Oddly, there’s nobody from New Hampshire in “Live Free or Die” (National Geographic, 10 p.m.), the new series about mountaineering off the grid guys that uses the state motto. Instead the lone wolves are out in Georgia, where a former financial adviser is a new Daniel Boone, in a coonskin cap and out trapping beaver while living in a swamp cabin. Two other guys roam the woods for squirrels or rats to eat, living in makeshift shelters. A fourth at least has a girlfriend to share time with, but they’re not doing so well either, they feast off road kill, of which they say, “This doesn’t taste too terrible” and “No rabies for us.” The highest compliments for road kill cuisine apparently.
As with “Doomsday Preppers,” National Geographic wants to have it both ways — support the lifestyle enough so those who’d like to emulate them will tune in, while employing a narrator with so much irony in his voice that for the rest of us, it’s purely making fun of more oddballs.
The new shows keep rolling out and both of the ones tonight are romantic comedies. “Selfie” (ABC, 8 p.m.) transposes the “Pygmalion” story of remaking a woman from her various social media addictions to one where she might interact with actual humans. It’s got the kind of deep emoji that might sustain it for one episode tops, but the cast is pretty good — Karen Gillan , once of “Doctor Who,” and John Cho, the Harold of those films with Kumar. Worth a shrug perhaps.
More problematic is “Manhattan Love Story” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) which tries to sustain the idea that we can hear the thoughts of the dating couple not in one scene or two but throughout the whole series, forever. There is a captivating woman at the center of this, the soft talking Annaleigh Tipton, a former “America’s Next Top Model” finalist, but the guy (Jake McDorman) — and the humor — are so bland, it might not even be apparent.
Both new shows are lukewarm appetizers for the better example of the genre, “New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.) and “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.), both of which have dropped in ratings significantly this season, despite still being good. Tonight, stars of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” pop up on both; Kaitlin Olson on “New Girl”; and Glenn Howerton on “Mindy.”
Speaking of funny women, the feminist series on female achievements “Makers” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) concentrates tonight on comediennes (which may or may not be a sexist designation). Much of the episode that features a lot of Joan Rivers, Kathy Griffin and Joy Behar in segments that seem already seem to have been well used in “The Pioneers of Television” or somewhere. As the subjects turn to Sarah Silverman and others, there is another historic distinction from the women: It may be the most bleeped single hour of PBS ever presented. Even narrator Leslie Mann has to be bleeped.
Women take over on a sports network, too, on the sports show “We Need to Talk” (CBS Sports Network, 10 p.m.). And it seems they would have a lot to talk a bout right about now.
It’s on the same time as a timely replay of “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” on “Frontline” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) will make you redouble efforts to get Roger Goodell and his on cronies fired.
Just as timely is Derek Jeter shaking out his family tree on a new “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) along with a couple of other athletes, Rebecca Lobo and Billie Jean King.
Some big twist happened last eek on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC, 9 p.m.); fans better catch up. Also: Kyle MacLachlan guest stars.
Tonight’s episode of “Forever” (ABC, 10 p.m.) will actually be its third.
More blind auditions and more chair spinning on “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
Things are about to change on “Utopia” (Fox, 8 p.m.), if they haven’t already.
The second night of the iHeartradio Music Festival (The CW, 8 p.m.) from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas features performances by Lorde, Weezer, Iggy Azalea, Paramore, One Direction, 50 Cent, Train, Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran and Eric Church. Even so, there will be a lot of time for Ryan Seacrest.
Tony Gonzalez guest stars on “NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.), whose Michael Weatherley is already crossing over by visiting “NCIS New Orleans” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
The month-long look at the depiction of Jewish life in film on Turner Classic Movies concludes with “The Young Lions” (8 p.m.), “The Way We Were” (11 p.m.), “Hearts of the West” (1:15 a.m.) and “The Chosen” (3:15 a.m.).
Baseball’s post-season begins with the one-game American League wild card playoff of Oakland at Kansas City (TBS, 8 p.m.).
Preseason hockey has Islanders at Boston (NHL, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Mark Harmon, Taye Diggs. The View: Lena Dunham, Analeigh Tipton, Jake McDorman. The Talk: Michael Weatherly, Michael Yo, Clean Bandit, Edward Lee. Ellen DeGeneres: Dylan McDermott, Keke Palmer, Ryan Adams. Wendy Williams: Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross. Meredith Vieira: Kenny Chesney. Queen Latifah: Vanessa Williams, Blair Underwood, Cicely Tyson, Joey Fatone.
Late Talk
David Letterman: John Oliver, Maggie !, Bleachers. Jimmy Fallon: Tyler Perry, Miles Teller, Lucinda Williams. Jimmy Kimmel: Martin Short, Dave Salmoni, Stave Aoki featuring Waka Flocka Flame and Tavis Barker. Seth Meyers: Nathan Lane, Weird Al Yankovic, Garry Marshall. Craig Ferguson: Don Rickles, Eliza Gonzalez, Daniel Sloss. Carson Daly: Dennis Lehane, Cerebral Ballzy, Annie Lederman. Tavis Smiley: George Benson. Jon Stewart: Ben Affleck. Stephen Colbert: Jeffrey Tambor. Conan O’Brien: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Bill Burr, Chrissie Hynde.