Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for July 21: kitchen nightmare, space joy

1) “Kitchen Nightmares” season-opener, 8 and 9 p.m., Fox. Who knew there was this much angst and anger in the back of basic, down-home restaurants? In the first hour, a chef faces an immensely disinterested front-of-the-house manager; in the second, an all-American diner wades in ill-will. Somehow, Gordon Ramsay (shown here) seems like the calmest guy in the room. Read more…

Best-bets for July 20: lotsa games, new and reruns

1) Celebrity Family Feud,” 9-11 p.m., ABC. Last Thursday, “Feud” — one of TV’s best game shows– had its season-opener.s Now those episodes rerun today, emphasizing football — AFC and NFC champs — and music — En Vogue (shown here at its peak) vs. Sheila E, Lisa Lisa vs. Taylor Dayne. OnThursday, a new episode will pit the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams. Read more…

Best-bets for July 19: Messi soccer, gory vampire

1) World Cup championship, 3 p.m. ET, Fox. Argentina, the current champs, are back in the finals — barely. Lionel Messi (shown here) and his teammates needed a last-minutes, come-from-behind surge to edge England, 2-1. The Argentines have been in six previous finals, winning three times. Now they face Spain, which won its only previous finals, back in 2010. Read more…

Best-bets for July 16: Red returns; games collide

1) “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland,” 8 p.m., Disney Channel; repeats at 9:45. Four movies — each with upbeat songs and dazzling visuals — have centered on the offspring of Disney villains. The fourth introduced Red (the talented Kylie Cantrall); now — aided by Chloe (Malia Baker, shown here with Cantrell) — sge tries to rescue her mom (Rita Ora). Also, new character arrive, including one played by Awkwafina. Read more…

Best-bets for July 15: sports plus dumbest delight

1) “Nation’s Dumbest” debut, 9 p.m, Fox. Here’s an odd delight, filled with quirky touches. In a school setting, we meet 12 people, some considered brilliant — Andrew Yang, Drew Pinsky — and some not — Steve-O (shown here), Carmen Electra. They face tests of logic and knowledge, with surprising results. Jack Whitehall, the host, adds quiet wit and a British accent. Read more…

Best-bets for July 14: stars of space and sports

1) “Once Upon a Time in Space” opener, 9 p.m., PBS. For decades, the U.S. and Russia fought for space supremacy. Then — reluctantly, at first, in the Mir shuttle (shown here) — 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. Read more…

Best-bets for July 13: One show debuts, three return

1) “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” debut, 8 p.m. ABC. This opener seems like an audience-grabber. It has a dozen dancers, two sweet-faced guys — Robert Irwin (shown here winning “Stars” with Witney Carson) hosting, Derek Hough as the first mentor — and a worthy prize: The winner gets a spot as one of the pros paired with celebrities on “Dancing With the Stars.” Tonight, the dancers work on jive and samba. Read more…

Best-bets for July 12: double-Joel, plus sharks

1) “The 1% Club” and “Animal Control,” 7 and 8:30 p.m., Fox. Joel McHale is a big plus for Fox, with both of these shows — a game (which resumes new episodes Monday) and a situation comedy. The latter rerun is uneven, but has great moments at the start (with Rob Gronkowski) and the end: As union rep, Frank (McHale, shown here) must defend his enemy, Templeton. Read more…