• Deep in the summer, when the networks are offering less than their best, it pays to remember what they can do when they put their minds to it. Which is just one reason to watch what may be the best of the big network miniseries, and is no doubt the best Western ever made for TV, Lonesome Dove (CMT, tonight, 8 ET/PT). We're at the second installment, but don't worry: You'll have no trouble following the story, and no trouble appreciating the performances and the production.

• On a night overstuffed with game shows, here's one of the odder ones: PBS' Time Team America (8 ET/PT, times may vary), a self-described "science-reality series" that gives a team of archaeologists 72 hours to excavate an assigned dig. This week they're off to Roanoke to find the famous Lost Colony.

• If enlightenment is what you seek from PBS, you're probably better off with The Ascent of Money (9 ET/PT), a new four-part series from Niall Ferguson. The special, the second gleaned from Ferguson's best seller, tries to explain how our system of global finance evolved.

•It has been a busy summer for Neil Patrick Harris. He was a terrific host for the Tonys, he's a potential host for the Emmys, and tonight, he's a guest judge on Top Chef Masters (Bravo, 10 ET/PT).