TV Best Bets

Tuesday, Sept. 18: ‘America’s Got Talent’ Two-Part Live Show Finale

NBCUniversal

ALSO SEE: NFL Regular Season Schedule 2018

All Times Eastern.

Tuesday, Sept. 18

America’s Got Talent: “Live Show Finals”
NBC, 8pm

Season 13 will prove to be lucky for one of the still-standing hopefuls, but which one will be decided by what happens in tonight’s “Live Show Finals,” the last pre-finale telecast from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Then comes the hardest part: getting through a probably sleepless 24 hours before the winner of the $1 million grand prize is announced in Wednesday’s season finale. Expect some final impressions from judges Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, Mel B and Howie Mandel before viewers cast their final votes.

https://twitter.com/AGT/status/1041831402029772801

Beat Shazam
FOX, 8pm
Season Finale!

Jamie Foxx hosts the finale episode of the season, where contestants try to identify popular songs faster than their competition, including the music identification app Shazam. Foxx’s daughter Corinne serves as the series’ DJ. FOX has already renewed the series for a third season.

The Great American Read: “Who Am I?”
PBS, 8pm

Explore the ways that America’s best-loved novels answer the age-old question, “Who am I?” From life lessons to spiritual journeys, these books help us understand our own identities and find our place in the world.

Love Connection: “Be & John”
FOX, 9pm
Season Finale!

Andy Cohen hears the juicy details of first dates attended by looking-for-love singles, who then decide if they made a love connection with any of their dates. If the studio audience correctly picks which of the three dates they connected with, the singleton wins a cash prize. Tonight’s season finale features a marketing coordinator and a sales director.

Castaways: “We Got This”
ABC, 10pm
Season Finale!

In this final episode, two castaways come across an abandoned camp full of journals and resources left by other survivors. Deep reflection forces all castaways to question their ability to stay, forcing yet another to quit. The remaining survivors reflect on their time on the island and how their lives will change if they are ever rescued.

Tosh.0
Comedy Central, 10pm
Season Premiere!

Daniel Tosh dives into all aspects of the internet from the absolutely absurd to the incredibly ingenious as a new season begins.

The Paley Center Salutes “This Is Us”
NBC, 10pm

Ahead of the hit drama’s third season premiere next week, this one-hour special will feature clips, interviews with the stars and creators, and a behind-the-scenes look at how the series comes together each week. Highlights of the first two seasons will also be featured for viewers who may need a refresher.

Sweet Home Sextuplets
TLC, 10pm
New Series!

Courtney and Eric Waldrop, their three older boys and their sextuplet babies are the subject of this new six-episode series. Viewers are invited to join the family from just before they give birth through their high-risk delivery, the babies’ admittance to the NICU and the family adjusting to a new normal after bringing the babies home.

The Purge: “The Urge to Purge”
USA Network, 10pm

Penelope (Jessica Garza) prepares for her sacrifice. Rick (Colin Woodell) and Jenna (Hannah Emily Anderson) weigh the cost of closing their business deal.

The Hunt for the Trump Tapes With Tom Arnold
Viceland, 10:30pm
New Series!

In this docuseries described as “All the President’s Men meets Curb Your Enthusiasm,” actor Tom Arnold searches for the truth behind the rumored and potentially damaging recordings of Donald Trump. As his search among the people who may have or know of these tapes unfolds, the series becomes a fun-house mirror snapshot of our current media and political landscape. Showbiz insiders, journalists and Trump associates make appearances, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Judd Apatow, Jane Mayer, Felix Sater and Anthony Scaramucci.

Wednesday, Sept. 19

MasterChef
FOX, 8pm
Season Finale!

In the two-hour season finale, this season’s three remaining home cooks prepare a showstopping three-course menu for the judges. At stake is $250,000 and the title of MasterChef.

The Amazing Human Body
PBS, 8pm

This three-hour series airs all in one night and uses amazing graphics to demonstrate the various bodily processes that allow us to stay alive. The three hours are divided by topic: “Grow,” which shows how humans grow from a single cell to beings of more than 37 trillion cells; “Survive,” a look at the miraculous ways the body works to stay alive and healthy; and “Learn,” which shows how experience teaches our brains and bodies to work together and develop new skills.

