Remote Patrol

GOODBYE READERS; HELLO FALL!

2024-08-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry to break it to you gang, but today’s column is my last.

Why, you may ask, am I leaving the column?

Why does anyone really “retire”?

There was a time when the ideal television audience was said to be between 18 and 49 years old. Anyone reading this column knows that I sailed past that lighthouse some time ago. I may have reached the point where I no longer bring much relevance or resonance to the conversation. I have much more fun writing about the history of television and pop culture than surveying the current scene.

On many levels, I don't want to be "that old guy." I want to spare my readers the common side effects of advancing years, the tendency to repeat oneself and to live in the past. And, perhaps most importantly, the inability to write knowledgeably, respectfully and passionately about subjects that motivate and excite younger audiences.

It's also worth noting that I am departing a field that has changed under my feet. I used to joke that I covered a 20th-century medium (television) in a 19th-century medium (newspapers). Knee deep in the 21st century, both still endure, but bear little resemblance to their former incarnations.

The television world that I have covered for so long appears to reinvent or at least redefine itself on a daily basis. And every day there is more of it.

When I began this column, my job was to answer the question "What's on tonight?" and to herd readers into a fun water-cooler conversation about a finite number of scheduled offerings.

We now live in a world where you can watch anything and everything at any time. There is no "tonight," there is no "schedule," and the potential water-cooler conversation content seems as vast as the Pacific Ocean.

How do you cover a Niagara of programming? How do you "review" a dozen new series a day? Is television a "vast wasteland," as it was once called? Or is it a miracle of creativity, offering more intelligent series, movies and documentaries than ever?

As they used to say in the old Certs breath/candy mint commercials: "Stop! You're both right!"

It's hard to wrap things up without thinking back to Groucho Marx's famous quip, "Hello, I must be going." Or Snagglepuss' campy catch phrase, "Exit, stage left."

Putting it in TV terms, how do we pull off this "finale"?

I can't summon the spirits of Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette, but I can evoke the memory of their appearance on the last episode of "Newhart," considered the greatest series-ender of all time. Their sight gag told us that the entire series "had all been a dream."

And, in some ways, writing this column has been a dream. A dream job where I got to enter your newspapers, your homes, your breakfast tables, your screens and your "feeds" to share a little information, entertainment and amusement.

The pleasure has been all mine.

-- All that said, there is still a fall season in the offing. I would be remiss to leave the scene without making a few recommendations.

"Slow Horses" returns for its six-episode fourth season on Sept. 4, streaming on Apple TV+. Look for one episode a week through Oct. 9. Acclaimed actor Gary Oldman is at the top of his game as the foul-mouthed and unhygienic Jackson Lamb, head of a squad of MI5 washouts and misfits. "Horses" presents a brilliant meditation on the spy game in the post-post-Cold War era, a brooding variation on the spy genre, "Bond" bereft of sex and style, Le Carre as black comedy.

Apple will also stream "Disclaimer" on Oct. 11. The seven-part series offers a dark variation/reversal of a "#Me-Too" scandal, featuring a stellar cast. Cate Blanchett stars as a journalist whose past becomes the subject of a stranger's vicious memoir. An almost unrecognizable Sacha Baron Cohen plays her weak-willed and easily manipulated husband. Kevin Kline offers the performance of the year as an aging man reduced to monstrous vengeance by loneliness and grief, and Lesley Manville portrays his addled wife and the "author" who sets this trainwreck in motion. Not an easy watch, "Disclaimer" features sexual content that may be too frank for some viewers.

HBO's "Somebody Somewhere" returns on Oct. 27 for its third and final season, following a grief-stricken woman (Bridgett Everett) who returns to her Manhattan, Kansas, home to surround herself with a gaggle of rural outcasts. Audaciously generous to its finely etched and imperfect characters yet hilariously profane at the same time, this series revived my hope for the future of television comedy, if not humanity. And now it's been canceled.

-- Having spent the last 35 years making PBS documentaries about American history, Ken Burns turns his lens on a two-part documentary profile of Renaissance painter, draftsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect Leonardo Da Vinci (PBS, Nov. 18). We now know why Burns called his company Florentine Productions!

Burns is said to be working on a new project on the American Revolution, probably scheduled to coincide with America's 250th birthday. Or as some of us old farts think of it, the 50th anniversary of the Bicentennial.

SATURDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- The Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves in MLB action (7 p.m., Fox).

-- College football action includes UCLA at Hawaii (7:30 p.m., CBS); Fresno State at Michigan (7:30 p.m., NBC); and Notre Dame at Texas A&M (7:30 p.m., ABC).

-- A cookbook editor finds her new community overly obsessed with smartphone technology in the 2023 shocker "Twisted Neighbor" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

-- An ambitious intern finds her values challenged while working at New York's Fashion Week in the 2024 romance "Head Over Heels" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7 p.m., CBS): Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo; Britain's Channel Islands; a visit to a New Orleans high school where two seniors have solved a puzzle that has defied mathematicians for 2,000 years.

-- 2024 Paris Paralympics (7 p.m., NBC) coverage.

-- USC and LSU tangle in college football (8 p.m., ABC).

-- Layton reveals the source of the experiments on "Snowpiercer" (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- Alan Cumming joins the search for Tonka on "Chimp Crazy" (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE

TCM wraps up its August-long "Summer Under the Stars" festival with a salute to Tony Curtis, who stars as a cross-dressing jazz musician in the 1959 comedy "Some Like it Hot" (8 p.m. Saturday, TV-PG), the amoral publicist Sidney Falco in "Sweet Smell of Success" (2:15 a.m. early Sunday, TV-PG) and as a stand-in for Sen. Joseph McCarthy in director Nicholas Roeg's 1985 alternative history "Insignificance" (4 a.m. early Sunday, TV-MA). This curious fever dream captures a chance encounter between McCarthy, Albert Einstein (Michael Emil), Joe DiMaggio (Gary Busey) and Marilyn Monroe (Theresa Russell). I can't think of a more appropriate movie for my very last "Cult Choice."

SATURDAY SERIES

The networks have devoted their lineups to sports coverage. See above.

SUNDAY SERIES

Plans for a heist on "Tulsa King" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) ... Marge organizes labor on "The Simpsons" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Doomsday prepped on "Bob's Burgers" (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG).

"Big Brother" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "American Ninja Warrior" (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... A cabin in the woods on "Family Guy" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... Judy's best customer gives her the creeps on "The Great North" (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) ... Colter finds a reluctant groom

LEE DANIELS' TURNS TO GOTHIC HORROR

2024-08-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Director Lee Daniels ("Precious") turns his attention to the supernatural in the 2024 shocker "The Deliverance" (Netflix). Based on stories of the haunting of an Indiana house, the film offers Daniels' take on some well-known horror elements: the seance, demonic possession, exorcism and the notion that a piece of real estate can be a mystical portal to the damned.

Much of the film's setting is informed by its director's familiarity with the culture and rituals of the Black church. We're now a half-century removed from the original version of "The Exorcist," a film that not only vaulted the horror genre to A-list blockbuster status, but used Roman Catholic rites as means to convey Gothic horror. It broke a taboo, very much enforced by the Hollywood Code, to depict religion in a benevolent light. In films as pleasant as "Going My Way," "The Bells of St. Mary's" and "The Sound of Music," the church was a scenic backdrop to light comedy and romance. Since "The Exorcist," Roman Catholicism has frequently been depicted as a house of horrors, a place of lurid bogeymen, medieval atmospherics and more than a whiff of Satanism.

If "The Exorcist" paved the way for religious imagery in exploitation fare, Daniels apparently wants to use the horror genre to get viewers to examine their relationship to larger questions. "I'm here," the director told the Boston Herald, "to scare you into finding your faith."

Like "The Exorcist," this new effort assembles an A-level cast, including Andra Day ("The United States vs. Billie Holliday"), Mo'Nique ("Precious"), Octavia Spencer ("The Help") and Glenn Close ("Damages").

-- Apple TV+ launches the six-part docuseries "K-Pop Idols." Far from being an "American Idol" competition series or contest, it follows artists including Jessi, CRAVITY, and BLACKSWAN on grueling world tours as they face the pressures of performance as well as the emotional toll of being away from family and loved ones for months and years at a time.

The series and the whole scene are paradoxical. On one hand, there is the saccharine and manufactured nature of blended groups performing the safest form of musical for an audience of adolescents. On the other is the cultural dislocation of a "global" music that is both everywhere and nowhere.

While the "K" in K-pop stands for Korean, the voices and accents heard here represent an international polyglot blend dominated by valley-girl upspeak. The scene bounces from Paris to L.A. and back, a jet-setter's life without any of the glory or seeming glitz. The life can be a grind.

The musical genre has conquered the world at a considerable cost to some of its players. Many stars not only face the pressures of overscheduling and exhausting performances, but a social media and internet culture that can turn vicious at the slightest provocation. Casually Google the words "K-Pop" and "Suicide" and you fall into a rabbit hole of despair. A culture of sadness and desperation that sometimes reaches the level of contagion.

-- Peacock streams the 2024 action comedy "The Fall Guy."

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- "2024 Paris Paralympics Primetime: The Opening Ceremony and More" (9 p.m., NBC).

-- In search of a rare winter crystal, a nature photographer is snowed in by love in the 2024 romance "Falling Like Snowflakes" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- Jamie takes on scammers who target the elderly on "Blue Bloods" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

A film that launched the career of star John Travolta and spawned a hit soundtrack that dominated the airwaves for years, the 1977 dance musical "Saturday Night Fever" (9 p.m., AXS) unfolds like a cultural or anthropological study of the cult of disco and its participants' backgrounds as well as their use of the dance hall as a release from dead-end jobs and bleak prospects.

SERIES NOTES

"Let's Make a Deal Primetime" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) ... "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "Jeopardy! Masters" (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... "Lingo" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "20/20" (9 p.m., ABC, r).

LATE NIGHT

Alex Wagner and Ali Macofsky appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Michael Keaton, Taylor Tomlinson and Rhapsody on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... RuPaul guest hosts "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r), featuring appearances by Maya Rudolph, Nymphia Wind, Sapphira Cristal, Plane Jane and Tommy Richman.

Channing Tatum and Sabrina Ionescu visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Joe Mantegna, Zach Gilford and Laci Mosley "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

WHO WANTS SECOND HELPINGS OF 'RINGS OF POWER'?

2024-08-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Prime Video returns with the second season of its ambitious and expensive adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." Season two features 17 episodes. The first three stream today, with subsequent installments arriving each Thursday.

An obvious effort to create a new "Game of Thrones" phenomenon and challenge HBO/MAX on its home turf, "Rings" was poorly received by fans of epic fantasy and, more crucially, by avid Tolkien enthusiasts. It didn't help that there were three massively popular and Oscar-winning Peter Jackson-directed "Rings" movies made in this century.

I'm hardly a fan of this genre. I found "Game of Thrones" pretentious, baffling and often dull. I couldn't even make it through the trailer for the recent season of "House of the Dragon." So, it's pointless for me to compare "Rings" to those more successful efforts. Like many of the critics of "Rings," I found its dialogue unendurable -- somewhere between wooden and laughable.

-- A distinct lack of humor and levity remains the hallmark of our current crop of mythical epics. Netflix offers a darkly comic take on Greek mythology with "Kaos," a tale of Olympian gods sowing havoc in the 21st century. A chance to watch Jeff Goldblum as a neurotic Zeus and Debi Mazar as a foul-mouthed, snake-haired Medusa.

-- Netflix also streams the second season of the French political comedy-fantasy "Represent," about a young, enthusiastic teacher (series creator Jean-Pascal Zadi) thrust into the center of French presidential politics.

-- Also on Netflix, the Japanese young adult fantasy "Chastity High" takes place in an elite prep school where all dating and romance are banned, and students can be expelled for any public displays of affection. While more seemingly contrived than "Footloose," this series is reportedly based on real events.

-- Netflix also launches "Terminator Zero," a serialized animated take on the "Terminator" movie franchise, with a female narrator/protagonist playing the John Connor role as the only human standing up to a robot/AI apocalypse.

-- After a tonsillectomy, Sach (Huntz Hall) develops a beautiful singing voice and the guys open their own nightclub in the 1950 comedy "Blues Busters" (10:30 p.m., TCM, TV-PG), part of a daylong salute to Leo Gorcey, consisting mostly of "Bowery Boys" comedy features and two-reelers.

Editorial Note: Remote Patrol's

final column will arrive on August 31.

-- After receiving transplanted memories of a dream vacation, a construction worker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is haunted by visions of Mars in director Paul Verhoeven's 1990 sci-fi fantasy "Total Recall" (1 a.m. early Friday, AMC), adapted from the short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- An investor makes his last trade on "Law & Order" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

-- Minnesota hosts North Carolina in college football action (8 p.m., Fox).

-- The chief's daughter reports an assault in her past on "Law & Order: SVU" (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

-- Miles of aisles on "Fire Country" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- The ATF plans a warehouse raid on "Law & Order: Organized Crime" (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

A lonely butterfly enthusiast (Terence Stamp) kidnaps an art student (Samatha Eggar), long the object of his obsession, in the 1965 adaptation of John Fowles' novel "The Collector." Reportedly director William Wyler turned down "The Sound of Music" to work on this dark psychological thriller. Eggars' outfits and London location shots offer a glimpse of the city on the cusp of its "swinging" heyday. Stamp was very much a part of the scene, having been documented by the photographer David Bailey, who inspired characters in both Antonioni's "Blow-Up" and Mike Myers' "Austin Powers." "The Collector" streams for free on most of the FAST (Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Television) platforms including Tubi, Pluto, Roku, Plex and Crackle.

