— A beleaguered water park employee, Krystal (Kirsten Dunst), has to regroup after her husband falls victim to a cultlike pyramid scheme in the pilot episode of the new series "On Becoming a God in Central Florida" (8 p.m. Showtime, r, TV-MA). In a second episode, she hopes to tap into past glories and become a pageant coach (8:45 p.m., r, TV-MA).
Time was, you’d think Showtime was merely dumping this awkwardly titled series by debuting it at the tail end of August. The show took a circuitous route to its broadcast. Originally developed for AMC, it migrated to YouTube’s Premium Channel before airing on Showtime.
"God" goes counter to most series in depicting the economic divide from the point of view of its victims, and actually suggests they might stand up for themselves. Current series like "Succession" and "Billions" have little time for mere employees who punch a time clock.
On the other hand, "God" is set in 1992, perhaps suggesting that Krystal’s spunk is a thing of the past.
Dunst has never shied from interesting, even prestigious roles, debuting as 7-year-old child actress in the 1989 comedy "New York Stories," co-directed by Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Francis Coppola.
As a teen she held her own with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in the 1994 horror tale "Interview With the Vampire." Arguably best known for her roles in "Spider-Man" movies, she’s been active on television for decades, earning acclaim for a six-episode arc on "ER" back in 1997 and starring in the women-in-peril thriller "Fifteen and Pregnant" in 1998.
Her 2015 turn as the Lady Macbethlike Peggy Blumquist in the second season of "Fargo" was spellbinding, and she has an uncredited appearance in the "USS Callister" episode of "Black Mirror" that reunites her with her "Fargo" co-star Jesse Plemons.
— TCM dedicates their "Summer Under the Stars" to Walter Brennan, a fixture in classic Westerns, including "Rio Bravo" (5:30 p.m.), co-starring John Wayne, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. He steals scenes from Bogart and Bacall in his memorable turn as a quotable rummy in "To Have and Have Not" (midnight).
A winner of three Oscars in the 1930s, he ended his career on television in "The Real McCoys," "Alias Smith & Jones" and "The Guns of Will Sonnett," an ABC Western that gave him the tagline "No brag, just fact."
TV-themed DVDs available today include the first season of ABC’s "A Million Little Things."
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Even after a cold case is solved, the killer may go free on a technicality on "NCIS" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).
— A bomber targets the one percent on "FBI" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Cameras capture "First Responders Live" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
— An organ harvest of shame on "NCIS: New Orleans" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— A semifinal showcase unfolds on "Bring the Funny" (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— "Frontline" (10 p.m., PBS, r, check local listings) examines "The Abortion Divide."
CULT CHOICE
Roger Moore ups the pun quotient as agent 007 goes underwater again in the 1977 thriller "The Spy Who Loved Me" (8 p.m., BBC America), co-starring Barbara Bach and Curt Jurgens. The film is best remembered for its Marvin Hamlisch score, which included the song "Nobody Does It Better," performed by Carly Simon.
SERIES NOTES
"America’s Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … A new mother’s complaints go unheeded on "The Resident" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … "Bachelor in Paradise" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) … Jax discovers a mystery from her past on "Pandora" (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
Rumors of children being used as guinea pigs on "Mysteries Decoded" (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) … Rio doesn’t fit in on "Bless This Mess" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) … Junior’s tempting offer may distract him from his degree on "black-ish" (10:30 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
"The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" and "Lights Out With David Spade" are pre-empted this week … Natasha Lyonne appears on "Conan" (11 p.m., TBS) … Rahm Emanuel and Michael Ian Black are booked on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Maya Rudolph, Rita Ora and Kygo on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) … Milo Ventimiglia, Alison Brie and the Head and the Heart appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r).
Chris Hayes, Charlamagne Tha God and Jeff Quay visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Tiffany Haddish, Don Cheadle and Keane appear on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
