Stella Baker Builds a Country From Scratch in The Republic of Sarah

The CW offers a lesson in nation-building in its new drama series The Republic of Sarah. Stella Baker (Tell Me Your Secrets) leads the cast as Sarah Cooper, a high school teacher who sets out to save her town from a sinister mining company by declaring the community a sovereign country.

Also today: Zooey Deschanel and Michael Bolton host The Celebrity Dating Game, ABC News and Hulu probe RHOBH star Erika “Jayne” Girardi’s legal woes in a new special, and Katie Thurston gets to know her suitors on The Bachelorette. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy on TV this Monday:

The Republic of Sarah: Series premiere. When a state-backed mining company discovers a large supply of coltan under the bucolic town of Greylock, New Hampshire, high school teacher Sarah Cooper (Stella Baker) tries to save her community from destruction by lobbying for international sovereignty. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on The CW

The Celebrity Dating Game: Series premiere. Zooey Deschanel and Michael Bolton lead ABC’s mind-blowing take on the classic Dating Game, in which celebrities look for love among regular folk. The premiere features former Bachelorette Hannah Brown and actress Nicole Byer in the hot seat. Watch trailer. 10:00 PM ET on ABC

The Housewife and the Hustler: ABC News goes inside the real-life legal drama facing The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika “Jayne” Girardi and her estranged husband, Tom Girardi, in a new investigative special. Girardi, a lawyer, has been accused of embezzling from his clients. Watch trailer. Streaming on Hulu

The Bachelorette: Bonds begin to form as Katie and her two-dozen remaining suitors get to know each other. 8:00 PM ET on ABC

Rurangi: Complete first season. After a decade away, transgender activist Caz Davis returns to his hometown, a rural dairy community, in an attempt to reconnect with his estranged father. Recut and released as a feature film in its native New Zealand to rave reviews, Hulu is releasing Rurangi in its original five-episode series form. Watch trailer. Streaming on Hulu

Elite: Short Stories: Ahead of the Elite Season 4 premiere on Friday, Netflix is debuting a new short each day this week, the first of which takes place at Rebe’s (Claudia Salas) housewarming party. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix

All American: Spencer (Daniel Ezra) puts pressure on himself and his young teammates as the Westlake game approaches. Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on The CW

U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: NBC Sports presents the Women’s 100M Butterfly, Men’s 100M Breaststroke, and Women’s 400M Freestyle finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials. 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on NBC

NBA Playoffs: The Conference Semifinals continue with back-to-back Game 4 matchups:

• Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT on TNT
• Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT on TNT

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.