The Closer
After seven seasons and a plethora of awards, including a Golden Globe for star Kyra Sedgwick, the saga of brittle but brilliant police interrogator Brenda Leigh Johnson comes to an end. Opening with the discovery of a secret graveyard of murdered women, the series finale brings Brenda face to face with her most cunning adversary. The premiere of spin-off series Major Crimes follows at 10. Monday, Aug. 13, at 9 p.m., TNT
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It’s impossible not to root for the subjects of this new docuseries—all of them participants in Strive, an up-by-your-bootstraps jobs program for the chronically unemployed, including former prison inmates and recovering addicts. Besides having to perfect their interviewing skills, the participants often need to overcome poverty, homelessness, and bad attitudes. Says one trainer, “You teach people to believe in themselves by believing in them.” Monday, Aug. 13, at 10:30 p.m., Sundance Channel
Nature: Kalahari—The Great Thirstland
The Kalahari Desert of southern Africa is one of the most desolate regions on Earth—until occasional violent rainstorms suddenly bring out swarms of frogs, flocks of finches and flamingoes, and other teeming life. Dramatic footage by nature photographer Tim Liversedge highlights this installment of Nature. Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 8 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Toy Hunter
Meet Jordan Hembrough, toy collector and dealer, whose motto is, “These may be toys, but this ain’t child’s play.” In the debut of this series, Hembrough is at the Jersey Shore poking into dusty attics, scary basements, and overstuffed sheds for collectibles. He’s knowledgeable, agreeable, and shrewd as he shares his appreciation for Mork & Mindy, Colorforms, and Star Trek figures with like-minded collectors. Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 10 p.m., Travel Channel
Boss
Kelsey Grammer returns in his Golden Globe–winning role as a Chicago mayor whose iron grip on the city is threatened by his battle with a degenerative brain disease. As the series’s second season begins, Mayor Kane’s dementia is accelerating, but he’s bent on securing his legacy with an airport modernization and a controversial housing project. The show remains an absorbing mosaic of political intrigue, with fine work by the entire cast. Friday, Aug. 17, at 9 p.m., Starz
Other highlights
The ’Lights
The previous night’s sports highlights and scores are presented in 20-minute reports in this brisk new morning series, unusual in that it has no set or on-air host. Monday, Aug. 13, at 7 a.m., NBC Sports Network
Strike Back
A second season begins for this macho action series, which tracks the globe-trotting adventures of two anti-terrorist commandos. Friday, Aug. 17, at 10 p.m., Cinemax
Smart Cookies
In this made-for-TV movie, Jessalyn Gilsig portrays a hard-driving real estate agent saddled with helping a struggling Girl Scout troop through their cookie-sale competition. Saturday, Aug. 18, at 9 p.m., Hallmark Channel
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