SERIES NOTES

Rats in a maze on "Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) ... "Press Your Luck" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... Bad news from home on "Young Sheldon" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "Lucky 13" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

An extra-haunted Halloween bash on "Ghosts" (9:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) ... "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Bowen Yang and Nick Cave appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Zoe Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter and Melanie Hamrick on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) ... Jeff Goldblum, Greg Kinnear, Janet McTeer and Waxahatchee appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r).

Jean Smart and Jonathan Bailey visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Chrissy Teigen, Adam Pally and Sandy Honig on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

'BAYWATCH' REMEMBERED

2024-08-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Late August is the perfect time for throwaway programming. And a documentary produced by the ABC News division titled "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun" is as disposable as it gets. At the same time, this four-part Hulu docuseries glances back at a moment in television broadcast history, one never to be repeated.

For the uninitiated, "Baywatch" followed the adventures of a group of California lifeguards as they saved lives and cavorted about in red bathing suits.

"Moment in the Sun" recalls the series and its characters and presents interviews with more than 35 members of its cast, crew and creators, including Nicole Eggert, Carmen Electra, Billy Warlock, Alexandra Paul, Gregory Alan Williams, David Chokachi, Jeremy Jackson, Traci Bingham, Erika Eleniak, Michael Newman, Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz and others, who share insights into the show's stories and discuss off-camera shenanigans.

Series star David Hasselhoff is conspicuously absent.

__________________________________________________

Editorial Note: Remote Patrol's

final column will arrive on August 31.

__________________________________________________

While "Baywatch" was rather famous for showing off perfect beach bodies, hair and dental work, it was chaste enough to enjoy international appeal. Over the course of its 11-season run from 1989 to 2003, "Baywatch" was broadcast in some 200 countries, making it the most-watched television show in history. Its simple -- some might say innocuous -- stories about pretty people saving lives and returning grateful rescues to the sun and sand, made it perfect for export.

"Baywatch" is also interesting for the fact that for most of its run, it was a syndicated series without a network home. NBC canceled it after the first season in 1989. It's just one of many series that jettisoned by NBC only to go on to better things. NBC canceled "JAG" after one season in 1995, and it would go on to run for nine seasons on CBS and then inspire the "NCIS" franchise that airs to this day.

In 1999 NBC canceled "Freaks & Geeks" early in its first season. It not only became one of the most beloved teen series of all time, but would launch the careers of seminal directors and producers Judd Apatow and Paul Feig and an impressive generation of actors including James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, John Francis Daley, Martin Starr, Samm Levine and Linda Cardellini.

But I digress.

"Moment in the Sun" promises a never-before-seen interview with "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson. Her post-"Baywatch" career remains the most surprising. Long typecast as a blond bombshell and exploited in a much-discussed sex tape, she has emerged as an activist, championing such causes as animal rights, anti-pornography and the plight of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

We also hear from Yasmine Bleeth, who assures us that her wild behavior and troubled days are behind her.

One of the cultural residues of the "Baywatch" phenomenon was the Howard Stern-produced parody series "Son of the Beach," which ran on FX from 2000-2002. The series' dialogue and character names were shot through with puns and dirty double entendres that played with the sexuality just below the surface of "Baywatch," but that the original kept in check in order to be safe enough to appeal to a global audience as the sunny incarnation of the American Dream and California fantasy.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- The quarterfinals continue on "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- A late singer remembered on "Toby Keith: American Icon" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

-- A mother reports the disappearance of her daughter on "The Real CSI: Miami (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

Sailors battle aliens in the 2012 adventure "Battleship" (7 p.m., Syfy, TV-14), directed by Peter Berg. One of the few films based on a popular board game. While the 1985 adaptation of "Clue" seemed like a natural development, I was always struck by the fact that "Monopoly" had never been tapped for its dramatic (or comedic) potential. According to always-reliable internet scuttlebutt, a project attached to "Barbie" star Margot Robbie is said to be in the works. Given the color palette of "Barbie," I think Robbie might seem more (un)natural in the Game of Life, or perhaps "Candyland" or "Chutes and Ladders." The latter (so to speak) was developed into a 12-minute comedy short in 2012.

SERIES NOTES

"Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... "MasterChef" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) ... "Claim to Fame" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Hugh Jackman, Ralph Macchio, John Owen Lowe and Ayra Starr on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) ... Casey Affleck and Meredith Hagner visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Baron Vaughn, Rhys Darby and Rory Scovel on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

'ONLY MURDERS' GOES HOLLYWOOD

2024-08-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building" enters its fourth season with a fun trick -- one that's nearly impossible to pull off, but that can seem brilliant when it works.

We all know that every show and movie we watch is make-believe, a matter of scripts, acting and professionally produced illusion. But when the show becomes a beloved favorite, viewers can take it for "real." So, there's no better way to subvert that notion than to create a "show" about the show you're already watching.

"Seinfeld" did this back in the 1990s, when the gang became the subject of an NBC show "about nothing." Watching them portrayed by slick actors accentuated TV's "fakeness" and reaffirmed our bond with the "real" Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine.

"Murders" does the same thing in the early going of season four. Molly Shannon ("SNL") plays a bigshot Paramount producer who has optioned the rights to the "Only Murders" podcast and wants to buy the "life rights" of Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez).

Editorial Note: Remote Patrol's

final column will arrive on August 31.

Moreover, she's already assembled a cast and confronts the podcasters with their Hollywood doubles. As Charles, Eugene Levy tries to engage in grim geriatric small talk about "everybody having sepsis." Eva Longoria plays an "aged-up" Mabel, a decision driven by a focus group that felt her presence as a token millennial among aging boomers to be "creepy." Zach Galifianakis has a slow-burn during his encounter with his character, Oliver. He's enraged that the self-absorbed, failed producer has never seen "The Hangover" or any of his work and that Oliver's references seem stuck in a Rolodex or Filofax from an earlier century.

In true "Jiminy Glick" fashion, Short, as Oliver, refers to Galifianakis as "Galifragalisticexpialodotious." Consistent to a fault, he later makes a vaguely sexual joke about Julie Andrews ("Mary Poppins"), a crack Charles considers a step "too far."

As if to underscore the fakeness, the gang also wanders through a production of a teen comedy being shot on a studio lot doubling for a "raw" version of New York that hadn't been updated since the breakdancing craze of the early 1980s.

Of course, all these double takes occur in a story where Martin plays the washed-up star of a show called "Brazzos," in which Jane Lynch portrayed his loyal stunt double, Sazz Pataki.

In addition to the Hollywood doppelgangers, look for guest spots from Melissa McCarthy, Richard Kind and Meryl Streep as Oliver's unlikely love interest.

-- Julie Andrews, the subject of Oliver's tasteless crack above, appears in and narrates the "American Masters" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) profile of her husband, the late Blake Edwards, creator of TV's "Peter Gunn" and director of such movie gems as "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Charade" and the "Pink Panther" films. Andrews discusses her life with Edwards as well as his longtime collaborators, composer Henry Mancini and actor Peter Sellers.

-- Netflix's ongoing sports documentary series "Untold" presents "Sign Stealer," recalling Connor Stalions, an analyst for Michigan's revered college football teams whose alleged ability to use high-tech "signal deciphering" software resulted in a 2023 winning streak and scandal. Dismissed midseason, his actions would result in the firing of the team's head coach and general manager and raise questions about the team's championship status.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- First round play at the US Open (7 p.m., ESPN) tennis tournament.

-- Hobbs' killers return on "FBI" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- Quarterfinals on "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- Current players and returning participants swap stories about Jenn on "The Bachelorette" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

-- Feeling abused in Prague, an American student lashes out against local police on "FBI: International" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- An active shooter strafes a college campus on "FBI: Most Wanted" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

Ossie Davis, the focus of today's TCM's "Summer Under the Stars" salute, appeared in director Spike Lee's 1989 breakthrough film "Do the Right Thing" (8 p.m., TV-MA). TCM's salute does not include Davis' role in the 2002 horror comedy "Bubba Ho-Tep," starring Bruce Campbell as a man who claims to be a still-living Elvis Presley holed up in an old folks home he shares with John F. Kennedy (Davis). "Bubba Ho-Tep" can be streamed on Tubi.

SERIES NOTES

"Beat Shazam" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "The Quiz With Balls" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) ... "Password" (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... "Lucky 13" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Ryan Reynolds, Tony Hale and Jimin on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Kevin Nealon, Jessica Lowe and Dave Holmes on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

PRIME IMPORTS KOREAN ROM-COM

2024-08-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Proof that the Hallmark formula knows no boundaries or language barriers, the South Korean romantic comedy series "No Gain No Love" streams on Prime Video.

As in most Hallmark movies, Son Hae-yeoung (Shin Min-a) is a driven businesswoman and executive who believes that she has the world figured out. Fearing that her single status will cost her a promotion and scuttle her carefully made career plans, she arranges a fake marriage to Kim Ji-wook (Kim Young-dae). He's a local police officer who moonlights at the neighborhood convenience store. His portrayal as a righteous and civic-minded man also follows the Hallmark pattern.

Editorial Note: Remote Patrol's

final column will arrive on August 31.

It won't take long for him to show her that there are life lessons that cannot be found in spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. Along the way, the faux couple discuss their situation with an older unmarried friend who has given up on love and with a famous web-based romance writer who thinks of little else.

With "No Gain No Love," Prime Video is following the Netflix formula of filling its vast collection with Korean imports. Who would have predicted that Korea would become such a dominant player in the entertainment world? South Korea has invested heavily in internet infrastructure in this century, resulting in one of the most tech-obsessed societies on Earth. What does it say that its pop music has become such a dominant force in world youth culture?

Netflix's dystopian anthology series "Black Mirror" is at its most unsettling when its scenarios involve situations just slightly beyond our shared present. With its internet saturation and all the attendant social ills that may bring, Korea can seem just a little ahead of our time. Some may dread the near future, but Koreans may already be there.

Fear of technology's ability to unsettle is hardly unique to Korea. The recent Apple TV+ series "Sunny" plunges viewers into a rabbit hole involving Japan's ritualistic traditions, its shadowy underworld and an aging society's developing dependence on companion robots and a black market in hacked robotic software enabling cyber-helpers to do just about anything. If "Sunny" resembles a "Black Mirror" episode, it's because its star and executive producer, Rashida Jones, has written for that Netflix series.

Along those lines, Netflix imports the Korean thriller series (or Kdrama, as the kids say) "The Frog," about a peaceful community where nothing unusual happens that is completely shattered when a stranger comes to town.

-- Proof that nice scenery is no impediment to homicide, "The Sommerdahl Murders" enters its fifth season on Acorn. Set in a Danish coastal town, it follows DCI Sommerdahl (Peter Mygind) who's obsessive police work has put a strain on his marriage. Tough going when your police partner is your wife (Laura Drasbaek).

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- Dumped by her husband, a woman finds comfort with a shaggy dog in 2023 feature "The More Love Grows" (7 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- A sailor vanishes during an elaborate engagement stunt on "NCIS" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- The Vegas finals enter their second night on "American Ninja Warrior" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- Hawaii-bound on "The Bachelorette" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

-- "Antiques Roadshow" (8 p.m. and 9 p.m., PBS, r, TV-G, check local listings) spends two episodes in Salt Lake City.

-- A shark coughs up a sailor's remains on "NCIS: Sydney" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- A Russian oligarch's daughter needs protection on "NCIS: Hawai'i" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- A Salvadorian family loses their immigration status on "VOCES" (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings).

CULT CHOICE

A kidnapper seizes the teenage son of a wealthy couple (Glenn Ford and Donna Reed) in the 1956 thriller "Ransom" (10:15 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). Instead of paying the ransom, the enraged father goes on television and offers a $500,000 reward to whomever can deliver his son and find his abductor. The film was remade in 1996 starring Mel Gibson. Like many dramas from the 1950s, "Ransom" emerged as a television play. This one was broadcast on "The U.S. Steel Hour," starring Ralph Bellamy. Part of a daylong salute to Donna Reed, best known for her roles in "It's a Wonderful Life," and "From Here to Eternity" (8 p.m., TV-PG) as well as her eponymous television family comedy, "The Donna Reed Show," which ran from 1958 to 1966.

SERIES NOTES

"Name That Tune" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... Patton Oswalt hosts "The 1% Club" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "Celebrity Family Feud" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... "The Wall" (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Channing Tatum, Liza Colon-Zayas and Lawrence on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Colton Dunn, Jason Sklar and Randy Sklar on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

'MILK CARTON' EXPLORES A FAMILY'S PAIN

2024-08-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

While I'm not a fan of the true-crime craze, I can understand its morbid appeal. Most of the many docuseries have a beginning, middle and an end, and some contain details that are stranger and more lurid than fiction.

The new two-part series "The Girl on the Milk Carton" (7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, Oxygen, TV-14) ticks off all the boxes. Part one focuses on shock and disbelief, and the second covers long-delayed "closure" that arrives in the strangest fashion.

Just 12 years old, Jonelle Matthews vanished from the streets of Greeley, Colorado. She was last seen five days before Christmas in 1984. When local police exhausted all possibilities and resources, they turned to the FBI for help. The involvement of a federal agency caught the attention of the Reagan White House, which began an initiative to put the faces of missing children on milk cartons to raise public awareness and assure families that their loved ones were not forgotten.

While her case inspired the initiative, Matthews was not the first kidnapping victim to appear on a milk carton. In May 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz was kidnapped while waiting for a school bus in New York's Soho neighborhood. His case, and his face on a milk carton, earned the attention of New York's media years before Matthews' disappearance.

