Over the course of the summer, HBO will devote Thursday nights to replays of their acclaimed sports documentaries, beginning with “Joe Louis: America’s Hero … Betrayed” (5:30 p.m., HBO). Future installments include “Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team” (July 8) and “Rebels with a Cause: The Story of the American Football League” (Aug. 5).

Narrated by Liev Schreiber, “Joe Louis” (2008) recalls the 1930s and 1940s when Americans of different races had varying perceptions of the heavyweight-boxing champion.

An interesting gallery of individuals, including President Jimmy Carter, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), poet Maya Angelou, and comedians Bill Cosby and Dick Gregory, recall their reactions to listening to the radio and hearing Louis win his heavyweight title or hear him lose to and then defeat German boxer Max Schmeling, a man the Nazi propaganda machine had turned into a poster boy for its master-race ideology.

But as Angelou recalls, the radio experience delivered magic. “Did you see Joe Louis?” was the common refrain in her community. Even though they only heard the fights on the radio, everyone said they “saw” Joe Louis, and they loved what they “saw.”

The film does not hide its subject’s many flaws, painting him as an unfaithful husband, a distant parent and a man with no grasp of finances. But it makes a strong case that Louis integrated the world of sport — the common arena of American life — a full decade before Jackie Robinson.

Tonight’s other highlights

• On two episodes of “The Mentalist” (CBS), a black-tie event proves eventful (7 p.m.), an accident victim without memory tests Jane’s skills (9 p.m.).

• Kristin Chenoweth guest stars on “Glee” (7 p.m., Fox).

• The top 40 unfold on the last two hours of “100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs” (7 p.m. and 8 p.m., VH1).

• A contestant goes home on “So You Think You Can Dance” (8 p.m., Fox).

• On two episodes of “The Office” (NBC), Michael reminisces (8 p.m.), a new buyer (Kathy Bates) arrives (9 p.m.).

• Plans for Henry’s birthday go south on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS).

• A young initiate targets streetwalkers on “Moonlight” (8 p.m., CW).

• Jack and Liz battle for the new guy’s attention on “30 Rock” (8:30 p.m., NBC).

• A returning vet confronts his infant’s delicate condition on the documentary series “Boston Med” (9 p.m., ABC).

• “Penn & Teller: Bull—-” (9:05 p.m., Showtime) examines fears of rampant teenage sexuality and parents’ efforts to curtail it.

Cult choice

A recent college grad (Jesse Eisenberg) spends a late 1980s summer working at a rundown amusement park in the 2009 coming-of-age dramedy “Adventureland” (7 p.m., TMC). A great cast includes Kristen Stewart (“Twilight”) and Martin Starr (“Party Down”).