Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Friday, July 26: “SHIELD” tries to save the world

1) “Agents of SHIELD,” 8 p.m., ABC. A week from the season-finale (and a year from the series-finale), “SHIELD” has our attention. Tonight, ABC says, the team is in full crisis mode; that thrusts it toward next week’s two-hour finale, trying “to stop the end of everything,” a worthy goal. The series (shown here from its first year) had already been renewed for 13 episodes next summer, but ABC recently said that will be the end. Read more…

Best-bets for July 25: For “iZombie,” the end is near

1) “iZombie,” 8 p.m., CW. Next week, two CW gems will depart. It will be the final episodes of “Jane the Virgin” on Wednesday and “iZombie” a week from today; add “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (which concluded this spring) and you have the network’s best shows. As for tonight … Liv – the doctor who accidentally became a crimesolving zombie – gets devastating news; also, Clive (shown here) does some society dancing. Read more…

Best-bets for July 24: Nearing the finish, “Jane” soars

1) “Jane the Virgin,” 9 p.m., CW. At the end of a terrific episode. Jane’s mom quietly asks: “How do we say goodbye?” Good question; after five seasons and 98 episodes, we hate to see “Jane” end. It started well (including a Golden Globe for Gina Rodriguez and a best-comedy-series nomination), stumbled a bit, but is ending with humor and warmth. This episode manages to settle most of the plot points, even providing some warmth for ex-spouses Rafael and Petra, shown here. In fact, one problem is disposed of quite spectacularly. We’re not sure what will be left for next week’s two-part finale. Read more…

Best bets for July 23: Catch a comedy while you can

1) “Modern Family,” 9 and 10 p.m., ABC, and more. In giddy stretches of the 1990s, a network would have 16-18 situation comedies. And next week? Counting everything (except cartoons), the broadcast networks will have a total of four sitcoms. Really. CBS and NBC had already replaced theirs with summertime reality; next Tuesday, most of ABC’s sitcoms will be replaced by the “Bachelorette” finale. So savor these laughs while you can,including “Modern Family” (shown here in a graduation episode), plus “The Connors” (8 p.m.), “American Housewife” (8:30) and “Black-ish” (9:30 and 10:30). Read more…

Best-bets for July 22: At last, a Lukeless Hannah

1) “The Bachelorette,” 8-10:01 p.m., ABC. This edition takes longer than usual, due to a lingering Luke. Two weeks ago, Hannah Brown refused to trim from four guys to three, inexplicably keeping Luke Parker (shown here with Brown). She dismissed him last week, but he’s persistent. Tonight, he finally leaves; Chris Harrison talks to Brown and to Parker and 16 other rejects, finding emotional moments with Mike Johnson. That sets up next week’s two-parter with Jed Wyatt, Peter Weber and Tyler Cameron. Read more…

Best-bets for July 21: The end of “Truth” and “Lies”

1) “Big Little Lies” season-finale, 9 p.m., HBO. It’s a night for shows to conclude their second seasons, wrapping up mini-series-type stories. At 8 p.m. is CW’s eight-week “Burden of Truth”; then is this seven-week story. The first season won eight Emmys, including best actress (Nicole Kidman) and mini-series. The second ends with Celeste (Kidman) grilling her late husband’s mother (Meryl Streep) about his childhood tragedy. Also, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) feels secrets are tearing the five friends apart; they’re shown here, with Streep looming in the background. Read more…

Best-bets for July 20: Moon, moon, moon (and “SNL”)

1) Moon documentaries, everywhere. On the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, cable is busy. Discovery has “Apollo: The Forgotten Films” at 8 p.m. and “Confessions From Space” at 10. BBC America uses CBS’ original reports as the core, from 9-11 p.m. ET, rerunning at 2 a.m. At 9 p.m. ET, CNN reruns its “Apollo 11” movie (repeating at 11). Also, at 9, Smihsonian has “The Day We Walked the Moon”; at 10:05, History has “Moon Landing: The Lost Tapes.” Read more…

Best-bets for July 18? It’s quite elementary

1) “Elementary,” 10 p.m., CBS. Jonny Lee Miller (shown here) has become the perpetual Sherlock Holmes. Others try. Approximately, Jeremy Britt was Sherlock 43 times; Benedict Cumberbatch, 15; Basil Rathbone, 14; Christopher Lee, 3; Robert Downey Jr., 2. Add them up, throw in lots of others, and you still don’t match this: It’s the 150h episode with Miller as a modern Sherlock, mostly in New York. Tonight, s sculptor has been killed, sparking fears that a serial killer is back. Read more…

Best-bets for July 17: “Jane” has it all; PBS has the moon

1) “Jane the Virgin,” 9 p.m., CW. With only three episodes after tonight, this terrific show has one of its best hours. Jane’s grandmother (shown here, dancing with Jane’s mom) is alternately foul and triumphant … there’s a spectacular action scene … and there’s a truly bizarre plan assembled by Jane’s dad. That last one is part of a sub-plot that will satisfy all of us who feel it should be a felony to thank an agent during an awards ceremony. Read more…