Total Divas
E!, 9pm
Season Premiere!

Big news on the Diva front! After a career-threatening injury, Paige returns for Season 8, where she looks to Brie and Nikki Bella for help in dealing with her past mistakes and building her confidence back up.

Suits: “Managing Partner”
USA Network, 9pm

When Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Zane (Wendell Pierce) can’t stay on the sidelines, Donna (Sarah Rafferty) does what’s best for the firm.

Big Food Truck Tip
Food Network, 10pm
New Series!

Andrew Zimmern travels the country looking for food truck entrepreneurs who are chasing the American dream of being their own boss and sharing their food with the public. Zimmern has a surprise in store for one lucky food truck operator: a $10,000 tip and the Food Network seal of approval.

I Feel Bad
NBC, 10pm
New Series!

Amy Poehler is an executive producer on this comedy that follows Emet (Sarayu Blue), a woman trying to come to terms with not being perfect in her various roles as mom, boss, wife, friend and daughter. Paul Adelstein, Madhur Jaffrey and Brian George also star. Another new episode follows.

The Sinner: “Part VIII”
USA Network, 10pm
Season Finale!

Heather (Natalie Paul) and Ambrose (Bill Pullman) continue their search for Julian (Elisha Henig) as Marin’s (Hannah Gross) past is unraveled.

Thursday, Sept. 20

Dead Lucky
Sundance Now
New Series!

Rachel Griffiths and Yoson An star in this crime thriller told from multiple perspectives. Detective Grace Gibbs (Griffiths) is obsessed with catching the armed robber who killed her junior officer. Charlie Fung (An), her new trainee, blames Grace for the death of his best friend. Over one week, the paths of these and other characters collide, with devastating consequences.

College Football: Tulsa at Temple
ESPN, 7:30pm Live

This Thursday night American Athletic Conference matchup has the Tulsa Golden Hurricane visiting Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Temple Owls.

NFL Football: N.Y. Jets at Cleveland
NFL Network, 8:20pm Live

This Thursday Night Football matchup at Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium might be a glimpse at the future, as Browns rookie QB Baker Mayfield could be the starter against N.Y. Jets rookie QB Sam Darnold.

Bite Club: “Japanese Hibachi Grill Thrills”
Food Network, 9pm

In this episode, Tyler Florence brings together five of the best chefs in Indianapolis to compete outside their comfort zones in a Japanese hibachi restaurant. Using the unique style of grill for the first time, they’re pushed to the limits with secret ingredients like sweet bourbon and fruity guava paste. In the final round, the two remaining chefs must combine crawfish tails, Yukon gold potatoes and anything else they can find to make the best dish possible.

St. Vincent
TNT, 10pm

Maggie and her son Oliver move in next to the eccentric Vincent while trying to start a new life. While Vincent initially pushes all the wrong buttons, Maggie befriends him to help care for her child after school. It’s that relationship between Vincent and Oliver that blossoms into something special. Great actors in a solid situation make for a truly enjoyable film. Stars Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts.

Friday, Sept. 21

Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan
Netflix
New Series!

This anime series follows recently stationed Air Self-Defense Force rookie Hisone Amakasu, who is chosen by a dragon concealed within Gifu Air Base to be his pilot.

The Good Cop
Netflix
New Series!

Tony Danza makes his return to television (again playing a character named Tony, of course) in this hourlong dramedy series. He plays Tony Sr., a disgraced former NYPD officer who never followed the rules. He lives with his son, Tony Jr. (Josh Groban), an earnest, obsessively honest NYPD detective who makes a point of always following the rules. This “odd couple” become unofficial partners as Tony Sr. offers his overly cautious son blunt, streetwise advice on everything from handling suspects to handling women.

Hilda
Netflix
New Series!

This animated series based on Luke Pearson’s acclaimed graphic novels follows the adventures of a fearless blue-haired girl (voiced by Bella Ramsey) as she travels from her home in a vast magical wilderness full of elves and giants to the bustling city of Trolberg, where she meets new friends and mysterious creatures who are stranger — and more dangerous — than she ever expected.

