When it first premiered three years ago, it seemed so perfect I worried that it was made just for me – some kind of concoction derived from a fever dream: Zach Galifianakis plays a sad-sack, classically trained clown in Paris returning to Bakersfield to become a rodeo clown. He’s got a conniving twin brother, a friend who defines deadpan and a mother too authentic to be played by comedian Louie Anderson. Besides that, there were all those commercial tie-ins with Costco and Arby’s that played more like in-jokes and the perfectly timed slapstick falls. Director Jonathan Krisel (“Portlandia”) peopled it with regular Joes whose performances shone and made more than a few comments on the struggles of modern U.S. life.
“Baskets” (FX, 10 p.m.) was probably lucky to get four seasons, but it’s still sad that it runs tonight in an episode in which the brilliant Martha Kelly, who plays a character named Martha, gets off the arm cast that she’s been inexplicably wearing for the whole run.
“The Flay List” (Food, 10:30 p.m.), a new father-daughter culinary show from Bobby Flay, can too easily be called “The No-Flay List.” It joins such other Flay-related programming as “BBQ Brawl: Flay vs. Symon” (Food, 9 p.m.) and “Beat Bobby Flay” (Food, 10 p.m.).
Primetime preseason football has Jacksonville at Miami (Fox, 8 p.m.).
It will be Analyse or Christie leaving after the live eviction on “Big Brother” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
“Alone” (History, 10 p.m.) has its sixth season finale and one of the final three survivalists survives the Arctic to win the $500,000 prize.
A couple of cable reality genres are jammed together in “Brides, Grooms and Emergency Rooms” (TLC, 10 p.m.).
In the South Korean import “Love Alarm” (Netflix, streaming), a new app signals when someone nearby has some romantic interest in the holder.
Congress spent more time investigating it than they did the Kennedy Assassination or Watergate, and nothing came of it, maybe except for a TV special “13 Hours: Real Story of …” (Reelz, 9 p.m.), after the movie “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.”
Would like to know whose maladies have been determined or fixed so far in “Chasing the Cure” (TNT, TBS, 9 p.m.).
“The Outpost” (CW, 8 p.m.) gets a surprise visitor who interrupts a royal ceremony.
Miniature golf gets two rounds on a double “Holey Moley” (ABC, 8 and 9 p.m.). Yes, it’s the dog days.
Luis and Ronita share a listing on “Million Dollar Listing New York” (Bravo, 9 p.m.).
“Queen of the South” (USA, 10 p.m.) takes out some mercenaries.
Animal killing is an important component of “Mountain Men” (History, 9 p.m.).
On one of the “Two Sentence Horror Stories” (CW, 9 p.m.), a rebellious teen gets cancer.
Cat is tempted by her former ways on “Reef Break” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
A ménage a trots is suggested tonight on “Why Women Kill” (CBS All Access, streaming).
Neglected to tell you of the premiere of the UK imported comedy “This Way Up” (Hulu, streaming), which started Wednesday. It stars Aisling Bea as a woman coming back from a nervous breakdown, aided by her sis, played by Sharon Horgan of “Catastrophe.”
On “The Dead Files” (Travel, 10 p.m.), paranormal activity is promised at a New Orleans restaurant. But what’s new about that? Waitresses ghost me all the time.
Turner Classic Movies turns the spotlight on Leila Hyams, a former model who starred in dozens of movies in the 20s and 30s, in “The Idle Rich” (6 a.m.), “The Bishop Murder Case” (7:30 a.m.), “The Girl Said No” (9 a.m.), “Sins of the Children” (10:45 a.m.), “Way for a Sailor” (12:15 p.m.), “Gentleman’s Fate” (1:45 p.m.), “Men Call It Love” (3:30 p.m.), “Stepping Out” (5 p.m.), “Red-Headed Woman” (6:30 p.m.), “Freaks” (8 p.m.), “The Thirteenth Chair” (9:15 p.m.), “Way Out West” (10:45 p.m.), “The Big House” (12:15 a.m.), “Island of Lost Souls” (2 a.m.), “The Phantom of Paris” (3:30 a.m.) and “Yellow Dust” (4:45 a.m.).
Baseball includes San Francisco at Cubs (MLB, 2 p.m.), Cleveland at Mets (MLB, 7 p.m.) and Yankees at Oakland (MLB, 10 p.m.).
In WNBA action, it’s Indiana at Los Angeles (CBS Sports, 10:30 p.m.).
In the Little League World Series, it’s Curacao vs. South Korea (ESPN, 3 p.m.) and Louisiana vs. Virginia (ESPN, 7 p.m.).
There are more qualifying rounds for the U.S. Open (ESPNews, 11 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest: Selena Gomez, Bill Hader, Mena Massed, Che Spiotta. The View: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Julian Lennon (rerun). The Talk: NeNe Leakes, Kristine Johnson (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Bradley Cooper (rerun). Wendy Williams: Master P. Romeo (rerun). The Real: DeRay Davis (rerun).
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Emma Thompson, Adam Scott, Spiritualized (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Ben Stiller, Robin Thede, Brad Paisley, Max with Quinn XCII (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Rachel Brosnahan, Carla Gugino, Kyle Giersdorf, Ty Dolla $ign (rerun). Seth Meyers: Michael Moore, 2 Chainz, Brian Michael Bendis (rerun). James Corden: Michel Gondry, Deafheaven, Shannon Purser (rerun). David Spade: Arturo Castro, Sarah Tiana, Thomas Lennon. Conan O’Brien: Flula Borg, Mohanad Elshieky.