He wasn’t the first right wing blowhard on the airwaves (that distinction may go to Joe Pyne). But Morton Downey Jr. brought that kind of confrontational bullying to his syndicated show in the 1980s that would lead to demagogue microphone-hoarders like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly. And the chair flinging (that upended Al Sharpton in one show) would continue onto to Jerry Springer and his imitators.
Downey took the persecution complex so familiar today on Fox News to a new level: staging a supposed neo-Nazi attack in an airport complete with self-inflicted swastikas. It didn’t help. His show ratings dropped, his show was canceled and the chain smoker was dead of lung cancer at 68 in 2001.
I recall covering his live show in New Haven in 1988 and being so skeptical of the on-stage confrontations with local liberals, I stayed for a second show to see if it was scripted (it wasn’t; journalist Paul Bass sued for mistreatment). There is a fascination with such goons, though, and I admit I had it. That’s what will make the documentary on his career, “Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie” (CNN, 9 p.m.), premiering tonight, so fascinating.
For the season finale of “The Astronaut Wives Club” (ABC, 8 p.m.), they have something special: Apollo 11 lands on the moon.
A new season of the raucous “Party Down South” (CMT, 9 p.m.) followed by a new show of slightly less drunk but way ore love dizzy Florida college students in “Gainesville” (CMT, 10 p.m.).
And the long-past-teenagers on “Teen Mom 2” (MTV, 10 p.m.) are dealing with their own adult issues of divorce and arrests.
“Alone” (History, 10 p.m.) closes its first season on Vancouver Island; new seasons have been ordered (and still no history lessons in sight).
The house hunters on “House Hunters off the Grid” (HGTV, 10 p.m.) in Belize don’t want to be completely off the grid — they still want wifi.
Tracee Ellis Ross is guest judge on a “Project Runway” (Lifetime, 9 p.m.) in which designers are to be inspired by exotic locations.
The contestants may be covered in sweet potato should they answer the extremely easy questions on “Boom!” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
“Lip Sync Battle” (Spike, 10 p.m.) pits “Empire” stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard opposite one another.
The station tries to move beyond the corruption scandal on “Rookie Blue” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
Johnny Mac and Becky are up for eviction on “Big Brother” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
A senior who dates a younger teen has made “One Bad Choice” (MTV, 11 p.m.).
Ken Marino is guest on a new “Comedy Bang! Bang!” (IFC, 10:30 p.m.).
Actress Mae Clark was best known for being the bride of the doctor in the original “Frankenstein” (TCM, 9:30 p.m.) and being on the receiving end of a grapefruit thrust in her face by James Cagney in “The Public Enemy” (TCM, 2:45 a.m.). But she was also in a lot of other movies over several decades including “A Big Hand for the Little Lady” (TCM, 6 a.m.), “Mohawk” (TCM, 8 a.m.), “Wichita” (TCM, 9:30 a.m.), “The Fall Guy” (TCM, 11 a.m.), “Turn Back the Clock” (TCM, 12:15 p.m.), “Penthouse” (1:54 p.m.), “Parole Girl” (TCM, 3:30 p.m.), “This Side of Heaven” (TCM, 5 p.m.), “The Man with Two Faces” (TCM, 6:30 p.m.), “Waterloo Bridge” (TCM, 8 p.m.), “Fast Workers” (TCM, 10:45 p.m.), “The Penguin Pool Murder” (TCM, midnight), “Lady Killer” (TCM, 1:15 a.m.) and “The Front Page” (TCM, 4:15 a.m.).
Preseason Monday Night Football has Buffalo at Cleveland (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
In baseball, it’s San Francisco at Pittsburgh (MLB, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Hugh Jackman, Ross Lynch. The View: Vintage Trouble (rerun). The Talk: Joe Joe Manganiello, Alisa Reynolds, Melissa Rivers (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Jim Carrey, Mary J. Blige, Minnie Driver (rerun). Wendy Williams: Reginae Carter & Toya Wright, Shallon Lester (Rerun). Meredith Vieira: Eve, Carson Daly, Alison Sweeney (rerun). Queen Latifah: Alyssa Milano, Shoshana Bean (rerun)
Late Talk
Jimmy Fallon: Rachel Maddow, Artie Lange, the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald. Jimmy Kimmel: Michelle Obama, Topher Grace, Lily Tomlin. Seth Meyers: Matthew Broderick, John Cena, Jimmy Chamberlin. James Corden: Ben Kingsley, Bill Hader, Zac Efron. Carson Daly: Chistina Ricci, Above & Beyond, Alex Garland (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Jeff Bridges, Bill Shore (rerun). Jon Stewart: Colin Quinn (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Bill Hader, Bill Burr, Sam Morril.