TV Best Bets

Sunday, July 9: Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine Are ‘The Defiant Ones’ on HBO

Joe Pugliese /AUGUST/courtesy of HBO

All Times Eastern.

Sunday, July 9

The Defiant Ones
HBO, 9pm
This four-part, four-night documentary tells the stories of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, their improbable partnership and their leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. Directed by Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli), who conducted extensive interviews with both men, the show also includes chats with such music-industry icons as Bono, David Geffen, Eminem, Stevie Nicks, Ice Cube, Gwen Stefani, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor, Snoop Dogg, Bruce Springsteen and Diddy. The show also features never-before-seen footage from recording and songwriting sessions with N.W.A., Eazy-E, J.J. Fad, U2, Nicks, Petty, Springsteen and others.

Earth Live
Nat Geo, 8pm Live
Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race) and Jane Lynch (Glee) serve as hosts for this two-hour live broadcast of the best of the animal kingdom in real time and dramatic fashion. Simulcast on National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo MUNDO in 171 countries and 45 languages, this special provides access to dozens of locations across six continents — from South America to Asia and everywhere in between — offering viewers the chance to see how various species respond to the forces of nature in order to survive.

Fear the Walking Dead
AMC, 9pm
Midseason Finale!
Everyone knows what happens to dead bodies in the heat, so AMC is putting this Walking Dead spinoff on ice for the rest of the summer. Before what’s sure to be a cliffhanger ending for Madison (Kim Dickens) and her group, expect plenty of guts and gore.

Candy Crush
CBS, 9pm
New Series!
Mario Lopez hosts this new live-action game show based on the addictive app where players complete levels by swapping around colored candies to get three or more in a row. In the TV version, teams of two people use their wits and physical agility to compete on enormous, interactive game boards.

American Grit: “Camp Love”
FOX, 9pm
After last week’s double elimination, the remaining contestants are shocked to learn who survived. This week’s challenge tests each team’s strategic skills as they have to choose which prize puzzle to solve. Plus, two contestants get closer to each other, making the elimination challenge more complicated.

Masterpiece: Grantchester
PBS, 9pm
Tonight, Grantchester’s village vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton) must make a choice between his job and his woman. And the decision Sidney makes may not be the one he sticks with. Geordie, as well, will be forced to consider what’s more important: his affair with the office secretary or his obligation to his wife. The pair also has a murder to solve, which may or may not be connected to a series of armed post office robberies.

Safari Live: Migration
Nat Geo & Nat Geo WILD, 10pm Live
Sneak Peek!
Venture into Kenya’s Maasai Mara to see one of the most breathtaking and dramatic wildlife spectacles on the planet — the great wildebeest migration — broadcast live for the first time. After tonight’s episode, the show moves to Fridays on Nat Geo WILD.

Masterpiece: Prime Suspect: Tennison
PBS, 10pm
Jane is faced with several harsh realities in both her professional and personal life. The investigations around the murder of Julie Ann Collins and the robbery plan of the Bentley family come to a head.

The Spouse House
TLC, 10pm
New Series!
Fourteen marriage-hungry singles in their 20s, 30s and 40s move into a lavish California mansion together, spending eight weeks with clinical psychologist Dr. Isaiah Pickens and relationship coach Christine Hassler, who guide them to find their possible spouse within the group. Couples who marry during the process remain in the house as newlyweds, while incompatibles are evicted and replaced by hopeful new singles.

Monday, July 10

Penn Zero: Part Time Hero
Disney XD, 7am
Season Premiere!
In the Season 2 premiere, “The Pirates, the Parrot, the Puzzles and the Talking Boats,” Penn’s task of solving a bunch of puzzles to beat Rippen to a pirate treasure is complicated when he is forced to team up with a pirate named Maria, whose motives are questionable. Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walking Dead) lends her voice as Pirate Maria and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) voices Boat Maria.

