— The network season is only days old, but certain trends emerge. It seems this year we’re being asked to watch series with strenuously inelegant titles. Does CBS think anyone will ever warm to "Bob Hearts Abishola"? And tonight ABC launches "Stumptown" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
While reviewing pilots, I often wonder how the series was pitched. "Stumptown" may have been introduced as "Magnum P.I." among Portland’s gritty, hip locals with a woman war veteran in the lead. Or something like that.
Cobie Smulders stars as Dex Parios. She’s a breezy, if damaged, veteran of several Afghanistan deployments who drives a wheezy early ’80s Mustang, can still deck a bar bouncer with one punch and has managed to drink lots of beer and never gain weight.
Seemingly unemployable and down to her last dime, she’s deep in hock to the slightly mobbed-up family that owns the local Native American gambling casino. They share a sad history and distrust since their son, her fiance, was killed in Kabul.
For all of her baggage, Dex breezes in and out of every joint in town, from local coffee shops to grimy mob bars. Everybody gives her a familiar nod, a friendly smile and even a "Didn’t we sleep together?" look of recognition. Dex reminds me of the kinds of characters Mickey Rourke played in the mid-1980s, itself a cliche stretching back all the way to Humphrey Bogart movies.
To underscore Dex’s decency, she’s the full-time caregiver for her mentally challenged brother (Cole Sibus), except when she leaves him for long stretches to get caught up in far-fetched adventures.
The fairly preposterous pilot sets up Dex as a freelance PI for the Portland police, assigned to work in the shadow world where following the rules might compromise the assignment. Look for Camryn Manheim ("The Practice") as a no-nonsense Lt. Cosgrove and Michael Ealy ("Barbershop," "2 Fast 2 Furious") as Det. Miles Hoffman. He’s cast to be dreamy catnip, and Dex takes the bait. In a running joke, she calls him Kauffman.
— The exhaustively researched, 16-hour series "Country Music" (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) wraps up circa 1996, a time when artists like Garth Brooks, the Judds and Reba McEntire reigned.
This abrupt conclusion doesn’t allow "Country Music" to cover the digital disruption of the music industry, the corporate consolidation of the radio business or the explosion in country roots music that followed the 2000 release of the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou."
It also ends before 2003, when the Dixie Chicks faced the most savage censuring of popular artists since the McCarthy era.
TONIGHT’S SEASON PREMIERES
— Boston Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz return as mentors on the 38th season of "Survivor" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
— Will and Natalie reel after a car accident on "Chicago Med" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Eight celebrities don costumes to perform on "The Masked Singer" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
— A road trip to a corporate theme park on "The Goldbergs" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— Lainey receives advice on "Schooled" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— A mattress factory fire defies containment on "Chicago Fire" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Haley adheres to new parenting theories on "Modern Family" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— Voight’s feud with the mayor-elect has consequences on "Chicago P.D." (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— The firm faces ruin on the season finale of "Suits" (9 p.m., USA, TV-14).
— A winner emerges on the season finale of "Big Brother" (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
— The lights go dim on "American Horror Story: 1984" (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
— A new way to meet girls on "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (10 p.m., FXX, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton has a role in director Robert Altman’s adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s detective novel "The Long Goodbye" (10:30 p.m., TCM), starring Elliott Gould, Nina Van Pallandt and Sterling Hayden. Bouton, author of "Ball Four," died on July 10.
SERIES NOTES
Illusionists audition on "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) … Taye Diggs hosts "Hypnotize Me" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … The gang enjoys some idle time on "Single Parents" (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Gary Gulman appears on "Conan" (11 p.m., TBS) … Renee Zellweger and Walton Goggins are scheduled on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Robert De Niro, Jameela Jamil and Bastille on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Ashley Tisdale and Cherry Glazerr appear on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" (12:37 a.m., CBS).
