1) “The Wonder Years” season-openers, 9 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. In a rerun-and-reality summer, here’s a surprise – a new season of a pleasant-enough comedy-drama (shown here in a previous episode), set in the late 1960s. Both episodes – one in New York, the other back in Alabama — have key guest roles. In the first, Travis Burgess is a surprising neighbor. In both, Phoebe Robinson (“Everything’s Trash” and “2 Dope Queens”) is Dean’s fun (and wild) aunt.
2) “The Walking Dead: Dead City” debut, 9 p.m. Sunday, AMC. It’s one thing to duck zombies out in the country. Now, however, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) plunges into Manhattan, trying to rescue her son. She brings Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a guy she hates — partly for killing her husband — but needs. They soon confront a chilling villain (Zeljko Ivanek) and a charming-but-lethal marshal. In the “Dead” tradition, this is taut, messy, gory and well-crafted.
3) “Ghosts,” 8 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, CBS. Here’s a mini-marathon – four reruns of a clever show. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sam starts her podcast, pondering Alberta’s life and death; at 8:30, Jay tries a Halloween séance … and accidentally summons Molly, from Hetty’s past. The first Thursday rerun has the “Dumb Deaths” show look at the story of Flower, who died while hugging a bear. The second involves hiring a “perfect” assistant.
4) “Outlander” season-opener, 8 p.m. Friday, Starz, rerunning at 9:32, more. Claire — a 20th-century doctor, whisked back in time — faces the gallows for murder. Her husband Jamie races to help … but he’s a military officer and the Revolutionary War looms. This also streams on Hulu; also streaming: Netflix has “Our Planet II” (Wednesday) and the anime “Black Clover” (Friday); Paramount+ starts the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season (Thursday).
5) “Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts,” 11 p.m. today and 3 p.m. Wednesday, KVPT. In their 85 years, the all-Black units (nicknamed “buffalo soldiers”) saw extremes. They were a symbol of freedom – guarding the transcontinental railroad, being Yosemite’s first park rangers, fighting in world wars. Still, this film says, they sometimes fought freedom – in Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines … and at home, in the “Indian Wars” and suppressing strikers in Idaho.
6) Basketball finals, 5:30 p.m. PT today, ABC, with preview at 5. After two games in Miami, this best-of-seven series returns to Denver for Game 5. If needed, other games are 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Hockey also has three games, if needed – Tuesday, Friday and June 19, each at 5 p.m. PT on TNT. And the USFL has its last week before the playoffs. That’s Saturday (10 a.m. USA, 1 p.m., Fox) and Sunday (1 p.m. Fox Sports 1; 4 p.m., Fox).
7) “Temptation Island” season-opener, “The Big D” debut, 9 and 10 p.m. Wednesday, USA Network. One show might break up couples, the other might get them back together. Both, however, share a basic plan – people who look great in swimwear, partying in a beautiful resort. “Temptation” brings in four couples, then tempts them with new singles; “Big D” has six divorced couples who could re-unite … or re-align … or meet some late arrivals.
8) “Real Love” and “Strength of a Woman,” 6 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Lifetime. In the first film (which debuted June 10 and also airs Friday, at 8 p.m. and midnight), we meet Kendra (Ajiona Alexus), a bright and beautiful college freshman; a fun story takes tough spins that darken the sequel, 14 years later. Alexus is terrific, in movies that are richly filmed and sharply written. Still, it’s a rough journey for viewers, as Kendra keeps absorbing life’s jolts.
9) “Ridley” debut, 8 p.m., and “Endeavour” season-opener, 9-11 p.m., Sunday, PBS. These British tales each have a crimesolver who’s deeply somber. Alex Ridley is retired and alone, after his wife and daughter were killed; Endeavour Morse is back from alcohol rehab, after his one true romance crumbled. Both have movie-length stories, but Morse solves his (a good one) in one night. Ridley’s is split over two weeks – the first bland, the second potent.
10) ALSO: “Hoffman Family Gold” returns at 9 p.m. Friday on Discovery; Todd Hoffman has spent $750,000 on mega-vehicles and needs a big Alaskan haul. On Sunday, “1883” arrives on the Paramount Network, rerunning at 9:30, 11 and more; it’s a “Yellowstone” prequel that aired on Paramount+, with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. And at 10 and 10:38 on HBO, John Goodman’s “Righteous Gemstones” starts its third season, 16 months after the second ended.