MLB All-Star Home Run Derby
ESPN, 8pm Live

Baseball’s best sluggers compete in the Home Run Derby as part of the 88th MLB All-Star Game festivities at Marlins Park in South Florida. Marlins fans hope that Giancarlo Stanton repeats his performance from last year, in which he blasted 61 home runs in three rounds to win the derby.

Dessert Games
Food Network, 8pm
New Series!
Guy Fieri hands the keys to his grocery store over to dessert master Duff Goldman, giving him carte blanche to remodel the store, restock the shelves and reinvent Guy’s Grocery Games for chefs who like life a little sweeter. Each week, four talented dessert chefs will attempt to shop for, prepare and plate three amazing confectionary creations in the middle of a market. The last chef standing will get to test their knowledge of dessert ingredients in a shopping spree worth up to $10,000.

American Ninja Warrior: “Cleveland Qualifiers”
NBC, 8pm
Ninjas compete to qualify for the finals in Vegas tonight in Cleveland, where they’ll tackle two new obstacles: Razor’s Edge and the I-Beam Gap.

Preacher: “Viktor”
AMC, 9pm
Jesse pursues a lead and dives deeper into his search for God with Cassidy. We discover more about Tulip’s secret past.

The Real Housewives of Orange County
Bravo, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Season 12 returnees to Bravo’s original Housewives series are Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Meghan King Edmonds and Kelly Dodd, along with familiar face Lydia McLaughlin (Season 8), who is back to mend broken friendships. The ladies are also joined by new housewife Peggy Sulahian, the 100th housewife to join the TV franchise.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: “Wil Wheaton”
The CW, 9pm
Host Aisha Tyler, cast members Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, and guest comedian Gary Anthony Williams, put their comedic skills to the test through a series of spontaneous improv games prompted by ideas supplied by the studio audience. This week, the laughs are out of this world when actor Wil Wheaton stops by.

Will
TNT, 9pm
New Series!

Newcomer Laurie Davidson stars as young William Shakespeare in TNT’s stylish new period drama, which depicts the aspiring playwright as he pursues his ambitions in London. Like a plot from one of his plays, Shakespeare’s journey in Will is wrought with danger, intrigue and romance.

Reno, Set, Go!: “Past Due/Room to Grow”
Discovery Family Channel, 10pm
After a series of hardships, Drew wants to show his appreciation to his rock-steady wife Lori for smiling through the tough times and keeping the family together. Then, Kyle wants to surprise his pregnant wife Cindy with a functional living room and play space.

POV: “Last Men in Aleppo”
PBS, 10pm
After five years of war in Syria, the remaining citizens of Aleppo are readying themselves for a siege. Through the volunteers known as the White Helmets, experience firsthand the daily struggle for sanity in a country at war.

Tuesday, July 11

MLB All-Star Game
FOX, 8pm Live
The Miami Marlins welcome baseball’s best to Marlins Park for the 88th MLB All-Star Game festivities. This year’s Midsummer Classic won’t determine home-field advantage for the World Series, which will now be determined by regular-season record. The AL has won the last four All-Star Games.

The Fosters
Freeform, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The GLAAD Media Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series returns for a fifth season, including the milestone 100th episode. The series stars Teri Polo, Sherri Saum, Hayden Byerly, Noah Centineo, David Lambert, Maia Mitchell, Danny Nucci and Cierra Ramirez as a multi-ethnic family mix of adopted and biological teenage kids being raised by two moms.

The Story of China: “The Last Empire/The Age of Revolution”
PBS, 8pm
Journey back in time to see the splendor of the last Chinese dynasty, the Qing. Witness the fateful first Opium War, which sparked the fall of the empire, and, after the 20th-century revolutions, the birth of today’s China.

The Bold Type
Freeform, 9pm
New Series!
Inspired by the life of Joanna Coles, chief content officer of Hearst Magazines, this new series glimpses into the outrageous lives of those responsible for the global women’s magazine Scarlet. Follow three talented young women (Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy) as they find their own voices in a sea of intimidating leaders and explore sexuality, identity, love and fashion. The series also stars Sam Page, Matt Ward and Melora Hardin as Jacqueline, the editor in chief of Scarlet magazine.

