For those who think the beginning and end of funny female comedy teams begin and end with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, let me introduce you to Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham. You’ve probably seen both of them popping up on different things, especially St. Clair, who has been everything from Gary’s demanding girlfriend on “Veep” tot a store spokesman for Marshall’s. Finally they have a vehicle that use both of their alents, honed a decade ago when the met in the Upright Citizens brigade Theater n New York. And to do so they had to create and write it themselves. So of course it’s perfect for them.
In “Playing House” (USA, 10 and 10:30 p.m.), St. Clair is a high powered businesswoman in Japan who chucks it all to help her best friend through her pregnancy. The two are very quick with one another,, in a realistic way and there’s plenty of slapstick as well as St. Clair adjusts to moving back to her old hometown (in Connecticut somewhere). It will be interesting to see how this develops after the baby is born. But with the women in charge of their own comedy, I have no worries at all.
Ruben Salazar was a groundbreaking Chicano journalist for the Los Angeles Times who also became an activist for his cause. When he was killed mysteriously at a rally in 1970, there were some suspicions he was assassinated. The new documentary “Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle” (PBS, 9 p.m.) looks into his life and career and especially into the last day of his life, even interviewing a shadowy figure believed to have been a key role in the event. It’s like interviewing the guy in grassy knoll.
It precedes the second part of a harrowing look at the criminal justice system on “Frontline” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings).
It’s not that Lorne Malvo doesn’t like blackmail, it’s that he doesn’t like when he’s involved. His involvement means menace to Oliver Platt’s supermarket mogul on another great new episode of “Fargo” (FX, 10 p.m.).
The “30 for 30: Soccer Stories” (ESPN, 7 p.m.) continues with two short films: Alex Gibney’s film on a terrorist attackk on fans in Northern Isreland during a 1994 World Cup game in New Jersey and a profile of Brazilian star Mane Garrincha by Marcos Horacio Azevedo.
Odd that “Trophy Wife” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) is followed by “Celebrity Wife Swap” (ABC, 10 p.m.). Switching households tonight are Tichina Arnold and Kelly Packard, whose first words to one another may well be “I’ve never heard of you either.”
At a time when race is again at the forefront of the national conversation, “Pioneers of Television” (PBS, 8 p.m.) looks at the history of people of color on TV, deaturing Diahann Carroll, Bill Cosby, Edward James Olmos and Desi Arnaz.
A live double elimination is planned for “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
Turner Classic Movies presents movies based on the work of Irwin Shaw: “The Young Lions” (8 p.m.), “Tip on a Dead Jockey” (11 p.m.), “Three” (1 a.m.) and “Two Weeks in Another Town” (3 a.m.),
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Emma Stone, Keith Urban. The View: Diane Keaton, John Leguizamo. The Talk: Helen Hunt, Micharl Yo, Debbie Matenopoulos. Ellen DeGeneres: Robin Roberts, Carla Bruni. Wendy Williams: Brittany Daniel, Wendy Raquel Robinson.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Stupid Pet Trick, Lucy Liu, Ziggy Marley. Jimmy Fallon: Diane Keaton, Dane DeHaan, David Byrne, Daley. Jimmy Kimmel: Eric Stonestreet, jesse Tyler Ferguson, Robin Roberts. Seth Meyers: Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Matt Walsh, Bill Nye. Craig Ferguson: Valerie Bertinelli, Seth Gabel. Carson Daly: Lennon Parham, Jessica St. Clair, Washed Out, Semi Precious Weapons. Tavis Smiley: Sylvia Longmire, Harry Hamlin. Jon Stewart: William Cohan. Stephen Colbert: Robert Rodriguez. Arsenio Hall: Jimmie Walker, Kevin Taylor, Selectress Iriela. Conan O’Brien: Kunal Nayyar, Max Brooks, Hurray for the Riff Raff. Chelsea Handler: Hugh Dancy, Jeff Wild, Liza Treyger, Jo Koy. Pete Holmes: Retta.
The networks offer six different sitcoms with new episodes in the 9 p.m. hour. I’d stick with “New GIrl” (Fox, 9 p.m.) and “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.).
When shows like “The Real Housewives of New York City” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) cease to be interesting, you can always watch them through the eyes of others on “The People’s Couch” (Bravo, 10 p.m.).
This isn’t really on TV near enough: “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life” (Sundance, 8:30 p.m.).
It’s not just the hillbillies of reality TV who adorn themselves in camouflage. The characters they have to make in tonight’s challenge on “Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge” (Syfy, 10 p.m.) have to has well.
Rachel threatens her role in “Funny Girl” by auditioning for a TV role in “Glee” (Fox, 8 p.m.).