Despite national attention, Matthews' case remained cold for decades. Meanwhile, in a twist straight out of a mystery novel, a woman named Angela Hicks began to harbor dark suspicions about her ex-husband, Stephen Pankey. They had lived together in Greeley at the time of Matthews' disappearance. Despite their subsequent move to Idaho, where Pankey ran unsuccessfully for governor, he remained unnaturally obsessed with the case and seemed to know more than he should.

After Matthews' buried remains were finally discovered in 2019, Hicks came forward and spoke to authorities, who already had Pankey on their radar. Despite protestations of innocence and a trial where his lawyers successfully argued that his obsession with the case was due more to his Asperger's syndrome than any involvement, he was finally convicted in 2022 after a second trial.

-- On a similar note, "Married to Evil" (10 p.m. Sunday, ID, TV-14) arrives for a second season with a tale of a wife betrayed by a man whose desire to keep his mistress and avoid a messy and expensive divorce leads to a murder scheme. Not to be confused with "Evil Lives Here" (9 p.m., ID, TV-14), entering its 15th season with a segment about a mother's concern for her disturbed son and an enabling relationship that ended with her murder at his hands.

-- "Ol' Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys" (9 p.m., A&E, TV-14) profiles the founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Produced and directed by father-son team Sam Pollard ("MLK/FBI") and Jason Pollard ("Get Me Roger Stone").

-- Planned as a series of four epic Westerns, "Horizon: An American Saga -- Chapter One" (8 p.m. Saturday, HBO) arrives on cable and streaming (Max). Directed, co-written and co-produced by Kevin Costner, the project was conceived and partially executed while he was appearing in "Yellowstone," one of the more popular cable and streaming series of recent years.

While some assumed the "Yellowstone" connection would help "Horizon" become a hit, the film failed at the box office, presumably because viewers assumed that this multi-part epic might work better on the small screen.

SATURDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- Minnesota United FC hosts the Seattle Sounders FC in MLS soccer (6:30 p.m., Fox).

-- NASCAR racers meet at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m., NBC).

-- Norfolk State hosts Florida A&M in college football (7:30 p.m., ABC).

-- After returning to his hometown, a veteran tries to woo a fetching policewoman but first must run the gauntlet (and gimlet eyes) of her three teenage daughters in the 2024 romantic comedy "Forever: A Terry McMillan Presentation" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

-- The gift of enchanted candy gives a woman three wishes to explore what might have been in the 2024 romance "The Magic of Lemon Drops" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7:30 p.m., CBS): Spain's efforts to extradite a former Marine; a profile of Novak Djokovic.

-- The Washington Commanders host the New England Patriots in NFL preseason action (8 p.m., NBC). The NFL regular season begins on Sept. 5.

-- Lucian puts Constance on the spot on "Hotel Portofino" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

-- Nima gathers more samples on "Snowpiercer" (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- A scheme for ethical investing attracts sabotage on "Industry" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

-- Sibling deception casts a shadow on "Emperor of Ocean Park" (9 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA).

-- Charlie's kidnapping leaves Lucy in the lurch on the season finale of "Orphan Black: Echoes" (10 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- Tonka's disappearance attracts static from PETA on "Chimp Crazy" (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

-- The 1990s brought a new generation of Black directors and film genres on "Hollywood Black" (10 p.m., MGM+).

CULT CHOICE

Fearing displacement by Irish Catholic immigrants, gangs of mid-19th century Protestant hooligans engage in violent reprisals in director Martin Scorsese's 2002 historical epic "Gangs of New York" (8 p.m. Sunday, Cinemax), starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz.

SATURDAY SERIES

"The Quiz With Balls" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG).

SUNDAY SERIES

Marge tangles with Milhouse's mom on "The Simpsons" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... "America's Funniest Home Videos" (8 p.m., ABC, r) ... Making evidence disappear on "Tulsa King" (8:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14) ... Documentary coverage of Louise's archery skills is preempted by a zombie apocalypse on "Bob's Burgers "(8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14).

Meg discovers a secret ingredient for her cookies on "Family Guy" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... Stuck inside on "Big Brother" (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... A solar eclipse rattles the citizens of "Krapopolis" (9:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... An MMA fighter finds himself in an ultimate jam on "Tracker" (10:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

'PACHINKO' RETURNS; WOO REVISITS 'THE KILLER'

2024-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Apple TV+ streams the much-anticipated second season of "Pachinko." Adapted from a 2017 novel by Min Jin Lee, it follows four generations of a Korean family from 1915 to 1989, a time when Korean society went from brutal Japanese rule and occupation, through the postwar division of the country, the Korean War and a miraculous economic revival.

Presented with subtitles, the family melodrama unfolds in impressive cinematic fashion and focuses on the pain of living with a prosperity born of so much sacrifice. Season one received near-universal praise.

__________________________________________________

Editorial Note: Remote Patrol's

final column will arrive on August 31.

__________________________________________________

-- Peacock streams "The Killer," director John Woo's 2024 remake of his 1989 Hong Kong thriller, still considered among the greatest action movies of all time. The new version stars Nathalie Emmanuel as Zee, a female contract killer who jeopardizes her international reputation when she refuses to carry out the execution of a blind girl.

For those who care, "Killer" offers a great chance to contrast a 1989 classic made on a small budget by an unknown director with a contemporary effort buttressed with all the digital tricks now available and at the same time burdened by the expectations of an audience that has known Woo's work for a generation.

-- The documentary series "The New York Times Presents" (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) presents "Lie to Fly," which recalls a harrowing Alaska Airlines flight in 2023, when an unstable passenger attempted to crash land the plane and kill all 83 passengers aboard.

After his unsuccessful stab at terror, the passenger was revealed as Joseph Emerson, a professional pilot. Experiencing mental anguish, he had begun to worry that any medical or psychological consultation could jeopardize his career. So, he instead self-medicated with psychedelic mushrooms two days before his fateful flight.

Apparently, Emerson's story is not unique. "Lie" examines the world of airline pilots, where expectations are high, stress is common and the profession's reputation for flawless dependability makes it all but impossible to reveal any weaknesses.

-- Netflix streams the back-to-school comedy "Incoming." Four young friends enter high school as nervous freshmen awkwardly owning up to raging hormones and massive insecurities, particularly around girls. As in entirely too many films of this nature, they discuss their feelings and motivations in complete sentences. Their worst fears and secret desires are revealed in the most lurid ways when they wrangle an invitation to a "rager" hosted by an upperclassman whose parents are away.

Every generation gets the "Porky's" it deserves. The sameness of so many coming-of-age high school comedies makes the few standouts so much more esteemed. It's worth noting that next month marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 25, 1999, debut of NBC's "Freaks and Geeks," among the greatest high school comedies ever made. It was one of several notable shows that arrived that year, including "The Sopranos" and "The West Wing."

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- "Great Performances" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings) presents the Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2024 from the gardens of Austria's Imperial Schonbrunn Palace, featuring conductor Andris Nelsons and soprano Lise Davidsen.

-- A woman lives out the might-have-beens in the 2021 romantic comedy "Next Stop, Christmas" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- "Billy Joel: The 100th: Live at Madison Square Garden" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).

CULT CHOICE

Today's TCM "Summer Under the Stars" tribute belongs to Robert Shaw (1927-1978). Best known as the laconic boat captain in "Jaws," he was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Henry VIII in the 1966 adaptation of "A Man for All Seasons" (8 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). Look for Shaw in "The Sting" (10:15 p.m., TV-PG) and "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (2:30 a.m., TV-MA) as well. Shaw embodied a certain assured and rugged masculinity that enabled him to walk the stage in Shakespeare productions as well as appear in war movies and action thrillers like "Force 10 From Navarone" (2:45 p.m.) and "Battle of the Bulge" (5 p.m., TV-14). Shaw died of a heart attack when he was only 51. When casting his 2000 epic "Gladiator," director Ridley Scott ruefully observed, "We have very few Robert Shaws now."

SERIES NOTES

"Let's Make a Deal Primetime" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "Jeopardy! Masters" (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... "Dateline" (9 p.m., NBC, r) ... "20/20" (9 p.m., ABC).

LATE NIGHT

John Mulaney and Ilona Maher visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Alaska 5000, Gillian Jacobs and Chris Fleming on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

SEX AND SCANDAL ON THE TENNIS COURT

2024-08-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Streaming on AMC+ and Sundance Now, the new series "Fifteen-Love" stars Ella Lily Hyland ("Silent Roar") as Justine Pearce, a once-promising teen tennis prodigy who rocks the sports world with allegations of sexual abuse against her former coach, Glenn Lapthorn (Aidan Turner, "Poldark").

Editorial Note: Remote Patrol's

final column will arrive on August 31.

The action flashes back to Justine's promising beginning and her gradual unraveling under the pressure of Grand Slam competition. After taking a hiatus of five years to heal, she is emotionally triggered by the sight of Glenn taking another young woman under his wing.

This leads some to question her story and its motivations. Is this he-said/she-said scandal inspired by real trauma? Or intense disappointment and professional jealousy?

The first two episodes will stream today, with subsequent helpings dropping weekly on Thursdays.

-- The (swinging) arms race between HBO and Netflix continues. HBO has just begun its four-part, stranger-than-life docuseries "Chimp Crazy" on Sunday, directed by Eric Goode of "Tiger King" fame. Netflix counters with the relatively sober documentary "Secret Lives of Orangutans," narrated by David Attenborough. "Lives" follows a multi-generation clan of the higher primates living in the treetops. Everybody starts somewhere. And the baby orangutans seen here are never far from their mothers' embrace. Per Attenborough, this explains why the survival rate for their species is much higher than other great apes.

As in nature documentaries dating back to "Meerkat Manor" and Disney films of yore, animals are provided with names and backstories to make their melodrama easier to follow. What's not entirely easy to follow is Attenborough's British pronunciation of the word "Orangutan." He seems to insert another syllable in there, if possible.

-- "Mermaid Magic" (Netflix) offers a feature-length CGI movie shot through with a pastel palette. It's a bit like watching a toy box come to life. And that seems intentional.

Also streaming on Netflix: the third season of "That '90s Show" and the debut of the Taiwanese police comedy "GG Precinct."

-- Set in an elite world where lawyers flaunt wealth, dress like movie stars and walk in slow-motion to a hip-hop score while defending their best friends on murder charges, the legal procedural "Reasonable Doubt" streams its second season on Hulu.

-- Everyone loves a sure thing. And for some time now, Kevin Costner has been just that. "Yellowstone" and its many spinoffs have been among the most-watched series on any form of television, from cable to streaming and network. Costner's old movies like "Bull Durham" (8 p.m., MLB) and "Field of Dreams" (9:15 p.m., TruTV, TV-14) continue to be cable favorites.

But Costner's recent passion project "Horizon: An American Saga" failed rather dramatically at the box office. What explains that? Was it the film's three-hour running time? Or the fact that it was part of a continuing "saga" that viewers thought might work better as a limited series? Was Costner overexposed on "Yellowstone" or too successful at becoming a TV star to get people to get to the movies?

The line between the big screen and small has never been blurrier. That becomes clear when even a sure thing can't deliver.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in MLB action (7 p.m., Fox).

-- Coverage of the Democratic National Convention (8 p.m., PBS; 9 p.m., NBC and ABC and 10 p.m., CBS) unfolds. In addition to network and cable coverage, the event can be livestreamed on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Twitch, Facebook and Amazon Prime Video throughout the proceedings. Viewers can also stream the convention at the DNC website, offering coverage in both English and Spanish.

-- A murdered therapist left a patient list teeming with possible suspects on "Law & Order" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

A mystery writer (Bette Davis) disposes of her pesky husband (Gary Merrill) in the 1951 mystery "Another Man's Poison" (8 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). The co-stars married in real life after appearing in "All About Eve" the year before.

SERIES NOTES

An eviction is in order on "Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "Press Your Luck" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... The unkindest cut of all on "Young Sheldon" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) ... A few renovations on "Ghosts" (9:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Live from Chicago on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Zoe Kravitz and Sabrina Carpenter on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... RuPaul, Bill Skarsgard, FKA twigs, Gabby Thomas and Pepe Aguilar appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (11:35 p.m., ABC).

Amy Poehler and Fred Armisen visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Anna Faris, Melissa Villasenor and Andy Richter on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

RIVIERA INTRIGUE, WYATT EARP AND K-POP STARS

2024-08-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Viewers who didn't get enough French scenery during the Paris Olympics may enjoy the new French thriller series "Nice Girls," streaming on Netflix.

The fetching and fearless Leo (Alice Taglioni) considered herself "best cop on the French Riviera." Her confidence is rattled when she hears of the murder of an old colleague in the far-off German city of Hamburg. Her efforts to freelance the investigation force her into an uneasy alliance with another beautiful woman officer, Melanie (Stefi Celma). Fortunately for viewers, the murder case brings them back from the gray German port city to the sun-drenched beaches after the city of Nice faces an imminent attack.

It's difficult for me to watch procedural blow-'em-ups set amid European history and scenery. I'm constantly reminded of the early scenes of the 2004 marionette movie and Jerry Bruckheimer spoof "Team America: World Police" when anti-terrorist super agents blow up the city of Paris in order to save it. My favorite detail in that film, produced by Matt Stone and Trey Parker of "South Park" fame, is the fact that every cobblestone in their puppet-sized Paris is shaped like a croissant.

Speaking of Paris and parodies, I couldn't watch the Paris-to-L.A. handoff at last Sunday's Olympics finale, featuring Tom Cruise skydiving into a desperate motorcycle dash to deliver the Olympic banner to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert on a California beach, without thinking it was some kind of "Simpsons" spoof. Something out of a Duff commercial, perhaps. Irony tends to be lost on anyone who takes Tom Cruise at face value.

-- Fans of Westerns may enjoy the six-episode Netflix documentary series "Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War."

Featuring more reenacting than acting, it recalls Earp's battles with the Clanton gang in the years after the Civil War. Ed Harris ("Apollo 13") narrates.

