The perks of being rich isn’t just in political influence or socioeconomic elitism; they also get to hang out with stars.
Such has been the life of Jean Pigozzi, heir to a European automobile fortune, who has spent his considerable spare time as a photographer, art collector and pursuer of stars and beautiful women. Though outwardly a schlub, he’s well enough known among circles to get a TV show in which he hobnobs with people he already knows. On the premiere episode of “My Friends Call Me Johnny” (Esquire, 10 p.m.) he first meets with the director Brett Ratner in his Beverly Hills home and in Budapest, where he gets a small role in his film “Hercules.”
In Paris he visits with a couple of free-thinking writers, Capucine Motte and Virginie Mouzat and has ice cream. Then in Los Angeles, he finds a kindred soul in the sleazy Dov Charney, who has since been kicked out of the company he founded, American Apparel. Another director, Joel Silver, is executive producer of the series, which has the same kind of fast-moving, stylish gloss as some of Esquire’s other shows. As an interviewer, Pigozzi has a penchant for throwing out audacious questions in the way that Letterman might, but we also learn as much about him as we do about his subjects.
A sixth season comes for one of TV’s most underrated and consistent comedies, “The League” (FXX, 10 p.m.), featuring some of the best people in comedy, from Nick Kroll to Paul Scheer. The new season begins with the fantasy football draft that is the link between its unusual characters, but this time it’s mixed up with the unexpected death of one of the league participants. So the Shiva Award begins while sitting shiva. by now, the show is so popular among the professional football players it obsesses over that they struggle to find parts for all of them (so they begin to do so in fantasy sequences).
A winner is chosen on TV’s primary showcase for movement, “So You Think You Can Dance” (Fox, 8 p.m.) with a whole raft of guest judges including Debbie Allen, Tara Lipinski, Adam Shankman and Jenna Dewan Tatum. Enrique Iglesias and Sean Paul perform before the season 11 winner is named from among the finalists of a pair of tap dancers, Valerie Rockey and Zack Everhart, contemporary dancer Ricky Ubeda and jazz dancer Jessica Richens.
With a hit man assigned to Sonya and a showdown at the Red Ridge housing development, “The Bridge” (FX, 10 p.m.) offers one of its most gripping episodes.
It worked for “The Simpsons” on FXX so maybe it will work for ABC, with a marathon of “The Goldbergs” (ABC, 8 p.m.). The two hour block of four episodes isn’t quite a 12 day run, though.
With Nicole back on the block it looks like the remainder of “Big Brother” (CBS, 8 p.m.) will be spent among the least interesting people.
Molly learns what is motivating Yasumoto on “Extant” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
A magician named Gazzo tries his luck on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (The CW, 8 p.m.).
Six acts advance to the next level on “America’s Got Talent” (NBC, 9 p.m.) from the 12 who performed Tuesdays, whose acts are summarized in a rerun at 8. Also in the live results show, Maroon 5 will perform. How would they fare in such a competition, one wonders.
It’s Takashi Yagihashi vs. David Burke on tonight’s “Top Chef Duels” (Bravo, 10 p.m.).
Craig Ferguson and Tim Daly fight over Jane Leeves (or their characters do) on “Hot in Cleveland” (TV Land, 10 p.m.).
They’ve shifted their attention from sharks on “Operation Maneater” (PBS, 10 p.m.) and start looking at trying to stop polar bear attacks.
The impeccably mustachioed leading man Melvyn Douglas who turned character actor will be featured Wednesday nights all month on Turner Classic Movies, beginning with the 1979 hit “Being There” (8 p.m.) and then going back to the 1940s with “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” (10:15 p.m.) and “A Woman’s Face” (midnight), followed by “Hotel” (2 a.m.) and “The Gorgeous Hussy” (4:15 a.m.).
Baseball today includes San Francisco at Colorado (MLB, 3 p.m.), Boston at Yankees (ESPN, 7 p.m.) and Arizona at San Diego (ESPN, 10 p.m.).
The U.S. Open (Tennis, 11 a.m.; ESPN, noon; ESPN2, 6 p.m.) moves to doubles and juniors play in the morning and the quarterfinals this afternoon and tonight.
In international basketball, it’s U.S. vs. Dominican Republic (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Liev Schreiber, Jesse Metcalfe, Nick Carter & Jordan Knight. The View: Tyra Banks, T.I., Sunny Hostin, S.E. Cupp (rerun). The Talk: Joan Rivers, Famke Janssen, Brian Malarkey (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Julia Roberts, Ray LaMontagne (rerun). Wendy Williams: Chrissy Teigen (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Kristen Wiig, the New Pornographers. Jimmy Fallon: Blake Shelton, Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim, Blake Shelton, Sheila E. Jimmy Kimmel: Gwyneth Paltrow, Terry Crews, Shawn Mendes. Seth Meyers: Gwen Stefani, Andy Roddick, Counting Crows. Craig Ferguson: David Arquette, Inbar Lavi. Carson Daly: Nick Frost, Lucius, White Sea (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Richard Haass, Billy Childs. Jon Stewart: Rory Kennedy. Stephen Colbert: Randall Munroe. Arsenio Hall: J.B. Smoove, Terry O’Quinn, DJ Rashida (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Justin Theroux, Tony Hale, Shovels & Rope. Arsenio Hall: J.B. Smoove, Terry O’Quinn, DJ Rashida (rerun).