Mike Hughes

1) “A Song for Cesar,” 10-11:30 p.m., PBS. Cesar Chavez (shown here), friends says, loved to dance. He savored jazz and comedy; he was “this guy with an urban soul.” So his farmworkers’ movement rippled with music – from the back of flat-bed trucks, then in arenas. This vibrant film offers brief bursts of music. Much of it is way too brief; still, it’s fascinating to see the show bounce between a white-haired musician and his young self, almost 60 years ago. Read more…

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. Read more…

1) “Survivor” opener, 8-9:30 p.m., CBS. This is the 45th edition, filled with people who obsess on the show. Indeed, there are three lawyers … and two of them lie about their profession, so they won’t be considered schemers. Returning is Bruce Perreault, who was seriously injured in the previous opener; now there’s another rough challenge (shown here) and another person needing medical attention. It’s a fun start, right up to the closing surprise. Read more…

1) “America’s Got Talent,” 9-11 p.m., NBC. After a summer of spectacle, the show has its 11 finalists. There are singers from Massachusetts and Indonesia, choirs from South Africa and North Carolina. There are two dance groups from Japan (including Avantgardey, the judges’ wild-card pick, shown here) and one from France, plus an Italian dog act, a Canadian comedian, a New Jersey magician and an acrobat duo from Tanzania. Now they perform and viewers vote; Wednesday has a recap at 8 and finale at 9. Read more…

1) “The Irrational” debut, 10 p.m., NBC. After surviving a tragedy, Alec (Jesse L. Martin, shown here) began studying the criminal mind. Now he’s a behavioral science professor, working with the police, including his ex-wife. Tonight’s opening scene is a gem and the story that follows is quite good. After that, there are no guarantees; the second hour is so-so, the third bounces back. As one of the few new, scripted shows this season, this is worth trying. Read more…

1) “Krapopolis” debut (shown here), after football (about 8 p.m. ET), Fox. Tyrannis has this theory that people can live peacefully in cities. That’s viewed skeptically by his mom (a self-obsessed shapeshifter), dad (half-human) and sister (really macho). In tonight’s second episode, Olympic-type games implode. This is a broad comedy from the “Community” and “Rick and Morty” producer. It’s inconsistent, but a fun piece of the cartoon line-up that starts next Sunday. Read more…

1) Football, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC. Two top-10 teams collide, with Notre Dame (shown here) hosting Ohio State. That’s on the second Saturday this year (and the second one ever) when five broadcast networks have primetime games. Also at 7:30 p.m.. ABC has Texas at Baylor and CBS has Iowa at Penn State. CW has Georgia Tech at Wake Forest at 6:30 p.m.; Fox has Oregon State at Washington State at 7, then Southern Cal at Arizona State at 10:30. Read more…