Also streaming on Netflix, and as far thematically from a cowboy war as one can get, "Pop Star Academy: Katseye" explores the laborious effort to cast, train and market a manufactured K-pop girl group.

A co-production of the Korean music company HYBE (the force behind BTS) and the Geffen Records label, "Academy" explores a process that began with sorting through 120,000 video submissions from warbling worthies from around the world. Directed by Nadia Hallgren, known for the Michelle Obama biopic "Becoming."

Another Netflix series, "Back to 15" enters its third season.

-- Cable's decline can be seen in tonight's (or any night's) schedule. Viola Davis stars in "The Woman King" (7 p.m.), making its premiere on FX. But it's been streaming on Hulu since Aug. 13. Comedy Central's entire primetime schedule has been given over to repeats of "Seinfeld, " which can also be streamed at will on Netflix. Similarly, Lifetime streams three consecutive episodes of "Castle" (8 p.m. to 11 p.m., TV-PG), which can be streamed on Hulu.

The list goes on. FXX presents nothing but "Family Guy" repeats. Over on WE? Just "NCIS" repeats. BBC America: three straight "Bones" repeats. At least the three "Pawn Stars" running on History are original to the network.

Some say that ad-supported streaming has become cable. But cable, which still probably costs more, is doing an increasingly poor job of imitating streaming.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- Home viewers and voters give two acts the hook on "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- Coverage of the Democratic National Convention (8 p.m., PBS; 9 p.m., NBC; 10 p.m., CBS and ABC) unfold. In addition to network and cable coverage, the event can be livestreamed on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Twitch, Facebook, and Amazon Prime Video throughout the proceedings. Viewers can also stream the convention at the DNC website, offering coverage in both English and Spanish.

-- Two decades after the popularity of the Jerry Bruckheimer procedural franchise, high-tech forensics doesn't look quite so slick on "The Real CSI: Miami" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

After a plane crash, a diplomat (Ronald Colman) is transported to a magical Himalayan hideaway in the 1937 adaptation of James Hilton's fantasy "Lost Horizon" (8 p.m., FMC), directed by Frank Capra.

SERIES NOTES

"Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... A two-hour installment of "MasterChef" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) ... "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... "Claim to Fame" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Jenna Ortega, Jason Schwartzman, Melanie Hamrick and Thomas Rhett on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Channing Tatum and Sabrina Ionescu visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

SPORTS VIEWING SHIFTS REFLECT BROADCAST MILESTONE

2024-08-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

As it has several times this summer, Fox's New York affiliate will depart from what's left of the Fox network schedule to air a WNBA game (7 p.m.) between the New York Liberty and the Dallas Wings. At a time when the term "difficult media landscape" is used to describe the state, or decline, of what used to be called television, the audience for women's sports has surged.

This spring's women's NCAA Finals (or March Madness) was watched by a larger audience than the men's finals. Only a few years back, that would have been unthinkable. It still seems astounding.

To put an exclamation point on this shift in sports fandom, college star (and now WNBA player) Caitlin Clark recently began giving fans a chance to buy her jersey. In a single day, she sold more shirts than the entire roster of the Dallas Cowboys.

It's not your father's TV sports world anymore.

Another revolution in sports broadcasting unfolded earlier this month. The Peacock streaming service managed to offer both live coverage of events unfolding at the Paris Olympics as well as the "Primetime in Paris" recap feed that aired on NBC. These combined offerings managed to attract an average of 30 million viewers per day.

Peacock's coverage of the Summer Games may be remembered as the moment when streaming TV cracked the sports code and presented live events without much of a hitch. As someone who has been covering TV for some time and streaming since at least 2013, it has always been my opinion that once viewers could successfully stream live sporting events without much of a hiccup, the need for both cable and broadcast network TV would soon vanish. They might continue, much like AM radio has, but without the same commercial impact or cultural resonance.

You can pretty much hear the clock ticking on cable TV. As noted recently, both Warner Bros Discovery and Skydance/Paramount, companies with legacy cable properties, lost a combined $15 billion in their last reported quarter. That's staggering and unsustainable. So, look for big changes coming soon to a TV screen near you!

-- Viaplay streams the Nordic noir thriller "Veronica," an eight-episode Swedish drama about a police officer who battles addiction as fellow officers and family members begin to question her sanity.

-- Peacock streams the three-part documentary series "Face to Face With Scott Peterson." Charged with murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, Peterson has claimed his innocence since his 2004 conviction. This marks his first television interview since 2003.

In other true-crime news, Netflix streams the fourth installment of its sports documentary series "Untold." This season dwells on "The Murder of Air McNair," an NFL star for the Super Bowl-bound Tennessee Titans in 1999 who was found slain in 2009.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- A disgraced former cabinet member may have sold secrets in Vienna on "FBI: International" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- Live performances from 11 acts on "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- Coverage of the Democratic National Convention (8 p.m., PBS; 10 p.m., CBS, NBC and ABC) unfolds. In addition to network and cable coverage, the event can be livestreamed on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), Twitch, Facebook and Amazon Prime Video throughout the proceedings. Viewers can also stream the convention at the DNC website, offering coverage in both English and Spanish.

-- New York City faces a string of terrorist bombings on a typically hyperbolic and paranoid episode of "FBI: Most Wanted" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- Two decorators, a man and a woman, compete for clients with very different sensibilities on the new series "Divided by Design" (9 p.m., HGTV, TV-G).

-- While visiting Malta, a beekeeper unearths an ancient fresco in the 2024 romance "For Love & Honey" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

CULT CHOICE

Light enough to be taken for "white," a woman (Jeanne Crain) returns to her mother (Ethel Waters) in the segregated South in the 1949 drama "Pinky" (8 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). This theme was revisited in "Imitation of Life" (1959) and the Netflix adaptation of "Passing" (2021).

SERIES NOTES

"Beat Shazam" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "Celebrity Family Feud" (8 p.m. and 9 p.m., ABC, TV-14), the second episode a repeat ... "The Quiz With Balls" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Adam Sandler, will.i.am, Liz Moore and Julian McCullough on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Michael Keaton and Conner O'Malley visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

USA LAUNCHES 'THE ANONYMOUS'

2024-08-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Art imitates life on "The Anonymous" (11 p.m., USA, TV-14), a new game show and "social experiment." Participating players interact in two realms. In one, they speak to each other face-to-face and in the other, they share gossip, snark and "shade" behind a secretive handle. Players try to evade eviction without revealing their secret identities.

So, like every reality series since Richard Hatch appeared in the digitized buff in the first season of "Survivor" (2000), this new "Anonymous" encourages scheming, deceit and back-biting among people who appear to have placed a greater emphasis on grooming their eyebrows than cultivating their minds.

To add to the sense of duality, deceit and contrived intimacy, the USA Network invite viewers to get to "know" the contestants on their own social media feeds www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/the-anonymous-cast-social-media-where-to-follow).

It's curious that "Anonymous" debuts on old-fashioned cable at a time when USA's streaming cousin Peacock is home to "Traitors," hosted by Alan Cumming, among the more talked-about reality series to come along. We've reached the point where launching a series on cable is like opening a fancy new boutique in a dying shopping mall.

"Anonymous" is hardly aimed at a thinking audience. Those who want to ponder the long-term societal effects of reality television's house of mirrors might tune in to tonight's "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC). In addition to guests Jessica Alba and Langston Kerman, Myers will interview Variety magazine correspondent Ramin Setoodeh, author of the new book "Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass," a bestseller published by HarperCollins.

-- If the past quarter-century has seen the predictable escapism of reality fare, it has also seen television up its game in dramatic fashion. As many have noted, it's been 25 years since the debut of The Sopranos," and the arrival of what has been called both "peak TV" and the era of "difficult men," represented by series like "The Shield," "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men."

Some saw this era as the medium's first stab at "literary" characters. In a 2013 essay, critic James Atlas declared that he preferred watching "Breaking Bad" to reading novels. Despite working as a TV critic, the English major in me found this rather sad.

Others might argue that "novelistic" characters with three-dimensional lives did not arrive with Tony and Carmela or Walt and Jesse. Back in the early 1990s, appearing on mere broadcast television, shows like "NYPD Blue" featured their own brand of "difficult men," with imperfect characters and mixed motivations.

Arriving on NBC in 1993, "Homicide: Life on the Street" was another drama to offer viewers complex characters and moral dilemmas unfolding on the gritty streets of Baltimore more than a decade before "The Wire." "Homicide" makes its streaming debut today on Peacock.

-- Film history and movies about film history like "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) and the more recent "Babylon" (2022) have long focused on the painful transition from silent moves to "talkies," a change that reduced some Hollywood idols to relics of a bygone era.

Few Hollywood legends better represent this phenomenon than John Gilbert, one of the most celebrated sex symbols of the silent screen whose star faded fast with the arrival of sound. Greta Garbo, his co-star in the 1926 melodrama "Flesh and the Devil" (9:30 p.m., TCM, TV-PG) survived Hollywood's metamorphosis and went on to purr "I want to be Alone" in "Grand Hotel" (1932). But by the time she insisted Gilbert appear with her in the 1933 historical biopic "Queen Christina" (4:30 p.m., TCM, TV-G), it was seen as an act of charity.

-- Acorn streams the third season of its scenic New Zealand series "Under the Vines."

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- A change in perspectives on "NCIS" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- "American Ninja Warrior" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- Coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (8 p.m., PBS; 10 p.m., CBS, NBC, ABC).

-- Jenn visits the families of her remaining suitors on "The Bachelorette" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

-- A Naval officer's sudden death is blamed on reptile venom on "NCIS: Sydney" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

"Oliver!" (8 p.m., BYU-TV), a 1968 musical "twist" on Charles Dickens, was nominated for 11 Oscars and won six, including Best Picture.

SERIES NOTES

"Name That Tune" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... Patton Oswalt hosts "The 1% Club" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Michael Keaton, Taylor Tomlinson and Rapsody featuring Erykah Badu on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

HBO SWINGS FOR THE BRANCHES WITH 'CHIMP CRAZY'

2024-08-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Television continues to change, but constants endure. A hit show will always change the trajectory of programming and spawn imitators good and bad, sometimes for years on end.

The arrival of "Batman" on ABC in 1966 inspired a glut of similar shows that quickly followed, including "Captain Nice," "Mr. Terrific" and "The Green Hornet."

The best kinds of hits are cheap to make and easy to imitate. As recently noted in this space, we've just passed a quarter-century since the arrival of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," a prime-time game show that spawned a torrent of imports and imitations, including "Weakest Link" (8 p.m., Saturday, NBC, r, TV-PG).

If Netflix made an initial impression with ambitious series like "House of Cards" and "The Crown," it hit a sweet spot with the ridiculously cheap and binge-able "Tiger King," which arrived in 2020, just as the world found itself stuck on the couch for the duration of the COVID pandemic.

A Netflix executive once famously cracked that "we want to become HBO before HBO becomes us." Well, that ship has sailed. Netflix has evolved in myriad ways as HBO's desperate quest to imitate Netflix continues. As demonstrated by the "Tiger King"-like four-episode docuseries "Chimp Crazy" (10 p.m. Sunday, HBO, TV-MA).

Directed by Eric Goode ("Tiger King"), "Crazy" follows former nurse and exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, a woman who has dubbed herself the "Dolly Parton of Chimps." Her story sheds light on the difficulty of raising, caring for and feeding mischievous higher primates, the colorful demimonde of chimp breeders and collectors and the very special intersection of the chimp world and entertainment. We meet chimps who have appeared in commercials, TV series and movies.

In addition to Tonia, the "star" of the proceedings is Tonka, a 32-year-old retired performer. Tonia claims to love Tonka more than her own human children. So, when the chimp goes missing, an adventure ensues, involving litigious agents of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), an undercover clown and actor Alan Cumming (now appearing in Peacock's "Traitors"), who co-starred with Tonka in the 1997 comedy "Buddy."

Tonia and Tonka's great adventure will unfold over four Sundays, through Sept. 8. It remains to be seen if "Chimp Crazy" will be a hit, but it marks a certain departure for HBO's long lock on Sunday nights as the home to prestige series like "The Sopranos," "Game of Thrones" and "Succession."

It's easy to look down on the exploitation of primates on screen, but their use as "co-stars" predates television itself. In the 1950s, NBC was smart enough to lock down viewers from morning till late night with the development of "The Today Show" to "The Tonight Show." The first morning host, Dave Garroway, was accompanied by a chimpanzee mascot called J. Fred Muggs. Over the years, comedies like "The Hathaways" (1961) featured chimps, as did "B.J. and the Bear" (1979).

Esteemed actor/director Clint Eastwood shared the big screen with an orangutan in "Every Which Way But Loose" (1978). So did Jason Alexander (and Faye Dunaway!) in "Dunston Checks In" (1996). Screen monkeyshines did not keep Eastwood from being elected mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1986. And they proved no hardship for his fellow Californian, Ronald Reagan, elected 40th president of the United States, despite sharing a movie, "Bedtime for Bonzo" (1951) with a chimpanzee co-star named Peggy.

-- As noted yesterday, Hulu will begin streaming the season five opener of "Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog," starting Saturday. It also celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first television appearance as "The Dog Whisperer."

-- The National Geographic series "OceanXplorers" (9 p.m. Sunday, TV-PG) debuts. It will take viewers aboard the deep diving craft OceanXplorer. Employing cutting-edge technology, it promises to explore the sea depths like no other vessel. It features a team of explorers, adventurers and scientists, including sea researcher Zoleka Filander, shark biologist Melissa Cristina Marquez, ocean technology innovator Eric Stackpole and ex-Royal Marine commando Aldo Kane.

