Other highlights include ‘Rick and Morty’ and a popular sketch show from Canada.
This week, the theme is that if you make a big enough fuss you’ll get what you want. It worked for the Unabomber, whose story is dramatized in a new series, it worked for fans of the movie Wet Hot American Summer, which is finally getting the ten-years-later sequel, and it worked for fans of the Canadian comedy hit Baroness von Sketch Show, which is finally coming to America.
To help you keep track of the most important programs over the next seven days, here’s our guide to everything worth watching, whether it’s on broadcast, cable, or streaming for July 30th-August 5th (all times Eastern):
SUNDAYRick and Morty (Cartoon Network, 11:30pm)
Following its surprise return for a limited-time episode back in April, our favorite Adult Swim animated series is back for real with a 10-episode third season. Tonight’s episode, “Rickmancing the Stone,” is a Mad Max tribute, with the title duo plus Summer headed to a post-apocalypse wasteland. There are crazy cars, a thunderdome and everything else you could possibly want from such an idea. Fans at Comic-Con got to see the episode already, and obviously the buzz from them is great.
Also on Sunday:
Teen Wolf S6E11: “Said the Spider to the Fly” (MTV, 8pm)
Claws S1E8: “Teatro” (TNT, 9pm)
Game of Thrones S7E3: “The Queen’s Justice” (HBO, 9pm)
The Lost Tapes: Son of Sam — documentary debut (Smithsonian, 9pm)
The Nineties E3: “New World Order” (CNN, 9pm)
Power S4E6: “New Man” (Starz, 9pm)
Twin Peaks: The Return “Part 12” (Showtime, 9pm)
Ballers S3E2: “Bull Rush” (HBO, 10pm)
I’m Dying Up Here S1E8: “The Unbelievable Power of Believing” (Showtime, 10pm)
The Strain S4E3: “One Shot” (FX, 10pm)
Insecure S2E2 (HBO, 10:30pm)
Kevin Hart Presents: The Next Level S1E7: “Ray Grady: Not Afraid to Fail” — Season 1 finale (Comedy Central, 11pm)
MONDAYMemories of a Penitent Heart (PBS, 10pm)
This week’s installment of POV showcases the award-winning documentary Memories of a Penitent Heart, in which filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo investigates the family drama surrounding the death of her uncle Miguel. He died of AIDS years ago when it was associated with sin for his Catholic parents and siblings. Aldarondo focuses her affecting personal character study on her uncle’s longtime partner, the only person who can her all about Miguel in his final days. As usual, you may need to check local listings or see the film streaming online free on the PBS site.
Also on Monday:
The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All — special (ABC, 8pm)
Hooten & the Lady S1E4: “Bhutan” (The CW, 9pm)
Will S1E5: “The Marriage of True Minds” (TNT, 9pm)
Preacher S2E7: “Pig” (AMC, 9pm)
Teen Mom 2 (MTV, 9pm)
TUESDAYManhunt: Unabomber (Discovery, 9pm)
Paul Bettany portrays Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, in Discovery’s next scripted effort. The eight-episode series follows the FBI’s extensive investigation to identify and apprehend the domestic terrorist, with Sam Worthington playing an agent on the case and Jane Lynch as Attorney General Janet Reno. Other stars who make brief appearances include Mark Duplass, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Chris Noth. The premiere includes the first two episodes of the series, which like many new shows these days is an anthology, meaning the next season will follow the manhunt for another infamous criminal.
Also on Tuesday:
Max Jobrani: Immigrant — comedy special (Netflix)
Frontline: The Vaccine War — documentary premiere (PBS)
Casual S3E13: “The Hermit & the Moon” (Hulu)
The Bold Type S1E5: “No Feminism in the Champagne Room” (Freeform, 9pm)
WEDNESDAYBaroness von Sketch Show (IFC, 10pm)
Of course Baroness von Sketch Show has been compared another Canadian single-gender sketch comedy series, The Kids in the Hall, if only to recall that one as having only male actors, dressed in drag whenever a female character was needed. Baroness, you see, has an all-women cast, and yes they sometimes play men. The show’s first season exclusively aired up north but became a cult hit with US audiences through sketches available online and now IFC has picked it up for stateside enjoyment, airing both the first season and new second season.
Also on Wednesday:
Catfish: The TV Show (MTV, 9pm)
Broadchurch S3E6 (BBC America, 10pm)
I’m Sorry S1E5: “Acts of Service” (truTV, 10pm)
The Sinner S1E1 — series premiere (USA, 10pm)
Snowfall S1E5: (FX, 10pm)
THURSDAYThe Guest Book (TBS, 10pm)
Anthology series are all the rage these days, but most of them are season-to-season anthologies (like Manhunt: Unabomber). Another growing trend, though, is the episode-to-episode anthology series. A more coincidental trend right now is the concept of having a show based around a hotel room with each episode having a different story set there. Last week, the Duplass brothers’ Room 104 debuted on HBO with the premise and a mix of drama and comedy stories. Now there’s TBS’s The Guest Book, which is all-comedy and actually involves some recurring characters, because it’s not restricted to the single room setting. The episode-to-episode cast includes Margo Martindale, Jenna Fischer, Danny Pudi, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Michaela Watkins, Jaime Pressly, and Stockard Channing.
Also on Thursday
The Mist S1E7: “Over the River and Through the Woods” (Spike, 10pm)
Queen of the South S2E9 (USA, 10pm)
Zoo S3E6: “Oz Is Oz” (CBS, 10pm)
FRIDAYWet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (Netflix)
At the end of the 2001 movie Wet Hot American Summer, the camp counselor characters agree to have a reunion in 10 years. But when Netflix greenlit a follow-up series, they went with the prequel Wet Hot American Summer: First Day, which took place a few weeks before the movie. Now we get a second series living up to the promise. The funny thing is that this sequel is set 10 years later but was made 16 years later, which is fitting since the most of the ensemble was originally too old for their characters anyway. Everyone is back except Bradley Cooper, Judah Friedlander, and David Hyde Pierce. The entire series is available all at once.
Comrade Detective (Amazon)
Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star as Romanian detectives in this bloody comedy series made to seem like it was made in the ’80s during the time of Ceausescu’s communist dictatorship. Created by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka (writers of the movie The Sitter) and directed by Rhys Thomas (Documentary Now!), the show co-stars Chloe Sevigny, Jenny Slate, Jason Mantzoukas, Nick Offerman, and Jake Johnson, and features guest appearances from Kim Basinger, Mahershala Ali, Richard Jenkins, Bobby Cannavale, Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton, Fred Armisen, Debra Winger, and Daniel Craig. The entire series is available all at once.
Also on Friday:
Icarus —- documentary debut (Netflix)
Message From the King — movie debut (Netflix)
The Great British Baking Show S4E9 & S4E10: “Patisserie Week” and “The Final” (PBS, 9pm)
Room 104 S1E2: “Pizza Boy” (HBO, 11:30pm)
SATURDAY George Lopez: The Wall, Live from Washington, DC (HBO, 10pm)
Given the title, we can guess George Lopez will be addressing the promised border wall in his new comedy special, though the trailer for the stand-up program has him also teasing such topics as dogs in strollers. As for what material the show actually entails, we can’t know for sure since it’s supposed to be all-new and the special is being broadcast live from the Kennedy Center. Of course, if you’re not a fan of Lopez already, chances are you won’t think he’s funny in this, but if you are a fan or just want to hear from a guy who’s been outspoken against the Trump administration, this is a must-watch.
Also on Saturday:
Orphan Black S5E9: “One Fettered Slave” (BBC America, 10pm)
