“Tyrant” (FX, 10 p.m.) begins, in many ways, like its central character — brooding, joyless, tense.
Adam Rayner plays a Pasadena pediatrician and family man who is also son of a Middle East dictator (of a made-up country named Abbudin), who fled the family 20 years earlier. He returns, however, for his nephew’s wedding, and while there is drawn back into the family drama. His father is dying and his older brother is too corrupt to take the reins.
We go through a lot to show how bad the brother is, including two rapes and a number of murders and the requisite finger-chopping. Still, the action moves slow, such that he hasn’t even been asked back to rule at the end of episode one. Jennifer Finnigan, as the American wife, is so frustrated by the end it seems like she’s about to bail, and the audience might feel that way too. But the unusual setting and cast members like Justin Kirk make it seem to have flashes of promise. Because it’s produced in part by Howard Gordon, of “24” and “Homeland” fame, I have confidence in both creating a taut dramatic series and for depicting the Middle East as slightly less cliched than we’re used to. It may take a while to find out, though.
A kind of “Project Runway” for automotive runways, “Motor City Masters” (TruTV, 10 p.m.) pits 10 car designers against one another as they join teams to build two concept cars in each episode, judged by designers, automotive editors and a celebrate — in this case Jesse Metcalf of “Dallas.”
She’s yelled at kids and their parents, now Abby Lee Miller can yell at fellow owners of dance studios in her new series “Abby’s Sdudio Rescue” (Lifetime, 9 p.m.). In the spin-off, she travels first to Warwick, R.I., to help a studio on the brink.
“I Am Steve McQueen” (Spike, 9 p.m.) is a tribute to the film star, not the director.
Cleanup after faking one’s own death is never easy, Annie finds on the firth season premiere of “Covert Affairs” (USA, 10 p.m.).
A fourth season starts for “The Next Great Baker” (TLC, 9 p.m.) a competition run by Buddy Valastro, whose prize in part is a job in Vetas.
Warning: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are back, this time on “Celebrity Wife Swap” (ABC, 10 p.m.), switching places with Olympian Amanda Beard.
Which reminds me, the new series “Botched” (E!, 9 p.m. is about a pair of doctors who try to fix plastic surgery fiascos.
If April doesn’t tell her parents soon about her cancer on “Chasing Life” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.), I will.
Also returning tonight, a third season of the comedy “Sullivan & Son” (TBS, 10 p.m.).
World Cup games have Italy vs. Uruguay (ESPN, Univision, noon), Costa Rica vs. England (ESPN2, noon), Japan vs. Colombia (ESPN, Univision, 4 p.m.), and Greece vs. Ivory Coast (ESPN2, 4 p.m.).
British films would sometimes cast incongruous American stars as a way to boost box-office revenues. turner Classic Movies collects a few of them tonight, with Edward G. Robinson in “Thunder in the City” (8 p.m.), Bette Davis in “Another Man’s Poison” (9:45 p.m.) and Paul Robeson in “Sanders of the River” (11:30 p.m.).
Baseball includes Detroit at Texas (MLB, 8 p.m.). In the College World Series, it’s game 2 of the finals of Vanderbilt vs. Virginia (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
Early round tennis action begins at Wimbeldon (ESPN, 7 a.m.).
And the NHL Awards (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.) are given out.
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Susan Sarandon, Joel McHale, Nico & Vinz, Beth Behrs. The View: Noah Wyle, Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel, Carolina Bermudez. The Talk: Scott Wolf, Noah Levy, Sunny Anderson, Marie Osmond. Ellen DeGeneres: Timothy Olyphant, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Nettles (rerun). Wendy Williams: Arianna Huffington.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Melissa McCarthy, Tim Duncan, Rachelle Lefevre, Phish. Jimmy Fallon: Louis C.K., Neil Young, Jack White (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Roseanne Barr, Eric Dane, Tech N9NE. Seth Meyers: Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Gilbert Gottfried, Kip Moore (rerun). Craig Ferguson: David Sedaris, Moon Bloodgood. Carson Daly: Freida Mock, Sirah (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Bill Medley. Jon Stewart: Jennifer Esposito. Stephen Colbert: Edie Falco. Arsenio Hall: Michael Weatherly, Janelle Monae (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Meredith Vieira, Dean Norris. Chelsea Handler: Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Jeff Wild, Loni Love, Ian Karmel.