Fighting machines
Samantha Ponder, best known around these parts as Christian Ponder's wife, hosts a new season of "BattleBots," the competition series in which 48 robots duke it out for the chance to win the Golden Nut, a lifetime supply of AAA batteries. Fun fact: Hosts for the show when it aired on Comedy Central included Sean Salisbury, another ex-quarterback for the Vikings.
7 p.m. KSTP, Ch. 5
Across the border
A primarily Hispanic cast is featured in "Queen of the South," starring Alice Braga as an illegal immigrant who leaves Mexico after her drug-dealing boyfriend is found murdered. The obstacles she faces make any proposed border walls look like anthills. The series is based on a bestselling novel, "La Reina Del Sur."
9 p.m. USA
The great escape
Newcomer Jodie Comer is so committed to her role of a 26-year-old readjusting to life after 13 years of captivity that you'll momentarily forget Brie Larson's Oscar-winning role in "Room." Unfortunately, "Thirteen," a five-part miniseries, quickly sets aside her layered performance to focus on a standard thriller — her kidnapper is on the loose — that relies largely on the ineptitude of Keystone Kops. Nevertheless, Comer is someone to keep an eye on.
9 p.m. BBC America
Neal Justin