Maniac
Netflix
New Series!

In this limited series, Annie (Emma Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill) are two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial, each for their own reasons. Neither of their lives has turned out quite right, and the promise of a new, radical kind of treatment — a sequence of pills inventor Dr. James K. Mantleray (Justin Theroux) claims can repair anything about the mind, be it mental illness or heartbreak — draws them and 10 other strangers to the three-day drug trial that will, they’re assured, permanently solve all of their problems.

Nappily Ever After
Netflix
Original Film!

Sanaa Lathan also serves as a producer of this original film in which she plays Violet Jones, a woman with a seemingly perfect life complete with a high-powered job, an eligible doctor boyfriend and a meticulously maintained, flawless hairdo. But after a life-changing event doesn’t go according to her plan, and following a hair-raising incident at the hairdresser, Violet’s life begins to unravel. Eventually, she realizes that she was living the life she thought she was supposed to live, not the one she really wanted.

Quincy
Netflix

Iconic musician Quincy Jones is the subject of this documentary co-directed by his daughter Rashida Jones. The film is an intimate look that threads personal vérité moments with private archival footage to reveal a legendary life like no other. Quincy will also have a limited theatrical release.

Elena of Avalor: Song of the Sirenas
Disney Junior, 7pm
Original Film!

In this special, one-hour animated adventure, Elena travels to Nueva Vista and reconnects with her cousin Duke Cristóbal (Javier Muñoz of Broadway’s Hamilton), who has been keeping watch over the city. While there, she encounters a group of mermaid-like sea creatures called sirenas (voiced by Gina Rodriguez, Edward James Olmos, Rita Moreno, Prince Royce and Rosario Dawson) and learns about their complicated history with humans. Elena befriends the sirenas and enlists their help to defeat evil sorceress Shuriki (voiced by Jane Fonda).

My Lottery Dream Home: “My Lottery Dream Stable”
HGTV, 9pm
Season Premiere!

When Jorge, Jackie and their daughter Jillian won a staggering $5 million on a Florida scratcher, they could finally buy the horse ranch that they had only dreamed about. Host David Bromstad meets up with them in Loxahatchee, Fla., to help find the perfect house, land and stables.

Wynonna Earp: “The Other Woman”
Syfy, 9pm

A mysterious woman who knows a little too much about the Earps arrives on the Homestead with a special mission for Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) and Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley). Meanwhile, the rest of the team must wrangle a deadly fire witch.

Killjoys: “Sporemageddon”
Syfy, 10pm
Season Finale!

Aneela brings the Jaqobis brothers into Greenspace to defeat the Lady.

Saturday, Sept. 22

Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers: “A Dying Declaration”
Oxygen, 7pm

As the trial unfolds, shocking testimony from first responders reveals that Jessica uttered a dying declaration that may spawn new leads.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Federated Auto Parts 400
NBCSN, 7:30pm Live

Richmond Raceway in Virginia is the site of the Federated Auto Parts 400, the second race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

The Shape of Water
HBO, 8pm

In the Cold War era, Elisa, a mute American woman, works in the cleaning department of a high-security government laboratory. Her life changes when she encounters a classified experiment. Stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer.

Truly, Madly, Sweetly
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!

Hallmark’s annual “Fall Harvest” programming stunt kicks off when Natalie (Nikki Deloach), the owner of a San Francisco food truck business selling cupcakes, and Eric (Dylan Neal), a finance manager and divorced dad with a young daughter, are brought together by the unusual bequest in a will. When Eric’s aunt, who was a longtime customer of Natalie’s, leaves them a building — the site of a once-famous bakery — they decide to renovate the bakery, and discover that they might also be baking a scrumptious romance.

Mind Your Business with Mahisha
OWN, 10pm

Mahisha Dellinger turned a creative idea into the multimillion-dollar hair company Curls, which makes organic hair care products for women embracing their natural textures. Now she’s helping other female entrepreneurs live out their dreams and take their small business to greater heights. In tonight’s episode, “It’s Poppin’ Off at Aunt Emma’s Popcorn,” Mahisha visits a small popcorn company with a big production problem.