Daily Best Bets

1) “TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons?” 8 p.m., Fox. As a young man, Simmons (shown here) shed 123 pounds, almost half his weight. Moving from New Orleans to Los Angeles, he started a fitness studio, emphasizing oldies music and upbeat attitude. He swirled through talk shows and more. Then — 8 ½ years ago, at 65 – he vanished. There was a brief hospitalization, an audio interview, a police wellness check, then nothing. Read more…

1) “House of the Dragon” debut, 9 p.m., HBO, rerunning at 10:10. This is the big one – or one of two big ones. Years in the making, there are epic prequels to “Lord of the Rings” (Sept. 2 on Amazon) and, first, “Game of Thrones.” HBO reportedly spent $200 million on this 10-episode season, set almost 200 years before “Thrones.” Paddy Considine (shown here) plays the king, with Emma D’Arcy (and, in the early years, Milly Alcock) as the dragon-riding princess. Read more…

1) “Jaws” (1977), 7 p.m., AMC; or “Back to the Future” (1985), 8 p.m., CMT. More than anyone else, Steven Spielberg has shown that a movie can be artfully crafted and wildly entertaining. He proved that by directing “Jaws” (shown here) and by producing “Back to the Future” – a film that (under director and co-writer Robert Zemeckis) can best be describes as Spielberg-esque. And yes, that’s a good thing. Read more…

1) “Secret Celebrity Renovation,” 8 p.m., CBS. It’s been a great stretch for Annaleigh Ashford (shown here) … albeit one that included “B Positive” being canceled. She was terrific in that show … and in Broadway TV specials … and as Clinton-accuser Paula Jones in a mini-series. More roles are coming – as actress Judy Holliday and as a prime force behind the Chippendale dancers. First, she visits home here, to help some home renovations for her dad and recently-retired mom. Read more…

1) “Reservation Dogs,” any time, Hulu. Crafted with subtlety and depth, “Dogs” (focusing on young native Americans) is taking big detours this season For two episodes, Elora (shown here, left) was fleeing to California with her former nemesis … until their car broke down. In the third, Bear (right) got his first job; that one ended with Elora saying her grandmother was dying. Now the community gathers for a deathwatch; the result is a great blend of warmth, humor and more. Read more…

1) “Abbott Elementary,” 8-10 p.m., ABC Arriving at mid-season, “Abbott” has soared. It swept the Television Critics Association awards – program of the year, plus best new show, comedy and comedy individual (Quinta Brunson, shown here); it also has seven Emmy nominations, including best comedy. Now ABC celebrates with four reruns, starting with the pilot. At 8:30, Janine (Brunson) tries to know her colleagues better. Then come a step-dance class and “desking. Read more…

1) “Devils” season-opener, 9 p.m., CW. With sleek visuals, this European series makes financial schemes feel like tech thrill rides. In the first season, Massimo battled his ex-mentor (Patrick Dempsey; they’re shown here) and took control of a mega-bank. Now we jump between crises – Brexit in 2016, Covid in 2020 – that created financial chaos. There are murders, past and present, and careers wobble. It’s hard to follow some of the fiscal-babble, but easy to feel engaged. Read more…

1) “Better Call Saul” series finale, 9 p.m., AMC, rerunning at 10:38. A great series concludes. Since this is a prequel, we know where part of it is headed. We know Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk, shown here), re-dubbed “Saul,” will be the scheming lawyer working with the “Breaking Bad” guys. But in the flashforward scenes after that, he’s bottomed out. His wife has left (a flashforward showed her new life in Florida); he calls himself “Gene” and has done a cruel theft. We’ll see how or if he survives. Read more…

1) “Masterpiece: Grantchester” season-finale, 9 p.m., PBS. It’s been a terrific season, a quick rebound from the drab “Masterpiece: Endeavour.” Alongside some solid mysteries, there have been personal crises for Geordie (lost in an alcoholic funk) and Will (shown here, center, last season), who dallied with a temptress while overlooking Geordie’s good-hearted niece Bonnie. Last week, Geordie’s wife let him return home; now come more key moments, including another murder of a homeless man. Read more…

1) “The Princess” debut, 8 p.m., HBO. This feels like a wonderfully mismatched triple-feature. HBO’s new Diana (shown here) documentary is surrounded by Oscar-winning performances in terrific 2021 films. At 5:30 p.m., Will Smith is an unstoppable tennis dad in “King Richard”; at 10, Ariana DeBose is a potent Anita in Steven Speilberg’s superb “West Side Story.” Read more…