Mike Hughes

1) “Billions” season-opener, 8 p.m., Showtime. When Damian Lewis (shown here) left, “Billions” scrambled for an entire season. His character — Bobby “Axe” Axelrod – had fled overseas to escape prosecution. Mike Prince – just as ruthless, but way less charming – took over. Now Prince plans to run for president and others are desperate to get Axe back; so are we. Stick with this hour, through some strong dialog and then a big finish. Read more…

1) “Ms. Marvel” conclusion, 8-11 p.m., ABC. Fresh from its Television Critics Association award for best family show, this mini-series – originally on Disney+ — wraps its two-week rerun. Last week, we met Kamala Khan, a teen who played videogames and wrote fan fiction, especially about Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel). Then a bangle from her grandmother unlocked her own powers. Now (shown here) she’s traveling the world to learn family secrets. Read more…

1) Hip hop birthday, Showtime. Hip hop – with its surge of DJs, rappers, break-dancers and more – began on Aug. 11, 1973, historians say, with a West Bronx party. Now Showtime celebrates with a marathon. That includes highlights of “Video Music Box” at 10 a.m., followed by a film about Cypress Hill (11:30), mini-series about Supreme Team at 1 p.m. and Wu-Tang Clan (shown here) at 4 p.m. and then a film about rapper Biz Markie at 8. Read more…

1) “The Challenge: USA” opener, 10 p.m., CBS. This is the final piece in CBS’ August surge. Spun off of a long-running MTV show, it takes 24 reality-show alumni to Croatia (shown here). Nine started on “Big Brother” and seven on “Survivor, including winners Michele Fitzgerald and Chris Underwood.” The show follows “Big Brother” on Thursdays and (for the next three weeks) on Sundays. Read more…

1) “The Wonder Years,” 9 p.m., ABC. Life gets sticky when your wife (shown here) fires your best friend … especially when your son and his are Soapbox Derby partners. Unlike some recent episodes of this comedy-drama, this one remembers the comedy part, creating an enjoyable half-hour. Read more…

1) “Only Murders in the Building” season-opener, Hulu. The first two seasons have been terrific; each has drawn a ton of Emmy nominations, including ones for best comedy series and for Steve Martin and Martin Short as best actor. Along with Selena Gomez, they (shown here) play podcast buffs who find murders. This time, the victim was a theater star and Oliver (Short) dreams of reviving his own career. There are two episodes this week, with Meryl Streep in support. Read more…