Bill Engvall is a funny guy. His show: not so much. Now in its second season, “The Bill Engvall Show” (8 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, TBS) makes an obvious effort to re-create the family sitcom of old. It comes complete with dithering dad (Engvall), a wise but understanding and sexy mom (Nancy Travis), three cute kids (one looks strangely like Jerry Mathers of “Leave it to Beaver”) and even a wacky neighbor (Tim Meadows).

The laugh track is loud and intrusive, and the sets are generic and assembled thoughtlessly from stuff you could find in any catalog. With unemployment rising, it’s a tad difficult to whip up much empathy for characters when the show’s central “crisis” concerns Dad’s inability to afford a Cancun spring break for his high-school daughter.

But these problems pale in comparison to the script. The jokes come at the audience like a fastball thrown at 8 miles per hour — too obvious to ignore and too slow to believe. Surprised by the price of milk, dad cracks wise: “I know the kids want a new dog. Maybe we should get a cow!”

I’m not making this up.

• When did cable television become like old Tom Waits songs, filled with bikers and bail bondsman, tattoo parlors and bounty hunters? The down-market trend continues with “Pawn Stars” (9 p.m., Sunday, History), a look at a family-run shop in Las Vegas. The Harrisons evaluate various items to either buy or pawn, including a cannon used in the Indian wars, a reproduction of a suit of Roman armor worn by a former Caesar’s Palace employee and a 3-ton table saw.

Like too many of these series, “Pawn” pads the hour with hijinks between siblings and employees. All of this forced levity can’t disguise the desperation of the Harrison’s clients, residents of a casino city who have run out of luck.

Saturday’s highlights

• Silas continues his controversial land deal with Gath on “Kings” (7 p.m., NBC).

• A visitor from the future pops through the portal on “Primeval” (8 p.m., BBC America).

• Candidates (Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer) vie for the support of an unshaven everyman (Kevin Costner) in the 2008 fantasy “Swing Vote” (8 p.m., Starz).

• Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (9 p.m., CBS): Russian intrigue ends in murder.

Sunday’s highlights

• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): the rush to buy guns and ammunition; the vanishing African lion; a profile of casino tycoon Steve Wynn.

• Arthur is smitten on “Merlin” (7 p.m., NBC).

• A second look at a reporter’s murder on “Cold Case” (8 p.m., CBS).

• Jason Alexander stars in the conclusion of the miniseries “Meteor” (8 p.m., NBC).

• “Masterpiece Mystery” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) presents “Miss Marple: They Do it With Mirrors.”

• “AFI Achievement Award — A Tribute to Michael Douglas” (8 p.m., TV Land).

• Samuel L. Jackson hosts the 17th annual ESPY Awards (8 p.m., ESPN).

• A reporter takes a powder after penning a major expose on “The Unit” (9 p.m., CBS).

• Ryan falls under suspicion on “Brothers & Sisters” (9 p.m., ABC).

• “Design Star” (9 p.m., HGTV) enters its fourth season. Candice Olsen, Vern Yip and Genevieve Gorder officiate.

• Ray’s neighbor strikes again on “Hung” (9 p.m., HBO).