1) MTV Video Music Awards, 8 p.m., everywhere. This sprawls across the cable world — MTV, VH1, CMT, BET, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Pop, Paramount, Comedy Central and, for the first time, CW. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (shown here) – who lead with nine nominations apiece – combine for “Rain on Me”; BTS has the TV debut of “Dynamite.” Also performing: Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, DaBaby, Black Eyed Peas, CNCO, Maluma, Doja Cat and more. Keke Palmer hosts the night, which has a New York tribute.
2) “Love Fraud” opener, 9 p.m., Showtime. A date with Richard Scott Smith was great, women agree. There were motorcycle rides, restaurant meals, long conversations; “he made me feel like I was No,. 1,” one says. She wasn’t; an early count showed he had 10 wives and five names. He drained money from the women … and others. One guy didn’t know his wife was having an affair … until she called about a divorce; he raced to the bank and found $80 left. It’s an intriguing, four-episode documentary
3) “NCIS: New Orleans,” 10 p.m., CBS. We used to expect three solid dramas from CBS each Sunday. Now we get “Big Brother” at 8 and “Love Island” at 9, leaving only this re-rerun. After an explosion at a movie theater, the team learns the gas company was hacked. More explosions could follow.
4) “Touch of Evil,” 8 p.m. ET., Turner Classic Movies. This Charlton Heston day includes the Oscar-winning epic “Ben-Hur” (1959) at 4 p.m. ET and three impressive sci-fi films – “The Omega Man” (1971) at 9:30 a.m., “Planet of the Apes” (1968) at 12:15 a.m. and “Soylent Green” (1973) at 2:15 a.m. But this is the most intriguing film, directed by Orson Welles in a stylish, black-and-white approach.
5) Also: If you want more video-music fuss, don’t worry. MTV has a preview at 6:30 p.m.; it’s the only one with that, but all the channels (except CW and Nickelodeon) repeat the awards at 10:15. Also, the Weather Channel has shows that were set for last week, then blown away by a hurricane – the season-finale of “Mayday: Air Disaster” and season-opener of “Weather Gone Viral,” at 8 and 9 p.m. ET.