TV Best Bets

‘NFL Football’

A clash of NFC West playoff contenders is in the offing Thursday night at Lumen Field, where Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks will defend home turf from Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. The future is now for the Rams, who paid dearly with draft picks to import 33-year-old passer Stafford from the Detroit Lions during the offseason in hopes of sparking their offense. The aging Hawks, meanwhile, hope they can put together one more big season with the veteran Wilson under center. 5 p.m. on Fox.

‘I Dream Too Much’

Lucille Ball – TCM’s Star of the Month for October – had one of her earliest screen roles (as a tourist) in this wispy 1935 operetta starring operatic soprano Lily Pons as an aspiring singer who falls for and marries a struggling composer (Henry Fonda). Unfortunately, her career takes off while his languishes. The supporting cast includes Osgood Perkins (father of future “Psycho” star Anthony Perkins), Mischa Auer and Eric Blore. 5 p.m. on TCM.

‘Young Sheldon’

Season 5 of this hit prequel to “The Big Bang Theory” picks up the action right after the close of Season 4, which fans may remember ended on a suspenseful note. Sheldon’s (Iain Armitage) parents had engaged in a nasty argument during which George Sr. (Lance Barber) admitted to wife Mary (Zoe Perry) that he’s unhappy with how his life has gone. He winds up in a bar, where he is approached by an appreciative and newly single neighbor (guest star Melissa Peterman). Is this marriage in trouble? Stay tuned. (TVPG) 8 p.m. on CBS.

‘United States of Al’

This fish-out-of-water sitcom – about an Afghan military interpreter (Adhir Kalyan) trying to adjust to life in America – drew some fire early in its run over what some critics described as stereotypical character portrayals. As the show moves into its sophomore season, however, the show’s writers seem determined to avoid any such traps. Throwing out the original Season 2 premiere script, the creative team fashioned tonight’s new episode that sees Al (Adhir Kalyan) and his American friends scrambling to get Al’s sister to safety after Kabul falls. (TVPG) 8:31 p.m. on CBS.

‘The Outpost’

This fantasy-adventure series ends its run after four seasons with a finale called, fittingly, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” as central character Talon (Jessica Green) leads her friends in a battle against the gods. Elsewhere, Janzo, Wren and Munt (Anand Desai-Barochia, Izuka Hoyle, Adam Johnson) fight to save the Kahvi and a ruler ultimately is crowned. (TVPG) 9 p.m. on KAYU.

‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’

While fleeing a bully, three teenagers hide in a local “haunted house,” where they stumble across a secret room that contains a book of horror stories. As new tales begin to appear in the book, the teens and people in their lives are drawn into the chilling action. Zoe Colletti, Gabriel Rush and Austin Abrams play the young trio; Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint and Matt Smith are among the adult players. AndrŽ Ovredal directed this 2019 adaptation of a juvenile book series by Alvin Schwartz. 9 p.m. on SYFY.

‘Ghosts’

Adapted from a hit Britcom, this comedy – which gets an hourlong premiere – stars Rose McIver (“iZombie”) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (“The Mindy Project”) as Samantha and Jay, a couple who decide to convert a run-down country estate they inherited into a bed-and-breakfast. Too late, they discover the property already is occupied by the spirits of now-departed former residents, including an 11th-century Viking explorer and a Prohibition-era lounge singer. The glorious Rebecca Wisocky (“Devious Maids”) leads the spectral ensemble, along with Brandon Scott Jones and Danielle Pinnock, among others. (TVPG) 9:01 p.m. on CBS.

Michael Garza and Zoe Margaret Colletti in “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” which premiered in August 2019.