People who say there’s “nothing on” in the middle of a June week are just not paying attention. Tired of “talent” contests? There are plenty of alternatives.

¢ Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave stars in “The Fever” (8:30 p.m., HBO), an adaptation of a play by Wallace Shawn (“My Dinner with Andre”).

Redgrave stars as a woman of a certain age from a cosmopolitan and comfortable background who suddenly becomes obsessed with her place in the world and with uncomfortable questions like: Why is there poverty? Why am I so comfortable when billions live in squalor and pain? Should I do something about it? Am I deluded and vain to even think I can?

Like “My Dinner with Andre,” this drama is talky, provocative and utterly crammed with ideas. Look for Angelina Jolie as a peasant rebel and filmmaker Michael Moore as a reporter.

¢ Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Fred Wiseman, “State Legislature” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) takes an exacting and exhaustive look at the democratic process in the state of Idaho, showing how legislators and their aides, lobbyists and constituents decide what to spend on education, police, prisons, hospitals, courts, the handicapped, etc.

¢ The dark comedy “Rescue Me” (9 p.m., FX) enters its fourth season, with Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) reeling from yet another emotional and professional disaster. Drugged by Sheila (Callie Thorne) at the time of the fire at her beach house, Tommy can’t remember a thing. But that doesn’t stop the insurance company from thinking he’s just the kind of guy to start the blaze. A bracing blend of black comedy and compromised characters trying to come to grips, this season arrives just in time for viewers suffering from “Sopranos” withdrawal.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Clay critters deliver non sequiturs on two episodes of “Creature Comforts” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ The top 20 perform on “So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Impersonators impersonate on “The Next Big Thing” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Two hours of auditions on the season premiere of “Last Comic Standing” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ It’s back to the drawing board on “American Inventor” (8 p.m., ABC).

¢ The critically panned “House of Payne” (8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., TBS) debuted to record ratings. According to TBS, it was the highest-rated sitcom debut on ad-supported cable.

¢ Jay and Tyler search Will’s hometown on “Traveler” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ Tracy Morgan hosts “The Guy’s Choice Awards” (9 p.m., Spike), celebrating all things manly.