The premiere of the new series “Why? With Hannibal Buress” (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.) may seem timed to allow its star a victory lap. Burress is the one who blew the whistle on Bill Cosby’s pill pushing schemes back when it was edgy and certainly not in the public eye.
His series, though, comes completely on the success of his mercilessly deadpan comedy, which he translates into sketches and standup. Buress, a standout on “Broad City,” playing an amorous dentist, and on “The Andre Show,” where he is a nonplussed sidekick, deserves the spotlight. And he’s a good pairing with the anticipated return of “Key & Peele” (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.), in which President Obama and Luther meet Hillary Clinton in a sketch.
Good timing, too, for “Soccer Superstar” (Nicktoons, 9 p.m.). Days after the U.S. women’s World Cup win, Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts hosts a four-part search for the best teenage female soccer players.
The last time Will Ferrell was on a cable soaper, he was playing it straight in a Lifetime movie opposite Kristen Wiig. Now he’s back to portraying the dissipated author Eric Jonrosh, introducing a miniseries of one of his works, “The Spoils Before Dying” (IFC, 9 p.m.). And Wiig is in this one too, as is Michael K. Williams (Omar from “The Wire”; Chalky White on “Boardwalk Empire”). Tobey Maquire returns to the cast that also includes Maya Rudolph, Haley Joel Osment, Kate McKinnon, Michael Sheen and Tim Meadows.
Turner Classic Movies’ two days salute to the 100th anniversary of Technicolor continues, in glorious Technicolor, all day with “The Yearling” (6 a.m.), “Duel in the Sun” (8:15 a.m.), “Heaven Can Wait” (10:45 a.m.), “The River” (12:45 p.m.), “Singin’ in the Rain” (2:30 p.m.), “The Band Wagon” (4:15 p.m.), “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (6:15 p.m.), “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” (8 p.m.), “North by Northwest” (10 p.m.), “The Aviator” (12:30 a.m.) and “The Leopard” (3:30 a.m.).
“First Peoples” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) winds up by concentrating on prehistoric Europe and the intermixing of Homo sapiens with Neanderthals.
It’s an emergency rhinoplasty for a rhino whose horn is chopped off by poachers on “Operation Wild” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings).
The new “Million Dollar Listing: San Francisco” (Bravo, 10 p.m.) could involve nearly every listing in the high-priced city.
“Mr. Robot” (USA, 10 p.m.) seems to be attaching on in cable.
A pregnant woman has familiar, deadly symptoms on “Extant” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
A “Celebrity Wife Swap” (ABC, 10 p.m.) between Cloris Leachman and Pia Zadora has the potential of being better than the one with Charo.
The people on “Catfish: The TV Show” (MTV, 10 p.m.) should really just know better by now.
Today’s Shark Week offering, “Super Predator” (Discovery, 9 p.m.) almost certainly does not have superpowers. Likewise, “Ninja Sharks” (Discovery, 10 p.m.) are quite clearly not really ninjas.
Elsewhere, on SharkFest, or whatever they’re calling it, there’s the “Shark Battleground: The Red Triangle” (Nat Geo Wild, 8 p.m.), “Red Sea Jaws” (Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.) and “Shark Attack Experiment” (Nat Geo Wild, 10 p.m.).
Even “Nova” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) gets into the act, with a report on great white sharks.
“The Prancing Elites” (Oxygen, 9 p.m.) reaches its season finale, hoping to get into a Mardi Gras parade. If not there, where?
A power of veto competition is held on “Big Brother” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Contestants have to replicate Gordon Ramsay’s Beef Wellington on “MasterChef” (Fox, 8 p.m.). Losers have their dish sent directly toward “The Bullseye” (Fox, 9 p.m.).
Stephen Colbert has been tantalizing in his online bits leading up to his “Late Show” debut this fall. Tonight, he’s the final guest of this season’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” (Crackle, streaming) with Jerry Seinfeld, which goes online at 11:30 p.m.
You’re probably wondering where Flavor Flav has been. Well, with any luck, he’s part of “Public Enemy: Live from Metropolis Studios” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
Baseball today includes Mets at Giants (MLB, 3:45 p.m.) and Cardinals at Cubs (ESPN, 8 p.m.)
The men’s quarterfinals are this morning at Wimbledon (ESPN, ESPN2, 8 a.m.).
And there’s stage five of the Tour de France (NBC Sports, 8 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Laura Linney, Jane Lynch. The View: Andie MacDowell, Jazz & Jeanette Jennings, the Flamingos. The Talk: Paula Abdul, Jessica Radloff, Richard Blais. Ellen DeGeneres: Will Smith, Little Big Town (rerun). Wendy Williams: Jeff Lewis, Chloe Melas. Meredith Vieira: Nene Leakes, Ashanti, Maysoon Zayid. Queen Latifah: Patricia Heaton, Boris Kodjoe, Wolfgang Puck (rerun).
Late Talk
Jimmy Fallon: Mark Ruffalo, Alan Rickman, James Taylor (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Zoe Saldana, Tyler the Creator, R5 (rerun). Seth Meyers: Kit Harrington, Adam Horovitz, the Mountain Goats (rerun). James Corden: Nick Offerman, Ellie Kemper, Thomas Middleditch, Palma Violets (rerun). Carson Daly: Marion Cotillard, Alt-J, Danielle Panabaker (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Tanya Tucker. Jon Stewart: Bill Clinton (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Elijah Wood, Chris Hardwick.