If variety shows can ever come back, its best chance is “Maya & Marty” (NBC, 10 p.m.), which combines the many talents of Maya Rudolph and Martin Short, who will both sing, do impersonations and perform many of the characters they’ve created elsewhere. Plus there are guests – from people who have some connection to “Saturday Night Live” — Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus, Tom Hanks and Larry David. Lorne Michaels produces.
The only network variety shows left are those that come in the form of reality competitions. And the greatest thing to happen to “America’s Got Talent” (NBC, 8 p.m.) and maybe reality TV in general is the return of Simon Cowell. He’ll be judge on the U.S. show he helped create for the first time, taking the place of the ineffectual Howard Stern and sitting alongside Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Mel B when the 11th season starts tonight. Still, we’ll have to deal with all that bad talent.
The second episode of “Roots” (History, Lifetime, A&E, 9 p.m.), Kunta Kinte is lured into serve by the British Redcoats, and is punished for escaping. The first episode is repeated at 6:45 p.m.
“Person of Interest” (CBS, 10 p.m.) reaches its 100th episode.
A third season starts for the British crime drama “Peaky Blinders” (Netflix, streaming).
A B&B in Southbridge, Mass., needs help from “Hotel Hell” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
The best quiz shows tend to be a half hour long; “500 Questions” (ABC, 8 p.m.) is two hours.
A new series, “Teenage Newlyweds” (FYI, 10 p.m.) looks into the struggles of three young couples.
Child marriage in Zambia is the subject matter of Gloria Steinem’s “Woman” (Viceland, 10 p.m.).
Ratings for the dating show “Coupled” (Fox, 9 p.m.) crumpled for the second episode.
A Civil War re-enactor does due diligence on “Genealogy Roadshow” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings).
Wedding plans continue for couples whose couplings are “Arranged” (FYI, 9 p.m.).
A couple that’s been dating online seven months finally meet in Brooklyn on “Virtually in Love” (Oxygen, 9 p.m.).
Problems with the International Space Station are explained on “NASA’s Unexplained Files” (Science, 9 p.m.).
An intruder threatens Tyler and Ashley on “The Last Alaskans” (Discovery, 10 p.m.).
Dangerous ingredients are used on “Chopped” (Food Network, 10 p.m.).
Cooking a meal in a car engine is explained on “Hack My Life” (truTV, 10 p.m.).
Kate Flannery helps out on “First Impressions with Dana Carvey” (USA, 10:30 p.m.).
Bear attack compilation seems questionably packaged in “Grizzly Uprising” (Animal Planet, 8 p.m.).
A suspected threesome occurs in the jacuzzi on “Below Deck Mediterranean” (Bravo, 9 p.m.).
A rookie skipper waits out the storm on “Deadliest Catch” (Discovery, 9 p.m.).
A glacier bleeds red on “Weird Wonders” (BBC America, 11 p.m.).
Matthew Broderick is guest programmer on Turner Classic Movies. His choices: “Doorway to Hell” (8 p.m.), “Breaking Away” (9:30 p.m.), “The 400 Blows” (11:30 p.m.) and “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1:30 a.m.). Earlier are films about Sin City: “Crashing Las Vegas” (6 a.m.), “Painting the Clouds with Sunshine” (7:15 a.m.), “Sky Full of Moon” (8:45 a.m.), “Meet Me in Las Vegas” (10 a.m.), “Viva Las Vegas” (noon), “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” (1:45 p.m.), “They Came to Rob Las Vegas” (3:30 p.m.) and “Ocean’s Eleven” (5:45 p.m.).
Baseball includes Dodgers at Cubs (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
In WNBA action, it’s Minnesota at New York (ESPN2, 8 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Maya Rudolph, Common (rerun). The View: Kenan Thompson. The Talk: Nick Cannon, Judy Joo. Ellen DeGeneres: T.J. Miller. Wendy Williams: Naomi Campbell, Mary Alice Stephenson (rerun). Meredith Vieira: Carla Hall, Jenna Wolfe (rerun).
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Bill O’Reilly, Morris Chestnut, Deerhunter (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Megan Fox, Thomas Middleditch, Josh Abbott Band. Jimmy Fallon: Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, Wild Belle (rerun). Seth Meyers: Ryan Reynolds, Katie Lowes, Wynona & the Big Noise, Jaleel Bunton (rerun). James Corden: Kunal Nayyar, Rob Corddry, Mireille Enos, Atlas Genius (rerun). Carson Daly: Charlemagne Tha God, Lower Dens, Susanne Bier (rerun). Trevor Noah: Rose Byrne (rerun). Larry Wilmore: Paul F. Tompkins (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Rob Lowe, Gina Rodriguez, Leonard Ouzts (rerun).