How much have superheroes taken over the world? Well, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC, 8 p.m.) is one of the more popular dramas of the new fall season. And those who love that Marvel approach will probably be watching that rather than the three hour “Superheroes: A Never Ending Battle” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings), a documentary miniseries meant to be spread out over multiple weeks instead of one night.
Public television is a little late to the phenomenon, but for every whopper in the script (pretending that 1978’s “Superman” was the first superhero film, or that “Spider-Man” was “the movie that changed the world”), or feeling a bit like ComicCon, there is full explication of certain comic trends, using a variety of voices and a decent way of presenting comic book images to the screen. That Liev Schreiber narrates adds a little gravity.
Other shows that borrow from comic world and science fiction include “Face Off” (Syfy, 9 p.m.) and “Fangasm” (Syfy, 10 p.m.).
Snoop Dogg hosts the annual BET Hip Hop Awards (BET, 8 p.m.) held Sept. 28 at the Atlanta Civic Center. MC Lyte is to recieve the “I Am Hip Hop Icon Award.” Performances are scheduled from 2 Chainz, Lil’ Kim, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Future, Rocko, Diddy, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Meek Mill and Slaughterhouse. Kendrick Lamar has the most nominations – 14 – followed by Drake with 13 and J. Cole with 10.
It’s followed by the second season premiere of Kevin Hart’s spoofy “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET, 10 p.m.), which will probably feature less Robin Thicke, but still has Nick cannon, J.B. Smoove, Boris Kodjoe and Duane Martin.
Another salute to R&B excess (but apparently not a spoof), is R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” (IFC, 8 p.m.). Thirty-threee of its episodes are shown.
Jon Lovitz guest stars on “New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.), as a rabbi. But “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) goes one better, with Timothy Olyphant.
On “Gem Hunt” (Travel, 10 p.m.), they don’t actually hunt for gems as much as they hunt for gem sales internationally. Loudmouth dealer Ron LeBlanc and his team travel to Vietnam (or as it’s called in the hyped narration, “Communist Vietnam”) in search of making killings on rubies.
Two of the most embarrassing words allegedly issued in boxing are memorialized in the “30 for 30” documentary “No Mas” (ESPN, 8 p.m.) about the 1980 fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, in which the latter said the words.
Hey, wasn’t this supposed to start last week? “The Biggest Loser” (NBC, 8 p.m.) starts its 15th season with a cast that includes second season “American Idol” winner, Ruben Studdard.
Gibbs and McGee travel to Afghanistan on “NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Is it just me or is it a big deal that “I Am Curious – Yellow” (TCM, 3 a.m.), the notorious Swedish sex film from 1967 is showing on regular cable tonight as part of a survey of foreign films of the 60s? Other films include Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars” (8 p.m.), Pasolini’s “Accattone!” (9:45 p.m.), Godard’s “Breathless” (midnight), and Antonioni’s “L’ Eclisse” (5:15 a.m.). Among them is the documentary “The Story of Film: An Odyssey: 1957-1969 – Shock of the New, Modern Filmmaking in Western Europe” (1:45 a.m.).
I love most movies with Greta Gerwig, but last year’s “Lola Versus” (HBO Signature) features a couple of famous faces from cable series as well, Joel Kinnaman of “The Killing” and Hamish Linklater (Jerry Dantana of “The Newsroom”). Debra Winger and Bill Pullman play her parents.
Both league championships are on today: Boston at Detroit (Fox, 4 p.m.) and St. Louis at Dodgers (TBS, 8 p.m.).
Hockey action includes San Jose at St. Louis (NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Cee-Lo Green, Anna Faris, Christina Milian, Cher Lloyd. The View: Octavia Spencer, Clinton Kelly, Piers Morgan. The Talk: Chris O’Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Miguel Ferrer, Jamie Krell. Ellen DeGeneres: Wanda Sykes, Jared Leto, Lee and Morty Kaufman, Fitz and the Tantrums. Wendy Williams: Lloyd Boston.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Sylvester Stallone, Anna Faris, Deltron 3030. Jay Leno: Robin Williams, Mark Cuban, Gain DeGraw (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll, Julianne Hough, Ariana Grande. Jimmy Fallon: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Stephen Merchant, the Avett Brothers (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Michael C. Hall, Laura Bell Bundy. Carson Daly: Guillermo Diaz, Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Roackettes, the Stepkids (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Steve McQueen. Jon Stewart: Michael Fassbender (rerun). Stephen Colbert: David Finkel (rerun). W. Kamau Bell: Alison Stewart. Arsenio Hall: Blair Underwood, Cheryl Hines, Rachael Harris, Nelly. Conan O’Brien: Samantha Gordon, Jake Owen. Chelsea Handler: Jory Markiss, John Caparulo, Jen Kirkman, Jo Koy, Fortune Feimster.