Together, they will take audiences to the depths of the Atlantic in the Azores, diving into the shallows of the Bahamas and warm waters of the Caribbean before embarking north to the frigid Arctic shores of Svalbard, Norway. It is said that more than 80% of the oceans remain undiscovered, so count on OceanXplorer to make a small dent in that mystery.

Produced by the team behind "Blue Planet II" and filmmaker James Cameron ("Titanic," "Avatar," and, more to the point, "Deep Sea Challenge" and "The Abyss").

"OceanXplorers" will stream on Hulu starting Aug. 19

-- Hulu also streams two recent horror movies. In "Immaculate," a devout young novitiate is delighted to retreat to a picturesque convent in the Italian countryside until she discovers that its walls harbor gothic terror.

A therapist treats a woman who claims to have been haunted by creepily happy people after witnessing her professor's suicide in the 2022 shocker "Smile," directed by Parker Finn. A feature based on an 11-minute short, "Smile" earned an impressive profit on its modest budget. While it has received generally favorable critical praise, some wondered if it reflects an improvement on the original.

SATURDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- The St. Louis Cardinals host the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB action (7 p.m., Fox).

-- Featuring David Attenborough, "Planet Earth: Mammals" (8 p.m., BBC America, TV-PG), spotlights creatures of the forest.

-- A chef thinks a younger lover may help her get her groove back while waiting to exhale in the 2024 romance "Tempted by Love: A Terry McMillan Presentation" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

-- A handsome groomsman saves a clumsy bridesmaid as she stumbles in the 2024 romance "A Costa Rican Wedding" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7 p.m., CBS): a water crisis at Pearl Harbor; landmines in Ukraine; the long history of the Indian relay race.

-- The San Francisco 49ers host the New Orleans Saints in NFL preseason action (8 p.m., Fox).

-- Bella focuses on business on "Hotel Portofino" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

-- Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt star in the 2021 adventure comedy "Jungle Cruise" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-14).

-- A new conspirator emerges on "Snowpiercer" (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- Taj's personal life unravels on "Emperor of Ocean Park" (9 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA).

-- Craig recovers from his wounds on "Orphan Black: Echoes" (10 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- Filmmakers try to reflect the civil rights struggle on screen on "Hollywood Black" (10 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE

Jerry Lewis, the manic comic actor and entertainer whose Labor Day telethons were hallmarks of late-summer programming for several decades, is the focus of TCM's "Summer Under the Stars." The daylong salute to his films includes the 1963 comedy "The Nutty Professor" (8 p.m., Saturday), a variation on "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Remade with Eddie Murphy in 1996.

SATURDAY SERIES

On three episodes of "Will Trent" (ABC, r, TV-14): a long-missing cadaver reopens a cold case (8 p.m.); family ties (9 p.m.); a string of cases share grim souvenirs (10 p.m.) ... Two episodes of "Dateline" (9 p.m., NBC, r) ... "48 Hours" (10 p.m., CBS, r).

SUNDAY SERIES

Back to Oklahoma on "Tulsa King" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) ... "American Ninja Warrior" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... "America's Funniest Home Videos" (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

"Big Brother" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "America's Got Talent" (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... An extreme fighter has Visa problems on "Tracker" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

WAHLBERG AND BERRY IN THROWAWAY THRILLER 'THE UNION'

2024-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Netflix streams the 2024 thriller "The Union." It's the kind of film that may have gotten a theatrical release back in the day. Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike, a regular Jersey guy and construction worker who just so happens to meet his old high school girlfriend Roxanne (Halle Berry) in a bar, where they discuss just what's happened in the 25 years since prom and graduation day.

Back when music used to matter, movies and TV shows employed pop songs as cultural markers, pegging characters' ages and eras, disposition, class, status and personality. Now that every tune is up for grabs in the great Spotify list of life, music has been reduced to background noise, bereft of sound and fury and signifying nothing.

Roxanne and Mike meet cute and get slightly tipsy to the strains of "I'll Be Around" by the Spinners, a song that was a hit in 1972, when Wahlberg the person was still in diapers. Their conversation pegs their high school graduation to 1999, a time when seniors might be nostalgic for Wahlberg's brother's band, New Kids on the Block.

I get it, this is a movie that requires a suspension of disbelief. But why use cultural benchmarks just to say they mean nothing?

Negation looms large as Mike and his old flame proceed to canoodle, providing Roxanne the chance to whip out a hypodermic, drug him and transport him to London. It seems that while Mike remained in Jersey, she became a secret agent. Apparently nefarious elements have stolen a file containing the names of all of America's spies. Not to be insensitive, but Roxanne the spy needs a stranger to infiltrate their system and retrieve that information. She chose Mike because he's a nobody. Ouch!

So, Wahlberg the working-class stiff palooka nobody is quickly trained in spy craft by Roxanne's glib boss (J.K. Simmons). Let the frantic chase scenes, explosions, shootouts and thundering musical score (recycling old Motown tunes without subtlety) commence!

In some ways, "The Union" is only interesting because Mike is a nobody, an average schmo. For some time now, comic-book adaptations and fantasies have told us that unless you are born or "destined" to be a demi-god, superhero or mutant, you are powerless and might as well give up. In its own way, "The Union" hearkens back to films like "North by Northwest," starring Cary Grant as Roger O. Thornhill, an advertising man mistaken for a spy who then rises to the occasion much to the surprise of the CIA and the chagrin of the KGB.

There the resemblance ends. Released in 1959, Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" is still worth watching and marveling over after nearly seven decades. It's not clear if anybody will still be thinking about "The Union" after a week.

Speaking of weeks, "Union" is the third potentially successful theatrical summer release to enter the streaming glut over the last seven days. The others are "Jackpot" (Prime Video) starring John Cena and Awkwafina, and "The Instigators" (Apple TV+), starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- The leader of the pack leaders returns as "Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog" (8 p.m., National Geographic, TV-PG) enters its fifth season. Episodes will stream on Hulu starting tomorrow.

-- A grieving woman discovers a link between a handsome Scandinavian man and her garden gnome in the 2023 romance "My Norwegian Holiday" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- Frank loses yet another best friend on "Blue Bloods" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

Dustin Hoffman stars in the 1995 thriller "Outbreak" (8:30 p.m., BBC America, TV-14), which envisioned a viral pandemic on these shores some 25 years before COVID-19 claimed the lives of more than 1 million Americans.

SERIES NOTES

"Let's Make a Deal Primetime" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "American Ninja Warrior" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "Jeopardy! Masters" (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... "Lingo" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "Dateline" (9 p.m., NBC, r) ... "20/20" (9 p.m., ABC).

LATE NIGHT

Kevin Hart, Erica Rhodes and Andrew Bird appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett and HARDY on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) ... Natalie Portman, Noah Kahan and Maika Monroe visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Lisa Gilroy, Reid Scott and Kimia Behpoornia on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

'BEL-AIR' AND 'EMILY' RETURN

2024-08-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

"Bel-Air," a reboot of the 1990s favorite and the series that helped launch Will Smith's career, returns for a third season on Peacock.

The original was very much a network sitcom of its time, and showcased Smith as a breezy troublemaker. Peacock's version is decidedly darker, embroiling viewers in stories steeped in the class struggles within the Black community that the original pretty much played for laughs. While few actors can equal Smith's early effervescence, the lead here (Jabari Banks) is frequently harder to like.

-- "Emily in Paris" returns for a fourth season on Netflix, one that will be ladled out in two segments, with the second half arriving on Sept. 12.

Created by Darren Starr ("Sex and the City"), "Emily" is a ludicrously stereotypical look at French culture. Lily Collins stars in the title role, a young naive assistant who jumps at the chance to be transferred to the Paris office of her marketing firm. There she finds the berets fashionable, the bidets curious, the baguettes crunchy and the locals frosty -- at least the ones in her office.

"Emily" may be the perfect tonic for viewers who have spent the last two weeks watching the Paris Summer Games. Starr has created a vision of the city as deep as a brochure.

-- Directed by Takashi Sano, "Rick and Morty: The Anime" (midnight, Cartoon Network) blends the cartoon's familiar anarchy with the tropes of the popular Japanese cartoon genre. Heavily promoted at Comic-Con, "The Anime" will be broadcast in Japanese (with subtitles) during the Toonami block starting at midnight on Saturday, Aug. 17.

"The Anime" can also be streamed on Max. Warner Bros. Discovery, the megacorporation that owns Max, has recently shut down the website for Adult Swim, much to the consternation of its fans. Those looking for it have been instructed to sign up for a Max subscription.

Cost-cutting and tin can-rattling are apparently in order at Warner Bros. Discovery. The company just announced that it lost (or somehow misplaced) some $9 billion. In just the last quarter. That's three months! Yikes. Skydance, the company that just gobbled up Paramount, had a better time of it. They lost only $6 billion dollars in the last quarter.

These are the folks in charge of our entertainment. Enjoy it while it lasts.

-- Directed by Paul Feig, the 2024 action comedy "Jackpot!" starring John Cena and Awkwafina, will skip theaters to stream directly on Amazon Prime. It's almost as if MGM (owned by Amazon) doesn't want people to go to the movies anymore.

-- The original version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) premiered 25 years ago tonight, in 1999. Except for Regis Philbin's salary, the show cost very little and proved once again that people would watch game shows in prime time.

-- Disney+ streams the new K-Pop showcase "Are You Sure?!"

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- Real estate can be murder on "Law & Order" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

-- Sykes observes a painful anniversary on "Law & Order: SVU" (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

-- A conflagration keeps the squad guessing on "Fire Country" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- A pollinator-friendly operation disguised as a drug dealer's nest inspires a sting operation on "Law & Order: Organized Crime" (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

It slowly dawns on a naive California girl (Teresa Wright) that her beloved uncle and namesake (Joseph Cotten) is a wanted serial killer in the 1943 thriller "Shadow of a Doubt" (12:15 a.m., TCM, TV-PG). Director Alfred Hitchcock singled this film out as his favorite work. Part of an all-day salute to Cotten that includes "Citizen Kane" (4 p.m., TV-PG).

SERIES NOTES

"Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "Name That Tune" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Press Your Luck" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... Meemaw's probation officer cracks the whip on "Young Sheldon" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) ... "Lucky 13" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... "The Quiz With Balls" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Passing into eternity on "Ghosts" (9:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Sean Hayes, Billie Eilish, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph are booked on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Halle Berry, Ben Schwartz and Yseult on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Jeff Goldblum, Awkwafina, Paul W. Downs and Remi Wolf appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (11:35 p.m., ABC).

Jean Smart and Jonathan Bailey visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts James Davis, Ashley Nicole Black and Laurie Kilmartin on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

VINCE VAUGHN STARS IN APPLE'S 'BAD MONKEY'

2024-08-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Tolstoy told us that all happy families are alike in their own way. I'd suggest that all Carl Hiaasen novels are enjoyable in their own fashion.

Apple TV+ streams "Bad Monkey," a 10-episode adaptation of Hiaasen's 2013 novel of the same name. The novelist's protagonists are nearly always ex-cops of a certain age or washed-up professionals of the law enforcement-adjacent variety. They live a beachcomber's existence and despise the developers, outsiders and greedy interlopers paving over Florida's paradise. And, despite at least four or five decades on their odometers, they remain catnip to women, their exes included. Shot through with absurd situations, colorful characters and a sense of righteous indignation, they are wish-fulfillment romance novels for guys on the cusp of getting their first letter from the AARP. And that explains their consistent popularity.

Vince Vaughn stars as Andrew Yancy, a detective suspended after he pushed his ex-lover'S (Michelle Monaghan) much-older husband's golf cart into the water of the Florida Keys. Yancy sniffs out a possible mystery, and a path to return to police work, when a tourist on a local pleasure cruise fishes a severed arm out of the deep. Not to give too much away, but this appendage puts him in touch with Eve Stripling (Meredith Hagner), who may be the deceased grieving widow, or a femme fatale. Or both.

Yancy's story parallels that of Neville (Ronald Peet), a Bahamian fisherman whose family's fishing shack is threatened by overdevelopment and whose desire to stop the bulldozers takes him into the orbit of the Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), a local woman said to cast spells and to have outlived any number of unfortunate paramours.

In true Hiaasen fashion, the story gets its title from Neville's peculiar pet, a monkey said to have been left behind after the filming of the last Johnny Depp "Pirates of the Caribbean" film. This encapsulates the author's worldview and frequent theme. Once big corporations (like Disney) are done with something (be it monkey, island or paradisiacal setting), they simply discard it, much worse for wear.

It's safe to say these stories converge in curious and colorful ways. Hiaasen's tales and his characters tend to be effervescent, so Vaughn may be too much of a heavy for his role. Some may quibble at the "Ya, mon" characterization of the Bahama islanders, but Hiassen's entire universe is one of stereotypes, heroes, villains, victims, vixens and fools.

This Vince Vaughn vehicle arrives less than a week after "The Instigators," starring Matt Damon as a depressed middle-aged vet. Do these characters represent Apple's desired audience? Or the demographics of those running the studio?

-- A streamer never subtle about its target demographic, Disney+ launches "Young Jedi Adventures," an animated extension of the "Star Wars" franchise.

-- After a very brief theatrical run, Netflix streams "Daughters," a documentary look at the relationship between young girls and their incarcerated fathers, often reduced to virtual visits. The film centers around a daddy-daughter dance behind bars, a much-anticipated chance for a face-to-face human connection.

-- Netflix also streams the documentary series "Worst Ex Ever," offering tales of deception, violence and betrayal presented in first person testimony, body-cam footage and animated recreations. Not to be confused with "Who the Bleep Did I Marry?," the eight-season docuseries now streaming on Max. From the makers of "Worst Roommate Ever."

