Daily Best Bets

1) “Raid the Cage” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. On Oct. 2, CBS debuted “Loteria Loca” (shown here). Now it debuts another full-throttle, high-octane show with international roots. Contestants pause (briefly) to answer trivia questions, but that’s to buy extra time to run into a room, grab prizes and get out before the door shuts. It’s sort of fun to watch (for a while) and we can see why it’s already in 18 countries. But the hosts (Damon Wayans Jr. and Jeannie Mai) and contestants seem confined to a perpetually cheerful tone that soon gets monotonous. Read more…

1) “Transplant” season-opener, 9 p.m., NBC. This is one of the Canadian shows that networks imported to fill summertime holes. Solid and well-crafted, it’s worthy of this promotion to the fall schedule. Dr. Bashir Hamed and his sister fled from Syria to Canada; after rescuing the emergency-department chief, he got a hospital job. But now there’s a new chief and changes for several peopole, including his potential girlfriend. (They’re show here). This is a crowded hour, but has some strong moments. Read more…

1) “Archer” series finale, 10 p.m., FXX, rerunning at 10:32 and 11:04. At its best, this show (a cartoon for grown-ups) has been big, brash and high-octane. Now the finale tries to top that, with killer drones, killer bikers, two beheadings and a behanding … plus Lana (shown here) trying to make her shaky operation work. We prefer shows where the body parts remain intact, but this is done with enough humor and zest to keep us watching. Read more…

1) “Press Your Luck” season-opener, 10 p.m., ABC. Elizabeth Banks (shown here) has become an all-around talent. She was a comedy actress, from “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” to regular roles in “30 Rock” and “Modern Family.” Then she was a movie director — “Pitch Perfect 2,” the gorgeous “Charlie’s Angels” reboot, the surprise hit “Cocaine Bear” — and a game-show host. Her “Press Your Luck” ran for four summers on ABC, before it was nudged into the fall schedule. Read more…

1) “Irrational,” 10 p.m., NBC. As one of this fall’s few new, scripted shows, this had big expectations. . The first episode was terrific; the second had a wildly unlikely finish. Now this third one bounces back neatly: A skilled pilot crashes, raising suspicion. (In truth, this episode says, there hasn’t been a fatal crash of a major airline in 14 years.) Our hero, a psychology professor, visits the crash site (shown here) and discusses some fascinating human quirks. Read more…

1) “Professor T” season-finale, 8 p.m., PBS. This is basically a case-of-the-week series, with clever crimes solved by a criminology professor. Along the way, however, it has planted secrets among the police: Lisa (Emma Naomi, shown here) had a secret romance with Dan; their boss has a secret one with an undercover cop. Dan raged about Lisa’s secret shot at promotion … while he was secretly moonlighting with thugs. It all explodes tonight, in a terrific finish. Read more…

1) “Great Chocolate Showdown” finale, 8 p.m., CW. This amiable Canadian show has become more American since adding the CW mini-network. This year, seven of the 10 contestants were from the U.S., including the final four. Last week, Tim Eford, an Atlanta cop, was eliminated. That leaves Mike Casner, 38, a Chicago doctor; Ashlee, 33, a Baltimore medical assistant; and Kristen Washington (shown here in a previous episode), 23, who drives food delivery in Jackson, Miss. Read more…

1) “American Masters.” 9 p.m., PBS. Back in the late ‘80s, one man was filming jazz great Max Roach; another made audio recordings of his memories. Much later, they merged, adding old clips and new interviews. Now we see a vivid life, spanning genres; Roach (shown here) ranged from the bebop masters (Monk, Miles, Dizzy) to a rapper. Alongside great music, we gret glimpses of friendship (Clifford Brown), romance (Abby Lincoln) and agony. Read more…

1) “Hell’s Kitchen,” 8 p.m., Fox. Last week’s opener left Gordon Ramsay seeming oddly pleasant. The women edged the men via a tiebreaker and no one was sent home. Now each side has to work on a dinner service and Ramsay returns to his screaming mode. Then “Lego Masters” (shown here) has an unusual challenge: Turn plastic bricks into playful home for real kittens. Read more…

1) “Quantum Leap” season-opener, 8 p.m., NBC. Fresh from a strong first season, this leaped into its second one before the strikes betan. It also shifted tone. Now there’s no holographic know-it-all to tell Ben what happened in the time he’s visiting. And this hour adds humor, when he crash-lands with a chaotic crew. It’s a sharp start with excellent guest stars, including the stars of “Manifest” (Melissa Roxburgh,shown here) and “Midnight, Texas” (Francois Arnaud). Read more…