Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for July 28: light drama, tough reality

1) “Family Law,” 8 p.m., CW. This is the sort of hour “Law” does well – blending courtroom tales with personal stories of the family, while jugging heavy and light. Abby (Jewel Staite) and her brother Daniel handle a complex “mail-order bride” case, at the same time that she’s breaking the divorce news to her kids and he’s trying online dating. Another story involving her dad (Victor Garber, shown here with Staite) is quite goofy and some of the “solutions” are iffy. Overall, however, this is a solidly involving hour. Read more…

Best-bets for July 27: fun with ghost, sharks, vampires

1) “Ghosts,” 8 and 8:30 p.m., CBS. Jay’s sister first visited under wobbly circumstances: Fresh from a break-up, she was enamored with a video contact … who turned out to be dead Trevor. Now she’s back at Christmastime (yes, these are reruns), with a guy friend (they’re shown here); Sam, having seen too many holiday films, wants to stir a romance. It’s a funny two-parter that displaces “Young Sheldon” for a week. Read more…

Best-bets for July 26: flashing back with “Wonder,” “Big Brother”

1) “The Wonder Years,” 9 p.m., ABC. After being bumped for two straight weeks, this has an episode that’s a “West Wing” reunion. In late-’60s Alabama, Dean’s dad (Dule Hill) isn’t used to the idea of an inter-racial friendship. But he’s a musician and likes Dean’s music teacher (Bradley Whitford, Hill’s “West Wing” colleague; they’re shown here with Dean). They plan a couples’ night – while the kids have home-alone schemes. Read more…

Best-bet for July 25: Simon says; Raylan rages

1) “America’s Got Talent,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. Fresh from “Idol” and “X-Factor,” Simon Cowell (shown here) wanted a broader contest – any age, any genre. The result has been adapted in 69 countries, from Azerbaijan to Slovenia. Cowell has judged all 16 seasons of “Britain’s Got Talent” and the past eight in the U.S.; now he shows his favorite auditions from both. One may be Susan Boyle; an unknown when she auditioned at 48, she had the best-selling debut album in British history. Read more…

Best-bets for July 24: A cruel gem nears its finale

1) “Cruel Summer,” 10 p.m., Freeform. “You actually think you’re this good guy,” an ex-friend tells Luke. Many people think he is; he brings a sense of sweetness and pain. But there’s real depth to this show’s characters. Last week, Megan and Lexi extracted his confessions; then a gun was fired. Now – setting up next week’s finale – we learn much more. We also see that Griffin Gluck — like colleagues Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood (they’re shown here) — is a talented actor. Read more…

Best-bets for July 23: ominous sharks and cuddly pets

1) “Shark Week” begins, Discovery. While “SharkFest” continues on National Geographic, the original returns for its 35th year, with lots of imposing creatures (shown here). This time, Jason Momoa hosts and it’s also on Max. There are reruns all day and new hours at night: At 8 p.m., cameras are inside a fake whale carcass, to film a feeding frenzy. At 9, experts ponders the extinct MEG — some 50 feet long. At 10 is a look at attacks near posh Red Sea resorts. At 11, an hour looks back at 35 years. Read more…

Best-bets for July 21: a cult, a clone, a classic

1) “Praise Petey” (shown here) debut, 10 and 10:30 p.m., Freeform, rerunning at midnight. In New York, Petey has lots of clothes, lots of therapy and few opinions. Then her world implodes … and a new one appears: She inherits the small-town cult her father created. Freeform’s first animated show stars Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”). Like many cartoons, it sometimes pushes too hard for laughs; still, it’s a fairly clever show about colliding values in a new world. Read more…

Best-bets for July 20: “Password,” “Project,” prideful comedy

1) What We Do in the Shadows,” 10 p.m., FX, rerunning at 10:36 and 11:12. This clever show often prefers the dry and droll – understated reactions to bizarre, vampires-in-Staten-Island situations. Not this time; instead, brash sight gags are piled high. There’s a two-faced head … a vampire in the stratosphere … and an LGBQ parade by a candidate (shown here) who isn’t even sure what the letters stand for. It’s not the usual “Shadows,” but it’s quite funny. Read more…

Best-bets for July 19: music, “Mayans,” “MasterChef”

1) “CMA Fest” (shown here with Little Big Town), 8-11 p.m., ABC. This country concert has an arena-rock vibe. Guitars wail, crowds roar, the music is almost relentlessly high-octane. It’s always fun and, at scattered moments, more. We hear great songwriting (Jordan Davis’ “Buy Dirt,” Cody Johnson’s “’Til You Can’t”) and splendid combos. When Vince Gill and Luke Combs do “One More Last Chance” or Hardy and Lainey Wilson do “Wait in the Truck,” we’re at the heart of country. Read more…