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- A lagoon becomes a crime scene on "The Real CSI Miami" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

-- "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14) glances back at bits, monologues and slow jams.

-- A mother and daughter fix up distressed homes as "Good Bones" (9 p.m., HGTV, TV-G) enters its ninth season.

CULT CHOICE

A daylong salute to Anne Bancroft movies includes the 1967 touchstone comedy "The Graduate" (8 p.m., TCM, TV-MA). At a time when world cinema embraced Italian beauties like Sophia Loren, Hollywood still Anglicized many Italian American names. Anna Maria Louisa Italiano became Anne Bancroft. Texas-born Paula Ragusa became Paula Prentiss.

SERIES NOTES

"Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... A two-hour "MasterChef" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) ... "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) ... "Claim to Fame" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... A case requires strange bedfellows on "Tracker" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... "Shark Tank" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Alex Wagner and Ali Macofsky appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Kim Kardashian, Daveed Diggs, Charlie Vickers and Jessica Keenan on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Casey Affleck and Meredith Hagner visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Moshe Kasher, Jason Ritter and Chloe Hilliard on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

PBS AIRS 'A BOSTON (R)EVOLUTION'

2024-08-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

"A Boston (R)evolution" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) examines a city coming to terms with its history after the election of Michelle Wu, the first woman of color to become Boston mayor, after centuries of white men holding the office.

Historians look at the city's contradictions. It had been a cradle of revolution that resulted in a constitution that enshrined slavery. Before the Civil War, Boston was home to the Abolitionist movement, but in the late 19th century, it was a Boston-based legal case that established the "separate-but-equal" doctrine that buttressed decades of school segregation all over the nation. In 1974, just two years after Massachusetts earned the status of being the only "liberal" state to vote for George McGovern, Boston became home to some of the most violent racial confrontations over the busing of Black children into working class white neighborhood schools.

Some 50 years later, the city has become much more affluent and cosmopolitan, but there remain segments of the population that don't feel entirely welcome.

-- The MHz Choice streaming app has gained some traction due to the fact that it picked up the fourth season of "Babylon Berlin," which ran for its first three seasons on Netflix. All four seasons now stream on MHz, home to dramas, comedies, movies and reality fare from Europe.

Arriving today on MHz is the German procedural "Tatort Bremen," following odd couple detectives Inga Lursen and Nils Stedefreund as they fight crime and solve homicides in the historical and industrial German port city.

-- Two friends in the hospitality business compete to see who can best renovate their new businesses on the "100 Day Hotel Challenge" (8 p.m., HGTV, TV-G).

-- Netflix streams the comedy special "Matt Rife: Lucid." The stand-up engages in what he calls "crowd work," which consists of him improvising remarks based on the behavior and responses of his audience.

This is Rife's second Netflix special. He's also made several self-produced comedy specials and had a short tenure on MTV's "Total Request Live."

You have to wonder how spontaneous an audience can be when they know that Rife is engaging in his crowd work. Do they come prepared to be the subject of humiliating observations? If so, who exactly is working harder here, Rife or his willing victims?

Watching clips of "Lucid," I was struck by how loud Rife has to shout to make his points, often over a thundering musical score and a crowd compelled to hoot in approval. It sounds much more like a sporting event than a nightclub. Help yourself.

-- Speaking of coming well-prepared, the comedy series "Dirty Laundry" enters its fourth season. The talk show format allows guests to expose embarrassing secrets and other memories some would rather take to the grave. "Laundry' airs, or rather streams, on Dropout, the subscription service dedicated to comedy.

-- Streaming on Video on Demand available on many platforms, the 2024 documentary "It Came from Aquarius Records" recalls a tiny San Francisco-based record store that closed in 2016 after more than 50 years of cultivating a select clientele. Interviews include "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- Time to make a federal case of it on "FBI" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- It's difficult for me to believe that a show called "The Real Housewives of Dubai" (9 p.m., Bravo, TV-14) is not a parody.

-- A teacher discovers that her boyfriend is really a prince in the 2018 romance "Royally Ever After" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- Far from home on "FBI: International" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

A petty crook (Jean-Paul Belmondo) befriends an American woman (Jean Seberg) after casually killing a policeman in director Jean Luc Godard's stylish 1960 New Wave drama "Breathless" (8 p.m., TCM). While set in Paris, the film, its main character and director appear besotted with Hollywood gangster movies.

SERIES NOTES

Stuck inside on "Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... Eleven acts perform live on "America's Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) ... "Beat Shazam" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Celebrity Family Feud" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... "The Quiz With Balls" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Password" (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... Two episodes of "Judge Steve Harvey" (9 p.m. and 10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG), the second being the season finale.

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Elizabeth Banks and Foster the People on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Mia Farrow, Patti LuPone, Myha'la and Simon Rich visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

THE DARK SIDE OF 'BRO' CULTURE

2024-08-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

"Houses of Horror: Secrets of the Greek Life" (9 p.m., A&E, TV-14) explores fraternity life and its impact on college society.

Take a group of young men, remove them from their families and neighbors and put them together where they may feel under pressure from academic and sporting competition and add to that the feral, conforming nature of a group enlisted as "brothers," and you may get some outlandish behavior. Movies like "Animal House" celebrated drinking and hangovers as part of rude bacchanalia forming memories to be cherished or long regretted.

As the title implies, "Horror" doesn't focus on hijinks. Part 1 recalls 19-year-old Daniel Santulli, who pledged Phi Gamma Delta at the University of Missouri. His new brothers subjected him to a gruesome hazing process that included extreme sleep deprivation and boot-camplike sadism. After commanding him to drink an entire bottle of vodka, his brothers dumped him on a couch to sleep it off. His blood alcohol rate reached six times the legal limit, and Santulli barely survived. Years later, he requires nearly full-time medical care.

Santulli's parents join others to protest the extreme behavior cultivated at fraternities. While the 1978 comedy "Animal House" recreated frat life in a scripted fashion, the party where Santulli nearly died was well-documented by smartphone cameras. Such footage casts a damning eye on the Greek life and creates plenty of material for series like "Houses of Horrors."

Subsequent installments will explore tales of bingeing, more hazing excesses and inappropriate sexual activity. As sad as many of these stories can be for individuals and their families, there's a certain timelessness to their shock value. Stories of campus bad-boy behavior, tribal cruelty, conformity and sadism date back at least to the 19th century.

A&E blends the familiar with shocking tabloid exposes. That's why it's been home to revelatory series about the Playboy Club and the Hells Angels, examples of institutionalized male misbehavior stretching back several generations.

-- Mandy Moore appears on "Celebrity IOU" (9 p.m., HGTV, TV-G), the series that lavishes praise and publicity on the already-famous for helping out their friends and relatives. Things "normal people" do all the time.

In this installment, Moore calls on hosts Jonathan and Drew to create a big outdoor space and "oasis" for Ce-Ce, a friend and source of support to Moore for more than 15 years. Isn't that special?

-- The Hulu sci-fi comedy cartoon "Solar Opposites" enters its fifth season with a focus on Terry and Korvo's marriage and attempts to foster "family values." Help yourself.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- The 1932 pre-Code comedy "Skyscraper Souls" (4:45 p.m., TCM, TV-G) explores the overlapping melodramas shared by people working in a 100-story office building. Look for Maureen O'Sullivan and Anita Page, today's featured actress in TCM's "Summer Under the Stars" film festival.

-- The gang mourns Ducky (David McCallum, 1933-2023) on "NCIS" (8 p.m. CBS, r, TV-PG).

-- "American Ninja Warrior" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

-- A group date in Seattle is covered by the local media on "The Bachelorette" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

-- The investigation of a sailor's corpse in Sydney Harbor requires diplomatic cooperation on "NCIS: Sydney" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- The last three participants raid their family cookbooks on the season finale of "The Great American Recipe" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings).

-- Sparks fly between a single mom and an NFL player in the 2023 romance "Fourth Down and Love" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- A pilot's death in a military resort exposes a criminal operation on "NCIS: Hawai'i" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

Does the nostalgia for all things mid-1980s, like the recent documentary "Brats" (Hulu), extend to Steve Guttenberg? The actor gained leading man status at the time, appearing in such films as "Diner" (1982), "Three Men and a Baby" (1987) and the franchise of slob-comedy movies inspired by the unlikely success of the 1984 feature "Police Academy" (8 p.m., AMC). I think the short answer to that question is "no."

SERIES NOTES

"Name That Tune" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... Patton Oswalt hosts "The 1% Club" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... "The Wall" (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) ... "Celebrity Family Feud" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jimmy Fallon welcomes Channing Tatum, Liza Colon-Zayas and Lawrence on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) ... Olympic medalist Ilona Maher visits "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

AUTHOR BATTLES CENSORSHIP IN THE HEARTLAND

2024-08-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Culture wars and cancel culture loom large in the short documentary "The Turning Point: To Be Destroyed" (9 p.m., Sunday, MSNBC). The film follows author and publisher Dave Eggers as he travels to Rapid City, South Dakota, to meet with teachers and school board members after his novel "The Circle" was pulled from the shelves.

As the show's title tells us, the school board not only removed his novel from circulation, but stamped "to be destroyed" on its copies, dramatically consigning its contents to either the shredder or the flames. Eggers' book joined four others works, by Alison Bechdel ("Fun Home"), Stephen Chbosky ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower"), Bernardine Evaristo ("Girl, Woman, Other") and Imbolo Mbue ("How Beautiful We Were").

The books were consigned for destruction after enraged parents and one police officer chastised school board members for introducing their children to "pornography." They argued that the curriculum was part of a homosexual agenda that was "turning" their students toward the LGBTQ "lifestyle" through obvious "indoctrination." Others complained that books were "anti-white," "cop-hating" or "pro-antifa." Whatever that means.

While speaking as individuals, much of their rhetoric was scripted by "grassroots" organizations well-funded by so-called conservative activists and religious organizations. It represented Astroturf activism at its most obvious. But they did manage to elect four new board members who subsequently voted to ban Eggers' novel and the other books.

Upon his visit, Eggers found many in the community eager to meet at an independent bookstore and listen to the students who were horrified to hear that they were being "protected" from the right to read books of their choosing.

Apparently, it never occurred to the "parents-rights" groups that censorship is the best publicity. Suddenly, the forbidden books were the talk of the town. And eventually, voters elected a progressive board member who ran on the platform of protecting teachers and students from the so-called "parents-rights" groups whose ideology was bought and paid for by scheming agitators far outside of the community.

More than one person quoted here decries this chapter in the culture war(s) as something new that "has never happened before."

History proves otherwise. Public schools have long been seen as places of indoctrination. For much of the 19th century and at least half of the 20th, Catholic organizations lobbied for public support of their parochial schools. They argued that their taxes were being used to support public schools that forced "Protestant" values on students. Public schools were seen as places of anti-Catholic indoctrination.

During the McCarthy era, the red-baiting senator's counsel (and later friend and mentor to Donald Trump), Roy Cohn, took a junket to Europe to terrorize American diplomats and purge American libraries abroad of books he saw as "leftist" and "undesirable."

Many of the most contentious moments of the civil rights era involved the integration of public schools and the fear that a culture and long-held "values" were being trampled. An entire industry and subculture of private Christian academies were founded to protect students from exposure to integration and multicultural settings.

In the 1970s, Florida activists, most notably orange juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant, lobbied for all gay teachers to be fired, lest they "turn" impressionable students "that way."

Bryant's gay-bashing campaign was defeated at the polls. But not before it inspired a memorable rebuke from New York Times columnist and humorist Russell Baker. Writing about his public-school education in the 1930s, he quipped that had his teachers' "lifestyle" been able to transform him, he would have grown up to be a spinster.

Eggers' film concerns a form of anti-intellectual paranoia of very long standing -- one worth taking very seriously, but one that rarely passes the laugh test.

-- Mafia lore remains a mainstay of TV programming. Sundance Now is streaming "Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia," a documentary look at the singer's efforts to use his connections to elect Kennedy in 1960 and the falling out that occurred when the president distanced himself from Sinatra for those very same reasons.

Michael Imperioli of "Sopranos" fame narrates the documentary series "American Godfathers: The Five Families" (8 p.m. Sunday, History, TV-14), an oft-told tale of the criminal organizations that emerged in the New York area in the 20th century.

-- The new docuseries "Hollywood Black" (10 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA) profiles filmmakers of color who combated the industry's depiction of nonwhites as clowns and minstrel show stereotypes.

The first installment covers the silent era to the 1960s, recalling a period when two of the biggest blockbusters of all time, "Birth of a Nation" (1914) and "Gone With the Wind" (1939) depicted slavery as a benevolent, paternal institution and saw Reconstruction from a Klan-friendly point of view.

-- Paramount+ streams the seventh and final season of "SEAL Team," the military adventure series that originated on CBS. All seven seasons will be available on the streamer.

SATURDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- The Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles in MLB action (7 p.m., Fox).

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (7 p.m., NBC) includes coverage of basketball, track and field and breaking.

-- One woman stands out in the cookie-cutter world of 1990s cable infomercials in the 2024 biopic "Miss Cleo: Her Rise and Fall" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

-- The sandman looms large in the 2024 romance "My Dreams of You" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- "Planet Earth: Mammals" (8 p.m., BBC America) profiles creatures who can withstand extreme temperatures.

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7 p.m., CBS): hacking Las Vegas; employee ownership; a profile of Greta Gerwig.

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (7 p.m., NBC) features the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

-- George issues an ultimatum on "Hotel Portofino" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

-- A college student gets a little too close to a particular religious community in the 2024 shocker "Stalked by My Amish Boyfriend" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

-- The 2024 documentary "Jim Henson: Idea Man" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) celebrates the creativity of the man behind the Muppets and so much more.

