If life and television teach us anything, it’s that people who claim to be “classy” tend to be anything but. The new series “First Class All the Way” (8 p.m., Bravo) offers a tacky throwback to the Robin Leach 1980s classic “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” But at least the loud Leach appeared to be in on the joke. The ladies on “Class” approach their tasks with grim determination.

The docudrama follows travel planner Sara Duffy as she prepares the “perfect” vacations for her high-paying clients. As the show begins, she sends five friends and Beverly Hills housewives on a posh trip to Paris and a visit to Monte Carlo. This gathering of glittering gals is a clear nod to the “Real Housewives” franchise but unfolds without the emphasis on infighting, drama and self-delusion that makes those shows amusing. Like most people who have to pay other people to prepare their fun for them, these housewives are kind of dull.

Beyond boring, “Class” has moments of unintended pathos. At one point, Duffy lays out all of her high-priced dresses and spits out a cattle call of designer-label names: “All my favorite men on one bed!”

At another juncture, Duffy’s assistant, Tanya, approaches her in tears. She loves Paris, but she’s afraid she’s just not comfortable with a gaggle of overdressed spendthrifts. “I’m middle class,” she confesses. People tend to react badly when others treat them like servants.

¢ “Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m., PBS, check local listings) shifts gears to reflect tomorrow’s election. Look for heirlooms and collectibles linked to past elections, presidents and other leaders.

¢ Not even “Monday Night Football” (7 p.m., ESPN) offers escape from electioneering. Before the Steelers take on the Redskins live from our nation’s capital, announcer Chris Berman will interview Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

¢ “Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2008” (9 p.m., NBC) takes one more glance at the current campaign, showcasing past political lampoons from Chevy Chase’s spoof of Gerald Ford to Will Ferrell’s take on George W. Bush.

¢ In the 1960 film “Primary” (8 p.m., Sundance), director Robert Drew leads a team of filmmakers to cover the campaigns of John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in the Wisconsin primary. It’s spellbinding for its coverage of old-time politics and its introduction of cinema verite documentary techniques. Participants include innovative documentarians D.A. Pennebaker (“Don’t Look Back”), Richard Leacock (“A Happy Mother’s Day”) and Albert Maysles (“Grey Gardens”).

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ A burglary may be part of something darker on “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Dora saves the snow princess on “Dora the Explorer” (7 p.m., Nickelodeon).

¢ Michael gets sicker on “Prison Break” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ A construction accident threatens several team members on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ A rancher (Valerie Bertinelli) takes on the U.S. Department of Agriculture on “Boston Legal” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ The judges’ mistakes opens the door for a retrial on the season finale of “Raising the Bar” (9 p.m., TNT).

Cult choice

Middle-aged siblings (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney), each miserable in their own way, deal with their estranged father’s final days in the 2007 drama “The Savages” (7 p.m., Cinemax).