At the risk of sounding like Jacqueline Suzann, let me declare: Love is no longer enough. Recent romantic comedies, at least those made during the reign of Oprah, have to bring change, fulfillment and enlightenment, as well. It’s no longer just about boy-meets-girl in the age of “Eat, Pray, Love.”

The made-for-TV romance “The Wish List” (8 p.m., today, Hallmark) may not be memorable, or even very good, but it shows how far the classic rules of comedy have been bent to conform to the new dictates.

Jennifer Esposito, who was quite amusing as the selfish sidekick on “Samantha Who,” is saddled here with a character as unlikable as she is unbelievable. As Sarah Fisher, she’s an uptight human resources director for a publishing firm who seems to take joy in micromanaging the help at her dry cleaners. Tired of dating men who don’t meet her standards, she compiles a list of 22 qualifications that any beau must meet.

To nobody’s surprise, she meets Mr. Perfect right away. Erik (Mark Deklin) is not only a doctor, but the animal-loving, nonsmoking, meat-loathing, charity-minded family man of her dreams. Confronted with everything she asked for, she develops cold feet and an inexplicable longing for Fred (David Sutcliffe, “Gilmore Girls”), a quirky coffee shop owner. He’s supposed to represent her polar opposite — the eat, drink and be merry type — but instead, he comes off like an annoying barista bully who will only serve customers the coffee they “deserve.” Somehow, playing the harmonica is supposed to compensate for this. It doesn’t.

There’s little mystery which man Sarah will eventually choose. The real question is why the makers of “Wish List” think we’d ever root for Sarah, or care about her transformation from fussy and fastidious to easygoing and creative. In a traditional comedy, she’d be a comic foil or obstacle for the heroine. Think Sigourney Weaver’s character in “Working Girl.” That we’re now asked to cheer for the corporate drone is a sign of how far we’ve strayed.

• It’s NBC’s turn to host the Primetime Emmy Awards (7 p.m., Sunday, NBC). But you get the feeling they’d rather be airing an NFL game instead. This is the second time since acquiring the rights to Sunday Night Football that the peacock network has moved the TV showcase from its traditional mid-September slot to the final weekend in August, otherwise known as one of the deadest nights of the broadcast year.

For the record, Jimmy Fallon will be hosting, accompanied by too many presenters to list here. George Clooney will be honored for his humanitarian work and presumably not for his early TV appearances on “The Facts of Life,” “Roseanne” or in the 1988 shocker sequel “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!”

Unlike the Oscars, which honor a new batch of films every year, the Emmys have a habit of getting into a well-worn groove and honoring the same shows repeatedly. John Lithgow from “3rd Rock from the Sun” continued to receive Emmys long after anybody had ceased to care about the sitcom.

Tonight’s real suspense boils down to whether consistent favorites “30 Rock” and “Mad Men” will hog the honors or whether newcomers like “Modern Family” and “Glee” are recognized. With 33 Emmy nominations between “Glee” and “Family,” I suspect it will be a night for fresh blood.

• A rock star (Joanna Lumley, “Absolutely Fabulous) long presumed dead resurfaces in time for a comeback album in the “Masterpiece Mystery” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) presentation of “Inspector Lewis,” starring Kevin Whately as the Oxford-based detective.

Today’s highlights

• Houston hosts Dallas in NFL preseason football (7 p.m., CBS).

• On back-to-back episodes of “Persons Unknown” (NBC), low on supplies (7 p.m.), the great escape (8 p.m.). The second episode is the season finale.

• Ben Stiller stars in the 2004 comedy sequel “Meet the Fockers” (7 p.m., ABC).

• Annie helps counsel ghosts on “Being Human” (8 p.m., BBC America).

• A change in the atmosphere proves troubling in the 2010 shocker “Meteor Apocalypse” (8 p.m., SyFy).

• The military dabbles in the paranormal in the 2009 comedy “The Men Who Stare at Goats” (8 p.m., Starz), starring Ewan McGregor and George Clooney.

Sunday’s highlights

• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): selling secrets; a revolutionary power generator; stuntmen who fly “like birds.”

• Denver hosts Pittsburgh in NFL preseason football (7 p.m., Fox).

• Daniel Craig inherits the James Bond role in the 007 thriller “Casino Royale” (7 p.m., ABC).

• The 2005 documentary “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” (7 p.m., CNBC) recalls the rise and precipitous fall of a well-connected energy broker.

• Katherine discovers that Tom’s death was not an isolated incident on “Rubicon” (8 p.m., AMC).

• Bill’s efforts to placate Sookie brings fresh peril on “True Blood” (8 p.m., HBO).

• Life is cheap and death comes suddenly on the Rio Grande in the “Cops”-like nonfiction series “Border Wars” (8 p.m., National Geographic), now in its second season.

• Emily Henderson, the winner of “Design Star” gets her own special “Secrets from a Stylist” (9 p.m., HGTV).

• Peggy and her partner hash out creative differences on “Mad Men” (9 p.m., AMC).

• Ronnie goes public with his frustrations on “Hung” (9 p.m., HBO).

• Vince tries to save Sasha from a bad career move on “Entourage” (9:30 p.m., HBO).

• A well-dressed divorce lawyer becomes a victim on “The Glades” (9 p.m., A&E).

• The confection-centric series “Amazing Wedding Cakes!” (9 p.m., WE) enters its third season.