With a month to go until election day, Fox brings out something new and yet familiar: puppets. “Let’s Be Real” (9 p.m., TV-14) will feature puppets commenting on current news, popular culture and events. It’s produced by Robert Smigel, the brains, and presumably the hand, behind “Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.”
Smigel has been a longtime contributor to “Saturday Night Live,” most notably with his “TV Funhouse” cartoon shorts. He collaborated on the scripts of “Hotel Transylvania” (7 p.m., Freeform, TV-PG) and “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,” both starring Adam Sandler.
“CripTales” (10 p.m., BBC America) presents bracing first-person accounts from people with disabilities, discussing both the most mundane events and life-changing moments.
Curated by actor Mat Fraser, these short vignettes are intended to illuminate the hopes and dreams of people too often reduced in stature by others’ perceptions.
While these performances might be powerful on the stage, the very theatricality of the monologue format does not lend itself to mere television.
— The acclaimed U.K. series “Gangs of London” begins its 10-episode stream on AMC+, a new service offering the best from AMC and its affiliated networks, including Sundance and IFC.
“Gangs” opens with a horrific moment of violence, a man brutalized, tortured and set on fire. Flashbacks reveal a desperate hunt to see who killed the patriarch (Colm Meaney) of a crime family and how its conspiratorial doings begin to unravel once he’s been dispatched.
Given the innate violence and sadism of many characters in the gangster genre, I need something extra to make me stick around. The gorgeous production, excellent performances, compelling characters and mordant humor found in “Fargo” and “The Sopranos” offer reason enough. And both offer pointed commentary on American society.
In contrast, “Gangs” is serious to the point of humorlessness, and so heavily accented that subtitles might be helpful. And it’s not like these gangsters are living large. The big shot whose murder gets things going is killed in the hallway of a seedy housing project. I was less than transported by this tale.
— Also streaming on AMC+, the four-part series “The Salisbury Poisonings” follows a police story that turns into a tale of international terror and intrigue. Based on true events, it recalls how two former Russian nationals were poisoned by a radioactive nerve agent in 2018, a toxin with the potential to wipe out an entire city.
— Subscribers to AMC+ can also stream the 10th season of “The Walking Dead” and the premiere of the spin-off “The Walking Dead: World Beyond.” Both air on plain old AMC on Sunday nights.
— Crackle, the free ad-supported streaming service owned by Sony, presents the original film “Robert the Bruce,” starring Angus Macfadyen and Jared Harris. “Bruce” recalls historical events that were the basis of Mel Gibson’s popular 1995 epic “Braveheart.”
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— “What on Earth?” (9 p.m., Science, TV-PG) reveals how satellite photography uncovered grim truths about a cemetery on Devil’s Island, the infamous penal colony.
— Brinksmanship with a Klingon vessel on “Star Trek: Discovery” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— Two slackers (Bill Murray and Harold Ramis) join the new volunteer army, and chaos ensues in the 1981 comedy “Stripes” (9 p.m., Starz Encore). Along with “Private Benjamin,” this film marked a return to Hollywood’s tradition of “service comedies” and a departure from the Vietnam-era depiction of the military.
SERIES NOTES
Julie Chen Moonves hosts “Big Brother” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “The Wall” (8 p.m. NBC, TV-PG) … “The Masked Singer” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … “Celebrity Family Feud” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) … A glance back at Salem on “Mysteries Decoded” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … “Press Your Luck” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-14) … Illusionists audition on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) … A focus group looks at a possible reboot of “Family Guy” (9:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … Alec Baldwin hosts “Match Game” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) practices social distancing … Melissa Villasenor appears on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, r) … Ethan Hawke and Andrew Weissmann are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kaitlyn Dever and BTS on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC).
Cecily Strong, David Wright, Miranda July and Jessica Burdeaux visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Gloria Steinem, Sally Hawkins and Craig Roberts appear on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
