Ethan Hawke in ‘The Lowdown,’ ‘Alien’ Finale, ‘Murder in a Small Town’ and ‘Doc’ on Fox, ‘Talent’ Finals

The Lowdown

“I want to set off a flair, kick up the rocks, and see what the roaches do at night,” crows Lee Raybon (wily, jittery Ethan Hawke), a self-described “truthstorian” (translation: fiercely independent freelance fringe journalist) who proudly wears scars from poking his nose where powerful people wish he wouldn’t. Lee’s crusade to expose the sordid past of a powerful Oklahoma family puts this Tulsa muckraker in the crosshairs of violent skinheads, shady businessmen, and, most critically, a ruthless gubernatorial candidate (Kyle MacLachlan) from the corrupt Washberg dynasty. Hawke is a hoot, and the offbeat Lowdown (from Reservation Dogs’ Sterlin Harjo) is a must. (See the full review.)

Alien: Earth

The standoff between humans, aliens, androids, and human/robot hybrids reaches epic proportions in the thrilling finale to Noah Hawley‘s superb Alien spinoff. “We can’t be kids anymore. But they won’t let us be adults,” laments Wendy (Sydney Chandler), the hybrid leader who plans to upset the power of balance now that she’s formed a bond with the fearsome Xenomorphs. When her beloved brother Joe Hermit (Alex Lawther) reminds her, “They’re predators. We’re food to them,” she responds, “No you’re food to them. I don’t know what I am.” When she figures it out, watch out.

Murder in a Small Town

Police chief Karl Alberg (a soulful Rossif Sutherland) talks softly but is about to wield a lot more authority when the low-key crime drama returns for a second season. The crafty mayor and local doctor, Christie Holman (new cast member Marcia Gay Harden), wants to expand his reach beyond small-town Gibsons and put him in charge of neighboring jurisdictions, which won’t be easy with his understaffed squad. Another complication: Any new officers will come at the expense of town projects like the arts center that Alberg’s girlfriend and new town councilperson Cassandra (Kristin Kreuk) has her heart set on. The case of the week, involving the charred body of a man we first see in a heated domestic dispute, is almost secondary to the goal of reestablishing this show’s comfort zone of rural intrigue.

Doc

In case you missed it when Fox previewed tonight’s Season 2 opener opposite the Emmys: The emotionally charged medical drama returns for a new season, immediately putting recovering amnesiac Dr. Amy Larsen (Molly Parker) in the middle of a heated crisis when an out-of-control father puts the staff in danger while demanding his daughter get the heart transplant she was promised. This patient’s history is part of the past that Amy can’t remember, after a car accident wiped out the last eight years of her memories. She’s also involved in one of TV’s more complicated triangles, involving Michael (Omar Metwally), the ex-husband and chief medical officer she doesn’t remember divorcing — and whose new wife is going into labor on this day from hell—and chief resident Jake (Jon Ecker), the hot doc she can’t remember falling in love with.

America’s Got Talent

Following a second round of blind auditions on the new season of The Voice (8/7c), the summer’s top talent contest presents the top 10 finalists as these acts show what they’ve got one last time, hoping for enough votes to put them over the top as Season 20’s $1 million winner. The roster is heavy on music, with singers Jessica Sanchez, Jourdan Blue, Mama Duke, Micah Palace, Steve Ray Ladson, and the Leo High School Choir, plus improv rapper Chris Turner, two dance troupes (Brazil’s glowing Light Wire and Team Recycled), and acrobat Sirca Marea.

Inside Tuesday TV:

• Dancing with the Stars (8/7c, ABC; simulcast on Disney+): The theme is “One Hit Wonders,” and as teams dance the cha-cha, foxtrot, jive, quickstep, samba and tango to tunes including “Maniac,” “Macarena” and “It’s Raining Men,” votes during the live simulcast will determine which duos will face a double elimination.
• Homestead Rescue (8/7c, Discovery): The Raneys are back for a 16^th season of helping people who live off the grid, tackling one of their biggest challenges when they come to the aid of a family of six whose homestead was wiped out by Hurricane Helene.
• The Devil Is Busy (9/8c, HBO): A documentary short follows Tracii, the head of security at an Atlanta women’s healthcare clinic, on a grueling day’s shift as she works to protect patients and staff providing reproductive healthcare and abortions.
• Top Guns: The Next Generation (9/8c, National Geographic): The pilots-in-training face their toughest and most technical test: landing on an aircraft carrier.
• High Potential (10/9c, ABC): “Apparently you’re looking for me,” said the smug and sinister man (David Giuntoli) we assume to be the dreaded Game Maker when he showed up unexpectedly at the precinct at the end of last week’s Season 2 opener. What does this mean? We’re about to find out.
• Bully Hunter (10/9c, A&E): A documentary special explores the world of cyberbullying, with investigator Dr. James McGibney tracking down and confronting online bullies and predators to allow their victims to get on with their lives.
• Hustlers, Gamblers, Crooks (10/9c, Discovery): The docuseries opens its second season with Danny Trejo reflecting on his crime-ridden youth, with more true confessions from card counter Richard Munchkin and Dance Moms star and former teenage car thief Sari Lopez.

On the Stream:

• Only Murders in the Building (streaming on Hulu): While Charles (Steve Martin) shows off his “impressive mouth work” on a dinner date with mob widow Sofia (Téa Leoni), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) continue snooping into the secrets of the Arconia, only to learn the disgruntled staff has a ranking system of tenants. Where do you imagine Oliver falls?
• Bodyguard of Lies (streaming on Paramount+): A hard-hitting documentary examines the history of the Afghanistan war, exposing failed military policies and strategies over four administrations.
• Cristela Alonzo: Upper Classy (streaming on Netflix): The comedian’s third stand-up special leans into the pursuit of happiness, as she regales an audience in Dallas with riffs on visiting a spa and taking her family on their first vacation.
• Paris & Pups (streaming on YouTube): Paris Hilton and her penchant for pets inspired this animated children’s series about 12-year-old penthouse dweller Paris Star and her litter of adorable puppies.
• Dying Seconds (streaming on Just for Laughs YouTube channel): A Canadian web comedy-mystery is set in the literally cutthroat world of pro hockey.