Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is vast. Here are some of the shows, specials, and movies that will air on TV this week, July 24-30. Details and hours are subject to change.
Monday
ill-fated son 8pm on CW. Based on Mark Critch’s memoir of the same name, the series stars Critch as his father and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as his younger self. Filmed and set in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, the production is a coming-of-age story that focuses on Critch going through middle school and connecting with those around him. The show originally aired on CBC in Canada, but will air for the first time in the United States.
golden boy Starting at 9 p.m. on HBO. Shortly after graduating from high school, Oscar De La Hoya won gold in lightweight boxing at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The media quickly dubbed him “Golden Boy”. This two-part documentary of his series focuses on the person behind the title and how his later woes made it difficult to live up to expectations.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) 7:35 p.m. on FXM. This Mamma Mia prequel has all the Abba, romance and adventure we could ever want. Not to mention, of course, younger versions of Donna and Dynamos, and a truly bizarre casting of “three dads.” The story takes place after Donna (Lily James in the young version, Meryl Streep in the adult version) graduates from college and decides to travel the world before settling on a small island in Greece. The story behind Sophie’s encounters with Bill (Josh Dylan, Stellan Skarsgård), Sam (Jeremy Irvine, Pierce Brosnan) and Harry (Hugh Skinner, Colin Firth) is revealed, but the identity of Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) father is no closer.
Wednesday
animal with camera Starting at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local programming). This show really lives up to its name. What could be better than capturing immersive footage of the wildlife itself? Because this episode focuses on the ocean, sea turtles, sharks and rays equipped with lightweight cameras provide an underwater perspective you might not otherwise have been able to see.
after being bitten 10 p.m. on HBO. In September 2018, Arthur Medici was killed by a shark at Newcombe Hollow Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was the first death from a shark attack in the state since 1936. But the resurgence of this kind of attack (a month earlier in which another man had been bitten by another man in the same spot, but repelled the shark) calls for a re-examination of our community’s relationship with nature. This documentary explores how this tragic event rocked the local way of life.
Thursday
Trip with Anthony Anderson and Mama Doris 10pm on E! Nothing entertains us like a mother and son romping around Europe. The show follows actor and comedian Anthony Anderson and his mother, Doris Hancox, as they embark on a six-week adventure full of shenanigans. So far they’ve traveled to Paris, London and Venice, and the season ends with a final hooray in Rome, where they take art classes featuring nude models, to name a few.
Friday
Neighbor (2014) 8pm at Cinemax. In this Nicholas Stoller-directed comedy, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play a couple whose lives turn into hell as apartment neighbors Zac Efron and Dave Franco call the police. Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Into the Greeks,” “The Fifth Year Engagement”) “does a good job of maintaining momentum while finding time to burst into quirky grace notes and the occasional burst of emotional candor,” wrote AO Scott in a film review.
Heel 10pm at Stars. Despite what the title sounds like, this show has nothing to do with Louboutin or Jimmy Choo. Instead, it refers to the “heel” or villain in the wrestling ring. The series, which stars Alexander Ludwig and Stephen Amell as wrestling prodigy brothers, begins its second season this week. “With professional wrestling becoming more popular than it has been in recent years, it’s thriving as a dramatic subject because the true story of the wrestling industry is often as compelling, if not more, than what happens in the ring,” Jeremy Gordon wrote in a 2021 New York Times article about the show.
Saturday
Body Heat (1981) Chinese medicine from 10 pm. Starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, this erotic thriller involves a bomb maker, a murder plot and an illegal operation, all set on the coast of Florida. In his review for The Times, Vincent Canby wrote, “A stifling, sexy, archaic morality tale that evolves into a mystery story with a few twists that rivals the final four or five minutes of Billy Wilder’s Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution.”
Sunday
tough as nails 8 p.m. on CBS. Featuring real-world endurance and strength challenges, the fifth season of this reality competition show is filmed in Hamilton, Ontario and features a Canadian cast member for the first time. Now that explains every “uh” you may have heard. As the season draws to a close, the Dirty Hands and Savage Crew team must continue to battle downs and dirty challenges until the end.
jewel of justice 10 p.m. on HBO. This comedy about a famous family of televangelists is becoming more and more popular. According to the deadline The show is currently Danny McBride’s most-watched HBO show, surpassing “Eastbound & Down” and “Vice Principals.” “The Righteous Gemstones,” which also stars Eddie Patterson, Adam Devine, and John Goodman, concludes its third season with a two-part finale.
