I’m not sure that the Pamela Smart case, about the New Hampshire teacher convicted of seducing students into killing her husband, was really the first televised trial and it certainly wasn’t the birth of reality TV. But Jeremiah Zagar’s film “Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart” (HBO, 9 p.m.) makes a good point about how are memories are shaped not only by media coverage of its time, and reporters who wanted to also be cast in the TV movies, but the fiction itself, from the subsequent TV movie starring Helen Hunt to the book “To Die For,” made into a film starring Nicole Kidman.
Smart herself appears in the film and while she’s not innocent of cavorting with students, nobody argued she was there when her husband died in 1990. And the lighter sentences given to the kids who admitted doing the killing show the prosecutors were after the seductress, who ended up getting a sentence worse than Charles Manson’s — life without possibility of parole. Overall the case continues to intrigue — now for whether we missed the point all along
The heartbreaking personal tale on tonight’s “POV” (PBS, 10 p.m.) is about the almost nostalgic return trips to the Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon where filmaker Mahdi Fleifel grew up and much of his family still lives. There, in exile, his friends look forward only to World Cup where they have to cheer other, recognized nations, and otherwise face a bleak future that looks like it will never change. Indeed, there’s as much hatred there for the Palestinian groups as there is for Israeli and the notion that suicide bombers are chiefly after the suicide. There’s great humanity in the family portraits of “A World Not Ours,” especially in the elderly grandfather who won’t leave the camp because that’s where his wife is buried and the brothers who become disillusioned.
Runway coach J. Alexander — Miss J — returns to the judging panel for the 21st go-round of “America’s Next Top Model” (The CW, 9 p.m.), which involves men and women for the second time, with seven of each. Kelly Cutrone and host Tyra Banks return to the judging panel as well, along with viewers, who get to vote who stays. First: a preliminary selfie competition.
Preseason Monday Night Football brings Browns at Washington (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
A couple of additional women adds to the already desperate atmosphere on “Bachelor in Paradise” (ABC, 8 p.m.).
“Dallas” (TNT, 9 p.m.) returns with new episodes for the first time since April to resume the third season.
The graduation of Bay and Daphne marks the third season finale of “Switched at Birth” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.), which will be back for a fourth.
The little girl with the big head advances in age (she’s 10 now) and moves to urban surroundings on her new series “Dora and Friends: Into the City” (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.). Municipal laws on monkeys exempt Boots from the action though. Also in kiddie cartoon specials, a new baby sister is born in “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” (PBS, 11 a.m., check local listings).
Not so much beefcake on this week’s “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” (NBC, 8 p.m.). Instead, Tom Arnold.
The eight remaining contestants on “MasterChef” (Fox, 8 p.m.) cook chicken and chicken parts.
Don may know more about what’s “Under the Dome” (CBS, 10 p.m.) than he is letting on.
The finalists of “American Ninja Warrior” (NBC, 9 p.m.) head to Las Vegas.
A hotel in Pipestone, Minn., gets the Gordon Ramsay treatment on “Hotel Hell” (Fox, 9 p.m.).
“Eating America with Anthony Anderson” (Food, 10:30 p.m.) travels to New Orleans, where you can hardly go wrong.
The ninth season finale of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) occurs at a dinner party.
A Georgia-based spinoff of “Hollywood Exes,” “Atlanta Exes” (VH1, 9 p.m.) premieres after the latest episode of “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” (VH1, 8 p.m.) (itself a spinoff of a Hollywood original).
Sometimes the discussions on “The Approval Matrix” (Sundance, 11 p.m.) are interesting but the whole game board thing is weird. And when a panel like Jason Biggs, Dalton Ross and Frank DeCaro are assembled, as they are tonight, they are all put on hold for recorded interviews with people like Chris Rock.
French-born movie star Claudette Colbert is star of the day on Turner Classic Movies. Movies from her career of more than two decades include “Parrish” (6 a.m.), “Outpost in Malaya” (8:30 a.m.), “Tomorrow is Forever” (10 a.m.), “Without Reservations” (noon), “Boom Town” (2 p.m.), “It’s a Wonderful World” (4:15 p.m.), “It Happened One Night” (6 p.m.), “The Smiling Lieutenant” (8 p.m.), “Skylark” (10 p.m.), “Three Came Home” (midnight), “Remember the Day” (2 a.m.) and “The Secret Heart” (4 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Chloe Grace Moretz, Lana Parrilla, Ingrid Michaelson. The View: Keira Knightley, Jay Thomas, Kerri Kasem, Will Cain & Ross Mathews (rerun). The Talk: Olivia Newton-John, Ted Stryker, Curtis Stone, Marie Osmond (rerun) Ellen DeGeneres: Chris Hemsworth, Ciara (rerun). Wendy Williams: Rosie Perez (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Bruce Willis, the Gaslight Anthem. Jimmy Fallon: Bill Cosby, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Royksopp & Robyn. Jimmy Kimmel: Rosario Dawson, Eric McCormack, Self (rerun). Seth Meyers: Kate McKinnon, Pete Rose, Betty Who (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Amanda Peet, Kit Harrington (rerun). Carson Daly: Bret McKenzie, Jenny O, Michael Malice (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Angelica Huston (rerun). Arsenio Hall: Katt Williams, Hezekiah Walker (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Josh Groban, Nathan Fielder, Jenny Lewis. Chelsea Handler: Sia, Ben Gleib, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Ian Karmel.