On one hand the new “Funny Girls” (Oxygen, 9 p.m.) is like a lot of reality show, following around a half dozen women trying to make a living doing standup in Los Angeles. Because they are all female comics, mentored by the likes of Margaret Cho, Loni Love, Janeane Garofolo, Horatio Sanz and Bill Burr, there is a chance that the show may be funnier than say, “The Real Housewives of New York City” (Bravo, 9 p.m.), which is returning for season seven, featuring somebody who was there at season one (before going on to several shows of her own), Bethenny Frankel.
Clay Aiken came in second on “American Idol,” second on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and, when he ran for Congress last fall, well, the spoiler is in the title of the documentary series covering it, “The Runner Up” (Esquire, 10 p.m.). Documentarians Simon Chinn (“Searching for Sugar Man,” “Man on Wire”) and his cousin Jonathan Chinn (“American High”) followed the candidate during the campaign for this new series, which I first wrote about here.
Because it’s thrown a number of informative and entertaining sessions on some of today’s best-loved series, it’s no surprise that the events of Hollywood’s Paley Center are made public with the debut of the series “Behind the Story with the Paley Center” (Sundance, 8 p.m.). First up, a victory round for the now completed “Parks & Recreation.”
A new report on “Frontline” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) looks at sudden and catastrophic conflicts in Yemen, where militant groups are battling it out; a weakened government can’t stop sAl Qaeda, ISIS and the Houthis, currently fighting each other. Much of the reporting comes from the fearless action of reporter Safa Al Ahmad, who smuggled a camera into meetings with the various groups on the battlefield.
“Justified” (FX, 10 p.m.), on its penultimate episode, has Boyd and Raylan up in the mountains searching for Ava
The new sitcom “Your Family or Mine?” (TBS, 10 p.m.) stars Kyle Howard and Kat Foster as a young couple who has to decide which set of parents to go see. One way to decide: Which side is played by more famous actors? His parents are Richard Dreyfuss and JoBeth Williams; her’s are Ed Begley Jr. and Cynthia Stevenson.
To tie in with their current “Masterpiece” fare, “Inside the Court of Henry VII” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) looks at the Wolf Hall in Wiltshire, England, as well as the Tower of London and Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, Hever Castle.
You thought all of the Top 20 would be able to sing in Monday’s two hour episode of “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.)? Nope, the remaining half only get the microphone tonight, on another two hour show.
Expectant parents can stoke their nightmares with the various complications on “Twice Born – Stories from the Special Delivery Unit” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) chronicling the special delivery unit of Philadelphia’s Children’s Hospital. Though it seems like it would be more at home at TLC, this is on public television.
The NCAA women’s basketball tournament winds up with the championship game of Notre Dame vs. Connecticut (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.).
Five documentaries, largely from the 1980s, look at some of Hollywood’s biggest stars: “James Stewart: A Wonderful Life” (TCM, 8 p.m.), “Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn” (TCM, 9:45 p.m.), “Fonda on Fonda” (TCM, 11:30 p.m.) — that’s Jane on Henry; “Katharine Hepburn: All About Me” (TCM, 12:30 a.m.) and “Bacall on Bogart” (TCM, 2 a.m.), which is followed by two of their films together, “To Have and Have Not” (TCM, 3:30 a.m.) and “Key Largo” (TCM, 5:15 a.m.).
Baseball today includes Atlanta at Miami (MLB, 7 p.m.) and San Diego at Dodgers (MLB, 10 p.m.).
NBA action includes San Antonio at Oklahoma City (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Lakers at Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.). And in the NBA D-League playoffs, it’s Maine at Fort Wayne (ESPNU, 7 p.m.) and Austin at Bakersfield (ESPNU, 9:30 p.m.).
In hockey, it’s Minnesota at Chicago (NBC Sports, 8:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Jon Cryer, Jane Lynch, Michael Sam, Peta Murgatroyd. The View: Felicity Huffman, Timothy Huton, Robby Benson, Zephyr Benson, Raven-Symone, Christela Alonzo. The Talk: Michael Weatherly, Karla Mosley, Florida Georgia Line, Kelly Osbourne. Ellen DeGeneres: Ricky Fervais, Darius Rucker, Bethany Mota. Wendy Williams: Trisha Yearwood, Siggy Flicker, Heather McDonald, Don Lemon (rerun). Meredith Vieira: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Andy Grammer. Queen Latifah: Lisa Ling (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: James Franco, Jake Johannsen, Action Bronson (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Louis C.K., Sophia Bush, Who is Fancy. Jimmy Kimmel: Kevin Hart, Brad Paisley (rerun), Seth Meyers: Jon Cryer, Kat Dennings, Michael Chernow, Daniel Holzman. James Corden: Rob Corddry, Megan Mullally, Tig Notaro. Carson Daly: Rob Corddray, Hidden Ritual, Michael Johnson (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Erin Brockovich, Robert Kenner. Jon Stewart: Peter Dinklage. Conan O’Brien: Ricky Gervais, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Awolnation.