1) “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season-opener, Paramount+. Sure, some shows might have episodes where nothing much happens. Not here: After a slow start, this story (shown here) leaps across time and space, leaving … well, everyone everywhere in limbo. It’s definitely a big way to start the season.
2) “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” debut, HBO Max. Here’s some more high-stakes science-fiction … but on the comedy side. Stuart (a side character in “The Big Bang Theory”) finds that his comic-book store has a portal to other universes. He soon plunges in with his girlfriend Darlene and friends Barry Kripke and Bert Kibbler.
3) “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. On the same day that the third “Big Bang” spin-off arrives, we get clever reruns of the second one. First, Georgie wants the new scoreboard to be dedicated to his late father, the football coach. Then (going back to the show’s season-opener) his father-in-law botches retirement.
4) “Surviving Earth,” 8 p.m., NBC. A week before the season-finale, this reaches a key time, 2.5 million years ago. The continents are connecting; driven by drought, creatures head to South America. As usual, this hour has brilliant computer graphics, paired with oddly specific stories for its creatures. An excellent “Americas” hour follows.
5) ALSO: At 8 p.m., “Celebrity Family Feud” has a sporty night: The “Barstool Sports” people face basketball’s Cooper Flagg; then the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams collide. At 9, FX’s “The Bear” has a fast, frantic episodes. As the rains continue, the restaurant is thoroughly overbooked.