-- Fears of a trap on "Snowpiercer" (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- Pierpoint prepares a public offering as "Industry" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA) enters its third season.

-- Conspiracy theories spread on "Emperor of Ocean Park" (9 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA).

-- Loyalties tested on "Orphan Black: Echoes" (10 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE

A woman (Irene Dunne) returns to her husband (Cary Grant) after being stranded on a desert island with a hunk (Randolph Scott) in the 1940 comedy "My Favorite Wife" (10:15 p.m. Sunday, TCM, TV-G). An attempt at a 1962 remake, "Something's Got to Give," gained infamy due to the fact that star Marilyn Monroe was fired for her erratic behavior two months before her death. The film was then re-remade as "Move Over, Darling," starring Doris Day and James Garner.

SATURDAY SERIES

An extremist plot to blow up half of Los Angeles is just another day on "S.W.A.T." (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... On three episodes of "Will Trent" (ABC, r, TV-14): Amanda's peril (8 p.m.); a family reunion (9 p.m.); a wedding becomes a bloodbath (10 p.m.) ... Two repeat episodes of "48 Hours" (9 p.m. and 10 p.m., CBS).

SUNDAY SERIES

Dwight's New York homecoming is less than ideal on "Tulsa King" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-MA) ... On four episodes of "Krapopolis" (Fox, r, TV-14): by fear possessed (8 p.m.); the games begin (8:30 p.m.); diplomacy (9 p.m.); fowl deeds (9:30 p.m.) ... "America's Funniest Home Videos" (8 p.m., ABC) ... Stuck inside on "Big Brother" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... A convicted killer's missing daughter may be the only witness who can exonerate him on "Tracker" (10 p.m., r, CBS, TV-14).

'INSTIGATORS' RETURNS TO DAMON/AFFLECK LAND

2024-08-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Apple TV+ streams the 2024 heist drama/comedy/thriller "The Instigators" after a weeklong theatrical run. It's a Casey Affleck and Matt Damon vehicle, so you know it's going to be set in the grungier side of greater Boston, featuring many broad vowels, F-bombs and an athletic use of obscenity and pop-culture-drenched chitchat.

Damon stars as Rory, an older vet who has made a mess of his life and confesses as much to his VA therapist, Dr. Rivera (Hong Chau, "The Whale").

All but announcing his intentions to end it all on his way out of his session, he becomes embroiled in an audacious scheme. Mr. Begesi (Michael Schulberg), a foul-mouthed gangster, hires Rory and a gaggle of misfits, including the motor-mouthed Cobby (Affleck), to rob the dining hall where the very corrupt Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman) collects all his graft. In cash.

Needless to say, the heist goes sideways in a number of colorful ways that involve exploding houses, bars and an ambitiously staged highway chase scene. While movie critics have given "Instigators" poor-to-middling reviews, it may be worth watching for its impressive cast of character actors, including Alfred Molina as Begesi's right-hand man, Toby Jones, and Ving Rhames as the mayor's ominous enforcer. New England Patriot legend Rob Gronkowski cameos as himself.

Directed by Doug Liman ("Swingers"), the movie is pulled in many directions at once. Is it a thriller? A comedy? A chatty therapy movie? A SWAT squad shoot-'em-up? Along the way it throws a bazillion cinematic cliches at the screen.

Ultimately, Damon weighs down the movie -- but not with a poor performance. He does just too good a job portraying a past-his-prime divorced depressive, who (spoiler alert!) will go to the most extreme lengths (like blowing up half of Boston!) just to see his estranged son at hockey practice.

-- In a rare move, two different networks depart from their schedule of distraction to broadcast from their news divisions. On ABC, the usual summer rerun of "Shark Tank" gives way to "Maui Rising: The Fight for Hawaii's Future" (8 p.m.), which explores how recent wildfires have galvanized efforts by island native residents to rebuild and renew their neighborhoods, taking a grassroots approach rather than waiting for outside intervention.

CBS is home to hours of programming some may describe as "copaganda," an uncritical view of a highly militarized police response to societal problems. "13 Days in Ferguson" (10 p.m.) recalls the protests and unrest in the aftermath of the 2014 shooting of a young resident. Cedric the Entertainer (star of CBS's "The Neighborhood") visits with retired Capt. Ron Johnson, an old friend, to discuss events in Ferguson and changes that have occurred in the past decade.

-- The Netflix documentary "Inside the Mind of a Dog" helps viewers "translate" canine facial expressions and other means of expressing emotions. Featuring Rob Lowe.

-- Streamers reboot familiar juvenile franchises on "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount+) and "Yo Gabba GabbaLand!" (Apple TV+).

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- A journalist facing a career crisis returns to her hometown in the 2023 rom-com "An Ice Palace Romance" (7 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (8 p.m., NBC) presents coverage of track and field, beach volleyball and breaking.

-- A musical family launches a new reality series, but not their first, on "The Braxtons" (9:30 p.m., WE, TV-14).

-- Celebrities find stylish conversation at a new hair salon on "Wiggin' Out with Tokyo Stylez" (10:10 p.m., WE, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

A handsome striver (Montgomery Clift) beguiles a rich beauty (Elizabeth Taylor) after disposing of his inconvenient girlfriend (Shelley Winters) in the 1951 drama "A Place in the Sun" (8 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). The subject of a daylong salute from TCM, Clift portrays a Victorian-era cad who courts a rich man's spinster daughter (Olivia de Havilland) in the 1949 adaptation of the Henry James novella "The Heiress" (10:15 p.m., TV-PG).

SERIES NOTES

"Lingo" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) ... Eco-terrorists kidnap the child of an energy executive on "S.W.A.T." (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT

Elizabeth Warren and Loudon Wainwright III appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) ... "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers" are preempted for Olympic coverage.

Lamorne Morris guest hosts Marlon Wayans, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers and Brigitte Calls Me Baby appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Sherry Cola, Solomon Georgio and Debra DiGiovanni on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

PEACOCK LAUNCHES STEPHEN CURRY COMEDY 'MR. THROWBACK'

2024-08-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

With the eyes of many sports fans riveted to Peacock for Olympics coverage, the NBC-affiliated streamer launches "Mr. Throwback," a mockumentary-style comedy set in the world of sports management and memorabilia.

"Throwback" stars Adam Pally as Danny, a desperate sports nostalgia dealer in serious hock to some dangerous gangsters. He has 24 hours to come up with $90,000 or face the ire of unforgiving hit men.

Luckily for Danny, he has an interesting past and some influential friends. As a 12-year-old basketball phenomenon, Danny was touted as the "Jewish Jordan," a pint-sized superstar destined for greater things. Among his middle-school teammates and admirers was Stephen Curry (as himself). Unfortunately for Danny, his father and promoter was even more unscrupulous and loose with the facts than his prodigy, and Danny's feel-good story unraveled in a very public and humiliating fashion.

Danny is seen in present day, reconnecting with Curry, who plays an exaggerated version of himself, always involved in a thousand benevolent projects when not dining with "fans" and friends who happen to be named Oprah and Barack. Danny's efforts to grift his old childhood friend are undone by Curry's impulsive and spontaneous generosity. He calls Danny on his wildest bluffs, necessitating the schemer to come up with even more outrageous lies.

On one level, or at least one of its levels, "Throwback" is about the legion of parasitic wannabes who cling to the outer edges of the sports world. If anything, Pally does too good a job of evoking a more-than-slightly scummy character, an unshaven and immature con man willing to broker anyone and anything, including his young daughter, in hopes of the next score. But while the show depicts a loser on a champion's periphery, its production revolves around sports star Curry trying to break his way into the world of scripted comedy. So, who is the real outsider here? And more to the point, why should we care?

Some may find humor in this very contrived and low-stakes series about an unpleasant protagonist. I know I'm not among its target audience because my favorite moments involved watching Danny's gangster pursuer beat him with a bent golf club. It was the only scene that seemed genuine, believable or deserved.

-- Sundance Now streams "Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia," a documentary that returns to an oft-told tale of the mid-century alliance of an Irish Catholic Democratic candidate, an Italian American singer and the shadowy intersection of politics, influence and corruption. It's also a tale of two men of the same generation from very different backgrounds who developed a bond that one saw as friendship and the other as a convenience, a ring-a-ding relationship that would end in bitterness.

-- FreeVee launches the third season of "The Mallorca Files."

-- BET+ streams the fifth season of "Tyler Perry's Ruthless."

-- The fantasy series "The Umbrella Society" returns for a fourth season on Netflix.

-- Max launches the docuseries "Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?"

-- Prime Video streams the 2024 drama "One Fast Move," a tale of a man's efforts to overcome his father's abandonment, one motorcycle at a time.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- A returning veteran joins forces with a handsome local reporter to save her grandfather's beloved BBQ restaurant in the 2021 rom-com "Roadhouse Romance" (7 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (8 p.m., NBC) presents coverage of track and field, diving and beach volleyball.

-- The season finale of "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).

-- A rap star's demise merits attention on "The Real CSI: Miami" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

A Navy SEAL-turned-gourmet-chef (Steven Seagal) foils the plot of two turncoats (Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones) to hijack a battleship in the 1992 thriller "Under Siege" (8 p.m., Bounce).

SERIES NOTES

Stuck inside on "Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "Press Your Luck" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... Sheldon's academic paper stirs interest on "Young Sheldon" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) ..."Lucky 13" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... A would-be heir breezes into the manor on "Ghosts" (9:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jeremy Allen White and Ava DuVernay appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) ... "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers" are preempted for Olympic coverage ... Lamorne Morris, Sebastian Maniscalco, Gillian Jacobs and Big Sean appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r) ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Scott Aukerman, Carl Tart and Mary Elizabeth Ellis on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

NETFLIX IMPORT ROOTS FOR THE UNDERDOG

2024-08-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Netflix imports "Lolo and the Kid" from the Philippines. It seems you have to scour the world to find a sentimental movie that hews close to comedy themes once common in Hollywood entertainment. Lolo is a hustler who takes in a homeless child from the streets and teaches him to live by his wits. Together they con clueless rich people out of their money.

For at least a generation, most entertainment has depicted a world where everyone is rich or wants to become rich. This stands in stark contrast to the themes of comedies dating back to Charlie Chaplain silent films and shorts, which depicted the little guy as clever and the wealthy as pathetic boobs, at best. Several generations raised on "Little Rascals" serials learned to pity rich people as sad and delusional snobs missing out on the rough and tumble quality of life enjoyed by street urchins. Gilligan may have been a dim bulb, but on "Gilligan's Island," it was the millionaire and his wife who were the most out of touch.

One could write a book, or a doctoral thesis, on the cultural shifts that made popular entertainment so much more friendly to the wealthy. I'm not sure it's that complicated. As they said in "All the President's Men," simply "follow the money."

When "The Little Rascals" films were produced in the 1930s, the economy was deeply depressed, and studios made oodles of movies extolling the virtues of the little guy and "the forgotten man" in order to seem to be on the side of an audience that had lost faith in the wisdom of Wall Street. Created in the 1960s, "Gilligan's Island" may have appeared during relatively flush times, but it was also a time when tax rates on the very wealthy could reach as high as 90%. In "Mad Men," Don Draper may have lived like a Roman emperor in his office, but he returned home to a rather dark and cramped house because he paid so much in income taxes.

Reductions in tax cuts that arrived later in the 1960s and then in the 1980s under Reagan made it "pay" to be rich. And the introduction of popular IRAs and other accounts turned mere viewers into members of the "investment class." No wonder people began to like "Dallas" and "Dynasty." The only way a street kid could become sympathetic was to become "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Over the decades, poor characters and even mere middle-class strivers seemed to vanish. Arriving at the end of the Reagan era, "Roseanne" and "The Simpsons" were notable exceptions. Suddenly, the only blue-collar characters wore blue police uniforms. And sometimes their job was to put those once loveable street urchins behind bars.

So that's what makes "Lolo & the Kid," a relatively obscure import from the Philippines, so exceptional.

-- Other streaming debuts put the accent on distraction, including "Love Is Blind: U.K." (Netflix) and "Dance Moms: A New Era" (Hulu).

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (8 p.m., NBC) presents coverage of track and field, diving and beach volleyball.

-- A doctor-turned-broker makes his last deal on "The Real CSI: Miami" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

-- "See No Evil" (9 p.m., ID, TV-14) enters its 13th season with a tale of a missing cosmetologist.

-- Residents face the prospect of climate change on the last of the three-part series "Sea Change: The Gulf of Maine" (10 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings).

CULT CHOICE

TCM dedicates a whole day to the films of Peter Ustinov, the British actor known more for being an international cultural ambassador than a mere Hollywood star. His films include the 1951 biblical blockbuster "Quo Vadis" (5 p.m., TV-PG), director Stanley Kubrick's 1960 Roman slave rebellion epic "Spartacus" (8 p.m., TV-PG) and the 1964 heist thriller "Topkapi" (11:30 p.m., TV-PG), directed by Jules Dassin. "Topkapi" inspired the TV show "Mission: Impossible" and features a descent into a locked room via a slender wire that was borrowed for the 1996 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise.

SERIES NOTES

"Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... "MasterChef" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) ... "Beat Shazam" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Claim to Fame" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... A missing teen's time is fast running out on "Tracker" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... A burger vending machine runs with a robot's assistance on "Shark Tank" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor and Lake Street Dive appear on "Late Night With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) ... "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" are preempted for Olympic coverage ... ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts Brian Simpson, Kelsey Cook and Blair Socci on "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

ENJOYING THE PARIS GAMES?

2024-08-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing says August quite like the glut of back-to-school commercials, the kind you cannot escape while watching coverage of the Paris Olympics. Tonight's "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (8 p.m., NBC) presents coverage of track and field and diving.

