’s a British transplant, with American influences. Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters, who star (and created this show with Nick Love) have said they were inspired by “Lethal Weapon” and “Bad Boys” and such. They play two cops – one who grew up on the streets, the other an aspiring family man whose dad was a decorated cop. Now hey work on what CW calls “high-octane action” on London’s gritty East End.
4) Bachelor in Paradise” opener, 8-10:01 p.m. today, ABC; continues Tuesday. There’s one more splash of blue skies and folks who look nice in swimwear. This starts with 11 women — three of whom will depart Tuesday — and nine men. An early focus is on Blake Horstmann, 30, the runner-up in last year’s “Bachelorette.” He gets the first date card, stirring things with past acquaintances Hannah Godwin and Caelynn Miller-Keyes, both 24; soon, ex-girlfriend Kristina Schulman, 27, arrives, complicating things.
5) “Undercover Billionaire,” 10 p.m. Tuesday, Discovery. A generation ago, Glenn Stearns reached California with no job, home or money; he built what’s now a giant finance company. But could he do it again? This show sends him to Erie, Pa., with $100 and a secret identity. It gives him 90 days to assemble a team and start a company, with some of the people getting a stake in it. Afterward, the company is evaluated; if it’s below $1 million, Stearns will put a million of his own money into it.
6) “Bless This Mess” return, 10 p.m. Tuesday, ABC. It’s been a tough summer for comedy fans, with many shows replaced by reality. But now we have two reruns of CBS’ “Big Bang” (9 p.m. today and 8 p.m. Thursday) plus “Mess.” It was scheduled for last week, then bumped; now – barring another change – we get a rerun of the funny pilot. City folks (Dax Shepard and Lake Bell) plan to become farmers, boosted only by optimism and the Internet. Locals (Pam Grier, Ed Begley Jr.) have doubts.
7) “Chasing the Cure” debut, 9-10:30 p.m. Thursday, TBS and TNT. At times, people face medical dilemmas. They can’t afford a doctor … or they have one who is stumped. In modern times, people sometimes turn to the Internet; now comes a TV variation, presenting cases and asking for help. Ann Curry the host, offers the example of a young mom: “At 27, she can barely walk up a stairs. She’s been diagnosed with 10 separate diseases over the past eight years.” Now help may come from viewers.
8) “Fallen Hearts,” 8-10 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime. We’re at the mid-point of the five-week Casteel Family saga, based on V.C. Andrews novels. It’s the last film, however, centering on Annalise Basso, 20, as Heaven Casteel. In “Heaven” (rerunning at 4 p.m.), she was poor when her mom fled and her dad sold the five kids separately – in her case, to a cruel family. In “Dark Angel” (6 p.m.), she moved to a Philadelphia mansion. In “Fallen Hearts,” she’s married, happy … and lured back to the mansion.
9) U.S. Gymnastics championships. 8-10 p.m. Sunday, NBC; also, 8-10 p.m. ET Thursday through Saturday, NBC Sports Network. A year from the Olympics, this is an event that molds heroes. Its past champions include Mary Lou Retton, Bart Conner, Dominique Dawes, etc. Now that’s spread over four days in Kansas City, with juniors in the daytime and seniors at night. The men are Thursday and Saturday; the women are Friday and Sunday … with that last night (Aug. 11) jumping over to NBC.
10) And more. At 8 p.m. Friday, ABC has a “WE Day” special, mixing music and speeches about young people making a difference; Neil Patrick Harris hosts, with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas, Chance the Rapper and many more. At 9 p.m. Friday, PBS has its annual “Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert”; this one – with conductor Gustavo Dudamel and pianist Yuja Wang — ranges fom Sousa to Strauss and Chopin. And at 8 p.m. Sunday, Discovery continues its lush “Serengeti” documentary.