Daily Best Bets

1) “CBS Fall Preview,” 9 p.m., CBS. Each September, networks say their new shows are big, bold and entertaining. CBS this year? It’s definitely not big (only three new scripted shows) or bold … but it has some fun moments. “Fire Country” (shown here) – which takes this timeslot in two weeks – mixes strong drama and wildfire fury … “So Help Me Todd” (Sept. 29) is an amiable blend of comedy and crime-solving … “East New York” (Oct. 2) is an adequate cop show.. Read more…

1) “Atlanta” (shown here in a previous seasoh) season-openers, 10 and 10:40 p.m., FX, rerunning at 11:26 and 12:06. This starts with Darius trying to return an item to a store that’s being looted. The result is both funny and bizarre – a sign of what’s ahead. Partly Serling and Seinfeld, partly Fellini and Freud, it’s a strange way to start the final season. The second episode views Ern in therapy … and views a stranger in deetail. The elements seem unrelated … until they merge in an unsettling way. Read more…

1) Finale fever, 9-11 p.m., CBS and NBC. Two summer reality shows simultaneously pick their winners. CBS’ “The Challenge: USA” names its first champion, who will then go on to an international contest; at the same time, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” has its 17th winner. On Tuesday, viewers saw 11 finalists — four music acts, two magicians and more, including the Mayya dance troupe, shown here. Read more…

1) Academy of Country Music Honors, 8-10 p.m., Fox. The network is busy corralling country fans. It has already aired the “Monarch” opener twice and will run it again at 9:02 p.m. Wednesday; also, that show’s star, Trace Adkins, performs tonight. The show honors Miranda Lambert (shown here), Chris Stapleton, Shania Twain, Morgan Wallen and the “Yellowstone” series. Other performers include Carly Pearce (who hosts), Dierks Bentley, Wynonna Judd, many more. Read more…

1) Emmy awards, 8-11 p.m., NBC. Kenan Thompson (shown here in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch) hosts, with plans for a big opening number. He’s not much of a monologue guy, but other “Saturday Night Live” people (past and present) will be there. They include Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon and Vanessa Bayer. Others range from Will Arnett to Natalie Zea, plus two people from “Squid Game,” a first-year show that’s up for best drama, in a field led by “Succession.” Read more…

1) “Monarch,” about 8 p.m. ET (after football), Fox. Eight days before the new season starts, here’s the first arrival. It links good music (often soft and subtle) and bad soap opera (sometimes loud and blunt). Trace Adkins (shown here) and Susan Sarandon play the leaders of a Nashville dynasty. They have one daughter who looks like a star (Anna Friel) and one who sings like one (Beth Ditto), plus a business-like son. Then a big event changes everything. Read more…

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Simu Liu, one of the newest members of the superhero universe, hosts this rerun, with Saweetie as music guest. Liu was born in China, but spent much of his childhood in Canada, where he did a TV comedy, “Kim’s Convenience.” But his fame came with the action film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (shown here); the character is expected to return in a sequel and in an “Avengers” movie. Read more…

1) Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. Even in wartime, Ukrainians find room for music. Canadian-Ukrainian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson leads a group that incliudes refugees plus Ukrainians who perform in their own country or abroad. The concert has Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony, the Seventh Symphony of Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov and a Chopin concerto with Ukrainian piano virtuoso Anna Fedorova (shown here). Read more…

1) Football, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. The colleges had their week in the spotlight, but now the pros take over. The season opens with the Los Angeles Rams (shown here) at home – the same spot where they won last year’s Super Bowl. The Rams (12-5 in the regular season) host the Buffalo Bills (11-6). The pre-game show starts at 7 p.m. ET, sometimes cutting to J Balvin’s nearby concert. Read more…

1) “MasterChef,” 8 and 9 p.m., Fox. A week from the finale, the show is down to five chefs. There’s Dara Yu (shown here), 20, who was runner-up in the first “MasterChef Junior,” and four people in their 30s – Emily Hallock, Shanika Patterson, Michael Silverstein and Christian Green. In the first hour, they try baked Alaska and lobster tortellini; in the second, the top four start the finals, with a studio audience. Read more…