TV's Best Bets

Thursday, Aug. 11

Baseball, 7 p.m. ET, Fox. Baseball may be slow and stodgy, but it has acres of history. The National League began in the wild-West era; that was 1876, the year Custer and Hickok were killed, Earp became sheriff and Bell made the first phone call. Now two of the original eight teams — Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds — meet on the Iowa diamond created for “Field of Dreams.” They’re about 40 games below .500 (combined) but bring a living history.

“Bump” debut, 8 and 8:30 p.m., CW. For Oly, an ordinary high school day spins out of control; suddenly, she gives birth. This surprises people because she’s diligent and dependable … and because she didn’t know she was pregnant. Yes, the story strains credibility — especially with a big baby emerging from a modest-sized torso; also, this is a “comedy drama” devoid of comedy. Still, it’s skillfully filmed and played, holding our interest.

“Young Sheldon,” 8 p.m., CBS. Last week’s rerun left Sheldon’s grandma in crisis mode. She bought a laundromat because she liked the backroom casino … then saw the casino closed by police. Now Georgie has a solution; that’s followed at 8:30 by “Ghosts,” with Sam facing a key question: If she can see ghosts, will she be able to see her late mother?

“Good Trouble,” 10 p.m., Freeform. Situations may change … again. After a long talk with Evan, Mariana reconsiders Joaquin. Also, Davia convinces a homeschool family to seek therapy.

“The Manchurian Candidate” (1962), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies; or “Belfast” (2021), 9 p.m., HBO. Here are black-and-white masterpieces. Both are beautifully directed — by John Frankenheimer long ago, with a fanciful fiction about political schemes, and by Kenneth Branagh, revisiting his own childhood. It you prefer something with color (and fun and music), the animated gem “Moana” (2016) is 8 p.m. on the Disney Channel.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Thursday TV's Best Bets