The heat is on

Director William Friedkin's chase scenes in "To Live and Die in L.A." are among the most harrowing ever recorded. They may come in second only to Steve McQueen's bumpy ride through San Francisco in 1968's "Bullitt," so it's completely appropriate that Friedkin has chosen to kick off a night of his favorite films with the Peter Yates thriller. 7 p.m. TCM

Goin' ape

Orangutans are front and center on PBS, first in "My Wild Affair" (7 p.m.), which chronicles the adventures of one who was raised as a human, and later in "Sex in the Wild" (9 p.m.), an in-depth look at their reproductive habits. Use the one-hour break between specials to peel yourself a few bananas. TPT, Ch. 2

The laugh factory

The Hollywood Reporter has called it "the epicenter of L.A.'s alt-comedy scene." Now you can see what all the fuss is about in "The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail," a series hosted by Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani, two fresh, exciting young voices. Among the guest stars for this first season: Jim Gaffigan, Weird Al Yankovic, Marc Maron and Maria Bamford. 11:30 p.m. Comedy Central

Neal Justin