Still the King
CMT, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Season 2 of this comedy begins with Vernon (Billy Ray Cyrus) fresh out of jail and determined to reclaim his position as a country music superstar while being present in the lives of his daughter Charlotte (Madison Iseman) and her mother Debbie (Joey Lauren Adams). Faced with the possibility of being a father to Debbie’s unborn child, Vernon must balance his desires for fame and family.

American Ripper
History, 10pm
New Series!
In this eight-part limited nonfiction series, Jeff Mudgett — the great-great-grandson of America’s first known serial killer, H.H. Holmes — is determined to prove an astonishing, controversial theory: that Holmes and Britain’s notorious Jack the Ripper were the same man. Mudgett, a retired attorney, has partnered with former CIA criminologist Amaryllis Fox, who has spent her career identifying terrorists across the globe, to launch a deeper investigation.

Wednesday, July 12

The 25th ESPYS
ABC, 8pm Live

Two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning hosts the 25th ESPYS sports awards from Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater. The ESPYS celebrate the best teams, players, moments and more from the world of sports, featuring appearances by luminaries of sports and entertainment. Eunice Kennedy Shriver will be posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for her work in founding Special Olympics in 1968.

MasterChef: “Silenced by the Lambs”
FOX, 8pm
The cooks tackle a challenging skills test where they must prepare racks of lamb. Then, the elimination challenges the contestants to recreate Gordon Ramsay’s signature lamb chops.

Salvation
CBS, 9pm
New Series!
This summertime suspense thriller centers on three unlikely cohorts — an MIT grad student (Charlie Rowe), a tech superstar (Santiago Cabrera) and a Pentagon official (Jennifer Finnigan) — who embark on a covert plan to save the planet from a rogue asteroid that threatens to destroy humanity. This end-of-the-world drama is perfect TV fun, says Finnigan. “I keep calling it ‘a popcorn show,’ but when I say ‘a popcorn show,’ I want to say ‘a popcorn show plus,’ because the writing is really good and the acting is really good.”

The Carmichael Show: “Intervention”
NBC, 9pm
When Bobby (Lil Rel Howery) and Nekeisha (Tiffany Haddish) get into a fight about how much she’s been drinking lately, the family throws an intervention that turns into a debate about handling life’s stress.

Nature’s Great Race: “Elephants”
PBS, 9pm
Traverse the Arctic wilderness and African bush as scientific teams use new technology to track elephants as they overcome obstacles and face fearless predators on their epic journeys. Additional episodes following caribou and zebras air Wednesdays.

Suits
USA Network, 9pm
Season Premiere!
The hit drama is back for Season 7. Now that Mike (Patrick J. Adams) is officially recognized as a lawyer and has accepted Harvey’s (Gabriel Macht) offer to return to the firm, the team is back together at Pearson Specter Litt, each dealing with his or her own struggles as they adjust to a new world order without Jessica (Gina Torres). The series will celebrate its 100th episode this season, on Aug. 30.

Odd Mom Out
Bravo, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Jill Kargman’s satirical and semi-autobiographical look at New York’s Upper East Side mommy cliques returns for Season 3. Abby Elliott, Andy Buckley, KK Glick, Sean Kleier and Joanna Cassidy also star, and guest stars this season include Christine Taylor, Wendy Williams, Dave Navarro, Meredith Hagner, Alysia Reiner, Emma Myles and Dan Butler.

Snowfall: “Make Them Birds Fly”
FX, 10pm

In the new episode “Make Them Birds Fly,” Franklin (Damson Idris) struggles with the reality of his new cocaine-dealing enterprise, and Teddy’s (Carter Hudson) distrust of Alejandro (Juan Javier Cárdenas) escalates.