Having followed most of the games on the Peacock streaming app, my biggest takeaway is that the ratio of programming to commercials has never been worse. And that the resemblance of programming to advertising has never been more striking. But that happens when everyone and everything is pressured to become a brand.

The most questionable (make that creepy) entertainment element to emerge from the Games is the decision to strap the parents of some participating athletes' parents with heart monitors, so we can observe their cardiac excitement during events. It's a touch of uncomfortable bodily intrusion right out of a David Cronenberg movie -- like "Scanners."

-- Another staple of the year's eighth month is the entirely unnatural return to the football field. Despite the fact that it's simply too hot to block and tackle, the NFL preseason is underway. And for its 19th season, the documentary series "Hard Knocks" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA) will imbed itself into the training camp of the Chicago Bears, following general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus as they make cuts and form a team around their corps of veterans, including quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, ready for opening day next month.

-- Netflix streams the South Korean reality/variety series "The Influencer," pitting 77 of that country's social media stars against each other in a frantic contest to attract the most attention. The last participant standing will be crowned Korea's greatest influencer.

Perhaps I'm dating myself, but there used to be a word for individuals who desperately clamored for attention. That word is "annoying."

-- Police officers offer firsthand accounts of their most harrowing cases on the new documentary series "PD True," streaming on Paramount+. Presented in concise half-hour episodes, "True" will present moment-by-moment recollections of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, a Subway shooting in Manhattan, an L.A. bank robbery that spilled into the streets and a near-comical attempted hit on a mob "wise guy" in the Bronx. There's also the murder of a Playboy model and a run-in with Aileen Wuornos, a prolific serial killer who targeted middle-aged men.

-- As I never tire of saying, or writing, "Frontline" (10 p.m., PBS, check local listings) remains the very best at doing the journalistic task of writing the "first draft of history." It has covered both breaking stories and long-term trends with well-researched sobriety, drawing on its large archive of previously aired documentary material to put recent events in historical perspective.

These strengths are reflected in tonight's episode, "Biden's Choice," a look at the president's recent decision to withdraw from the 2024 campaign, becoming the first sitting commander-in-chief since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to step back from an expected campaign. It also reflects on more than a half-century in public office, dating back to Biden's election to the Senate in 1972. Entering that body at the dawn of the Watergate era, Biden's career unfolded during 10 presidential administrations, including his own.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- On the eve of a big wedding, three old friends (Omar Epps, Taye Diggs, Richard T. Jones)) reminisce about their shared childhood in the 1999 romantic comedy "The Wood" (7:30 p.m., BET Her, TV-14).

-- Members of the Taliban are kidnapped and shot after sneaking into the country on "FBI" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- The finale of "Gods of Tennis" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) recalls Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

-- A sweet 16 party at a posh European estate turns into a blood-soaked nightmare for the happy teen's mother on "FBI: International" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- A terrorist threatens Manhattan with a dirty bomb on "FBI: Most Wanted" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- A surrogate mother grows wary after moving in with her unborn child's adoptive parents in the 2020 shocker "Dying for Motherhood" (10 p.m., LMN, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

An ambitious rodent (the voice of Patton Oswalt) schemes to become an acclaimed Parisian chef in the 2007 animated comedy "Ratatouille" (7:30 p.m., Freeform, TV-PG).

SERIES NOTES

"Beat Shazam" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Celebrity Family Feud" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... "The Quiz With Balls" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Judge Steve Harvey" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) ... Ethical questions on "What Would You Do?" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG)

LATE NIGHT

"The Tonight Show" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers" are preempted for Olympic coverage ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

'GABBY'S DOLLHOUSE': THERE WILL BE CATS

2024-08-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

With so much mean-spirited talk of "childless cat ladies," it's easy to forget that some of the most cat-obsessed are, in fact, children. Now in its 10th glittering season, the Netflix kids' series "Gabby's Dollhouse" explores the frantic action in tiny, sparkly, pastel-rific dwellings designed by kids especially for their kitty friends.

HGTV shelter shows have nothing on the blueprints for "Gabby's Dollhouse," which feature seven feline-friendly rooms for cooking, music composing, play and exercise, crafting and scientific experiments. This being a very special cathouse, there's plenty of space for leisure, lying around and sleeping, the gateway to dayglow dreams.

-- This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the rebirth of the "Star Wars" franchise. The 1999 arrival of "The Phantom Menace" revived a story arc that had been idle since "The Return of the Jedi" hit theaters in 1983.

While hotly anticipated and exhaustively promoted, "Phantom" was met with fairly mixed reviews and less-than rapturous audiences. Some of that backlash was blamed on the introduction of Jar Jar Binks, a digitized character intended for comic relief. Some found him silly and others downright racist.

Despite Jar Jar, the film became the highest-grossing film of 1999; it and can be streamed on Disney+.

Jar Jar Binks is not the most hated George Lucas creation, not by a long shot. That status belongs to the title character of the 1986 live-action comic book adaptation "Howard the Duck." After "Star Wars" and his association with "Indiana Jones," Lucas was seen to have the Midas touch. "Howard" ended that illusion.

A tale of an alien anthropomorphic wild waterfowl, the film was too crude for children and too juvenile for adults. Its story and characterizations were wildly inconsistent, and the film received withering reviews and inspired audience hostility. Now streaming on Prime Video, "Howard" still maintains a Rotten Tomatoes score of 13%. Like all terrible movies, it has inspired a fervent, if tiny, cult following.

But even with his greatest failure, George Lucas was on to something. The 1986 film was the first theatrical adaptation of a Marvel comic book since the 1940s, when a handful of "Captain America" cartoons arrived in theaters. And it was a live-action adaptation, at that.

So, decades before Disney joined Marvel in corporate matrimony, Lucas, the father of "Star Wars," was reawakening the box office force of the Marvel Universe.

-- Set in the Spanish countryside, the "POV" (10 p.m., PBS) documentary "Fauna" explores strange connections between science and nature and the relationship between cutting-edge science and timeless ways.

The film follows an aging shepherd and his flock. Physically ill, the man worries about the passing of his way of life, a profession of herding animals that dates back to before the time of the Bible. The shepherd's field sits beside a pharmaceutical research center, where scientists are working overtime to come up with a COVID vaccine, work that includes experimentation on local critters.

Blending the pastoral with technological wizardry, "Fauna" offers a surprising appreciation on the interconnected nature of humanity, culture and nature.

If your local PBS affiliate is not showing "POV" tonight, you can stream "Fauna" and most POV documentaries on demand on the PBS Video app.

TONIGHT'S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

-- A former dancer and an aerialist become a stylish team at a local arts festival in the 2024 bauble "Romance With a Twist" (7 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (8 p.m., NBC) presents coverage of track and field and gymnastics.

-- Speed-dating on a sheep farm is only a helicopter ride away on "The Bachelorette" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

-- "Antiques Roadshow" (8 p.m., PBS, r, TV-G, check local listings) visits Palm Springs.

-- Torres faces up to a grim childhood on "NCIS" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

-- Chefs present dishes that changed their lives on "The Great American Recipe" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

-- Thrill-seekers rob a Navy credit union just for kicks on "NCIS: Hawai'i" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE

An all-day TCM salute to Gordon McCrae includes the 1955 adaptation of "Oklahoma!" (8 p.m., TV-PG), one of the most beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, and "Carousel" (10:30 p.m., TV-G), featuring one of their strangest stories. Both co-star Shirley Jones.

SERIES NOTES

On two episodes of "The Neighborhood" (CBS, r, TV-PG): credit problems (8 p.m.); gentrification fears (8:30 p.m.) ... "Name That Tune" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Patton Oswalt hosts "The 1% Club" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... "Celebrity Family Feud" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

"The Tonight Show" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers" are preempted for Olympic coverage ... Taylor Tomlinson hosts "After Midnight" (12:35 a.m., CBS).

JOE ROGAN GETS NETFLIX SPECIAL

2024-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Netflix taught most of us to watch programs whenever we want. But occasionally, it breaks into the "live" programming business, hearkening back to the days of "appointment TV."

Netflix presents "Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats," a live special from San Antonio first streaming at 10 p.m. on Saturday. This marks Rogan's first comedy special in six years and will no doubt reflect his status as a podcaster and interviewer.

Like many viewers of a certain age, I first encountered Rogan as a distinctly minor part of the very talented cast of the NBC comedy "NewsRadio," which ran from 1995 to 1999. I can't imagine anybody at the time predicting that he would become the biggest, or at least most influential, star from an ensemble that included Dave Foley, Stephen Root, Andy Dick, Maura Tierney, Vicki Lewis, Khandi Alexander and the late Phil Hartman.

After that series, Rogan toiled in the relatively obscure ends of cable and broadcast, including the candid-camera series "Fear Factor," later hosted by the late Shannen Doherty. Rogan has long been associated as both an announcer and fan in the extreme sports world of Ultimate Fighting, and co-hosted "The Man Show," the launching pad for a comic named Jimmy Kimmel. He also hosted the short-lived series "Joe Rogan Questions Everything" on Syfy, a forum for "open-minded" speculation about topics like UFOs and Bigfoot.

Rogan's fluency in the language of testosterone culture and his playful sense of anything-goes conspiracy mongering served him well as a podcaster. He has been both touted as a means to understanding the mindset of angry males and as a cynical purveyor of dangerous disinformation during the COVID era, a pandemic that claimed more than a million American lives.

A million dead Americans. That's more than twice the number of American soldiers killed during World War II. During the dark days of COVID, Rogan amplified voices that spread lies about the disease and incited doubt and cynicism about the public health efforts that successfully ended the pandemic. And he made money and gained "influence" in the process.

It can't be overstated: COVID killed twice as many Americans as died in combat during World War II. And there were also "entertainers" during that war who helped undermine the Allied war effort.

An American citizen of Japanese descent, Iva Toguri made radio broadcasts from Japan that were intended to demoralize American troops serving in the Pacific theater.

British subject William Joyce made pro-Nazi broadcasts from Germany under the name "Lord Haw-Haw."

After the war, Toguri spent time in prison. Lord Haw- Haw didn't have it so easy. Joyce was convicted of treason and executed in 1946. He was the very last person to be executed for treason in the United Kingdom.

-- Male-skewing programming of different sort arrives with "Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot" on "30 for 30" (9:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN). The documentary profiles a group of college friends who struck a chord with silly sports videos.

-- "Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes" (8 p.m. Saturday, HBO, TV-MA) offers a new look at the Hollywood star (1932-2011) arising from the discovery of 40 hours of hitherto unheard interviews taped by Life magazine reporter Richard Meryman in the late 1960s.

Directed by Nanette Burstein ("The Kid Stays in the Picture"), the film blends Meryman's audio with personal snapshots and archival footage. Taylor offers a frank appraisal of her Hollywood ordeal. Much like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, Taylor was packaged by the studio system. Ever in the public eye, she navigated the perilous voyage from child star ("Lassie Come Home") to pretty girl next door ("Father of the Bride") to full-throated sex symbol ("Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"). Few actresses' shapes were as scrutinized as Taylor's. And while multiple divorces were common in Hollywood, Taylor's adulterous liaison with "Cleopatra" co-star Richard Burton even received a public rebuke from the Vatican.

It's fitting that this reappraisal comes from a Life magazine interview. That glossy photo magazine was as responsible as any outlet for the breathless coverage of Taylor's celebrity and notoriety. It published its last weekly issue in 1972.

SATURDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (7 p.m., NBC) presents swimming, track and field and gymnastics.

-- The Cleveland Guardians host the Baltimore Orioles in MLB action (7 p.m., Fox).

-- An expectant mother's idyllic life comes crashing down in the 2024 shocker "I Thought My Husband's Wife Was Dead" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

-- A bookish woman pushing the big 4-0 reconnects with her 8-year-old self in the 2024 romance "Junebug" (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

-- Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7 p.m., CBS): breakthroughs in brain surgery; the world's tiniest nation state.

-- "Primetime in Paris: The Olympics" (7 p.m., NBC) presents swimming, track and field and gymnastics.

-- Major announcements rattle the family on "Hotel Portofino" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

-- Rick Moranis stars in the 1989 horror spoof "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

-- The public death of a private man on the sixth season finale of "Grantchester" on "Masterpiece" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings).

-- The new mayor rejects a major request on "Snowpiercer" (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- The kids aren't all right on "House of the Dragon" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

-- A record shipment arrives in Miami on "Hotel Cocaine" (9 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA).

-- Coming clean on "Orphan Black: Echoes" (10 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).

-- A friend of the judge's offers insight on "Emperor of Ocean Park" (10 p.m., MGM+, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE

A widow and dowdy British clerk (Julie Andrews) strikes up an unlikely friendship with a dashing Soviet official (Omar Sharif) while vacationing in the Caribbean in the 1974 espionage thriller "The Tamarind Seed" (12:45 p.m., Sunday, TCM). Directed by Andrews' husband Blake Edwards, and part of a 24-hour salute to Julie Andrews' movies.

SATURDAY SERIES

A farewell to arms dealers on "S.W.A.T." (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... On three episodes of "Will Trent" (ABC, TV-14): secrets behind bars (8 p.m.); a pastor seems fishy (9 p.m.); an urban legend (10 p.m.) ... Two episodes of "48 Hours" (9 p.m., CBS, r).

SUNDAY SERIES

A new scheme hits a roadblock on "Tulsa King" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) ... On four episodes of "Krapopolis" (Fox, r, TV-14): shunned (8 p.m.); therapy (8:30 p.m.); dual loyalties (9 p.m.); a homegrown menace (9:30 p.m.) ... "America's Funniest Home Videos" (8 p.m., ABC, r) ... Stuck inside on "Big Brother" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... Colter searches for a missing sister who discovered a small town's big secret on "Tracker" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).