1) “Hell’s Kitchen” opener, 8 p.m., Fox. After lots of flash and hype about the American dream, we meet the contestants – an appealing bunch of dreamers. At one extreme is a young Texan (shown here, left), now a chef in Chicago, who’s also a professional quidditch player. At another is a Mississippi chef, a single mom raising her six children and her sister’s three. They make their specialties and Gordon Ramsay seems genial enough. Next week, he’ll start screaming.
2) “People’s Choice Country Awards,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. This is the first time for these awards, but there will already be two career-type – for prizes – for Toby Keith and Wynonna Judd. They’re scheduled to perform, as are Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll, Hardy, Dan + Shay and the hosts, Little Big Town.
3) “The Golden Bachelor” debut, 8 p.m., ABC. For one series, TV sets aside its obsession with youth. Gerry Turner, 72, is a retired restaurateur, living at an Indiana lake. Widowed six years ago (after 43 years of marriage), he has two daughters and two granddaughters. Now he meets 22 women, ages 60 to 75. Ten are retired, others include educators, a wedding officiant and a pro-aging coach.
4) More dating. After that golden hour, TV returns to its preferred relationships – frisky young people who look good in swimwear. “FBoy Island” (9 p.m., CW) has three women trying to figure which guys are there for a romantic relationship and which just want sex. In “Bachelor in Paradise” (season-opener, 9-11, ABC), we suspect what most want. The 28 people (some arriving later) will include 10 each from the most recent editions of “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette.”
5) “Lego Masters” season-opener, 9 p.m., Fox. In the style of such shows, this has a fun host (Will Arnett), lame judges and terrific contestants. There’s brother-sister, mother-son, grandfather-lad. There are two grandmothers, two Texans named Tim, two women who each have two kids and a husband named Don. Tonight, they make a party boat. A few topple; most –Dairy Ferry, Teapot Trawler, Fire Sail, Pitch Party Pagoda Pontoon, etc. — are marvels.