Big Brother
A new horde of house guests arrive at their sexy yet isolated and privacy-impaired singles’ pad, as this reality series returns for Season 18 with a two-hour launch. Since the premiere of the U.S. edition in 2000, this show — on which the contestants try to charm, schmooze and even seduce their way to the $500,000 jackpot — has undergone format changes, but a reassuring constant is Julie Chen, returning as host and informal therapist to evicted house guests. (CBS, Global)
MASTERCHEF
The new episode, A MasterChef Wedding, finds the 18 home cooks divided into two teams, each tasked with preparing appetizers and entrees for Season 6 contestant Nick Nappi’s wedding. As well as the usual pressure from judges Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi, the nervous cooks must also cope with the most demanding client of all: a bride on her wedding day. The winning team scores a significant advantage in the next elimination challenge. (Fox, CTV)
THE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE GAME SHOW
Part game show, part comedy series, this new unscripted program features contestants with relatively little sense of shame trying to complete physical challenges that run the gamut from the absurd to the outlandish, with an occasional side trip to the mortifying. Challenges include Tiny Bike, Dizzy Hurdle and Groin Croissant. That last one boggles the mind. (Much)
THE NIGHT SHIFT
The hospital becomes ground zero for an angry civic meltdown over an anticipated jury verdict, as the staff on the night shift take in the man suspected of a racially motivated shooting that sparked the unrest, in new episode ThreeTwo-One. The man’s presence polarizes the team, leading to sharp exchanges between pals Paul and Kenny (Robert Bailey Jr., JR Lemon). Out in the field, TC (Eoin Macken) debates which of two patients to bring in. (NBC)
AMERICAN GOTHIC
In Arrangement in Grey, the premiere of a suspense drama co-produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin firm, members of a renowned Boston family are unnerved to learn someone close to them is connected to several murders. The ensemble cast includes Juliet Rylance, Antony Starr, Virginia Madsen, Justin Chatwin and Megan Ketch. (CBS, Global)