1) “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” debut, 8 p.m. today, ABC. Here are all the elements of a ratings-leader: a dozen dancers … two sweet-faced guys, Robert Irwin as host and Derek Hough (shown here with the female contestants) as the first mentor … and a notable prize — a spot as one of the pros paired with celebrities on “Dancing With the Stars.” Tonight, the dancers work on jive and samba.
2) “Nation’s Dumbest” debut, 9 p.m Wednesday, Fox. And this is the summer’s other new competition show, an odd delight. In a school setting, we meet 12 people, some perceived as brilliant (Andrew Yang, Drew Pinsky), some not (Steve-O, Carmen Electra). They face tests of logic and knowledge, with surprising results. Jack Whitehall is the witty host.
3) World Cup championship, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox. After starting with 48 teams, the soccer epic now has its final four. They’ll collide in 3 p.m. semi-finals Tuesday in Texas and Wednesday in Georgia. The two losers will then be in Florida at 5 p.m. Saturday, for the third-place game. Then the other two are in New Jersey, for the 23rd Cup championship.
4) “All-American” season-opener, 8-10 p.m. today, CW. It’s been an eight-year ride for a show centering on football at opposite high schools — in hard-scrabble Crenshaw and privileged Beverly Hills. The good news is that it has 13 episodes to wrap up; the bad is that the characters are distant (from each other and viewers) and the story stretches believability.
5) “The 1% Club” return, 8 p.m. today, Fox. After a four-week break, this clever game resumes new episodes, starting with “singles night.” At 9, “The Quiz With Balls” has the Harlem Globetrotters and (seeking their first win since 1971) Washington Generals. A big Fox week also has baseball’s All-Star game Tuesday and a new “MasterChef” Wednesday.
6) “Once Upon a Time in Space” opener, 9 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. For decades, the U.S. and Russia fought for space supremacy. Then, out of necessity, they merged. This is a huge story, told with third-party brilliance by British filmmakers. Over four Tuesdays, interviews with astronauts and their kin bring passion and surprising bursts of warmth and humor.
7) ESPY awards, 8-11 p.m., Wednesday ABC. On the night after baseball’s All-Star game (5 p.m. PT Tuesday, Fox), this spans sports. Up for best male athlete: Shohei Ohtani, baseball; Lionel Messi, soccer; Matthew Stafford, football; Jalen Brunson, basketball. Best female: Olympians Hillary Knight and Mikaela Shiffrin, plus A’Jai Wilson, basketball, and Nelly Korda, golf.
8) “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” 9:30 p.m. Wednesday; 9 and 10 p.m. Thursday, CBS. This terrific comedy now gets three reruns — including two with great moments from “Young Sheldon” characters. It’s Missy’s love life on Wednesday and Meemaw”s money-making scheme at 9 Thursday. Also, “Ghosts” reruns are 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
9) “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland,” 8 p.m., Thursday, Disney Channel; repeats at 9:45, then 8 p.m. Friday; 1:15 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Sunday. Four vibrant musicals have centered on the offspring of Disney villains. The fourth (rerunning at 8 p.m. Wednesday) introduced Kylie Cantrall as Red; in this fifth one, she tries to rescue her mom.
10) “The Vampire Lestat” season-finale, 9 p.m., Sunday, AMC. This has been a grand enigma — superbly written, acted and filmed, but with characters way too abrasive for many viewers. Sam Reid has been dazzling as a weary, long-ago Frenchman turned modern rock star. Now, with the number of vampires multiplying, there’s talk of the “great conversion.”