I’m Sorry
truTV, 10pm
New Series!
The 10-episode season follows comedy writer Andrea (played by comedy writer Andrea Savage), who exposes her inner immaturity and neuroses through unexpected life situations, which happen to be based on her real life. “My show really came out of wanting to do a show to create a role for myself to play a mom role that sort of doesn’t exist on TV,” tells Savage. “And the show isn’t only about parenting, but to show that women who have kids can still be funny, dirty, relatable, grounded, nuanced.” The series also stars Tom Everett Scott and will feature a who’s who of guest stars.

Thursday, July 13

Boy Band: “Live Live Live!”
ABC, 8pm Live
In the first live episode of the season, Boy Band opens with a tribute to the greatest boy bands of all time. Then, three of the five remaining groups prepare to perform live before architects Emma Bunton, Nick Carter and Timbaland. The bottom two contestants perform “battle songs” before America, hoping to earn a majority of the live audience vote that will keep them in the competition.

Penn & Teller: Fool Us
The CW, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The hit magic competition returns for a new season as aspiring magicians perform their best trick to try to fool the world-famous team of Penn & Teller. Anyone who succeeds wins the right to perform with Penn & Teller in their Las Vegas show.

Hooten & the Lady
The CW, 9pm
New Series!
This eight-episode British comedy follows a pair of mismatched treasure hunters (Michael Landes and Ophelia Lovibond) as they venture around the globe in pursuit of hidden riches.

The Tunnel: Sabotage
PBS, 9pm
Witness Elise’s struggle to face her past, while an unexpected revelation threatens to turn Karl’s life upside down. Rosa reveals a vital clue about Defence. Is Robert’s number finally up?

The Gong Show
ABC, 10pm
Tonight’s judges Ed Helms, Alison Brie and Will Arnett are treated to a roller skater who limbos under a flaming bar, butt puppets lip-syncing to opera, a pair of unicyclists who slam dunk basketballs, and a crazy comic who plays the guitar. At the end of the show, the judges’ favorite act receives the fabulous The Gong Show trophy and a check for $2,000 and 17 cents.

Zoo: “Ten Years Gone”
CBS, 10pm
In the new episode “Ten Years Gone,” Abraham (Nonso Anozie) and Dariela (Alyssa Diaz) consider making a deal with Reiden Global for personal reasons, and Jamie (Kristen Connolly) and Clementine (Gracie Dzienny) perform a risky surgery on Mitch (Billy Burke).

Alone: “Double or Nothing”
History, 10pm
Now that most teams are reunited, they dive into the difficult task of surviving together and feeding two people. Meanwhile, the final hiker faces a brutal mountain climb that could dash his hopes of ever making it to camp.

Sin City Justice: “Betrayed”
Investigation Discovery, 10pm
Season Finale!
The dramatic season finale introduces Easter Williams, who survived a gunshot to her head after catching her husband Gabrial with another woman in their bedroom. On life support, she survives a risky surgery and regains her memory to point a finger at the woman she caught her husband with, Maira Sepulveda. The question is, will the adulterous couple stick to the story that Easter shot herself, or will they turn on each other in this dramatic trial filled with twists and turns?

Friday, July 14

Friends From College
Netflix
New Series!
Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) executive produces this comedic look at a gang of friends from Harvard (played by Keegan-Michael Key, Cobie Smulders, Annie Parisse, Nat Faxon, Fred Savage and Jae Suh Park) who are now facing their 40s. The series humorously explores old friendships, former romantic entanglements and the struggles of balancing adult life with nostalgia.

Chasing Coral
Netflix
This Netflix original film taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed “coral nerd,” top-notch camera designers and renowned marine biologists as they reveal a phenomenon called coral bleaching, which threatens coral reefs and the ocean life around them.

The Great British Baking Show: “Botanical”
PBS, 9pm
Monitor the remaining seven as they strive to give their bakes maximum botanical taste. The signature demands sharp citrus flavors; the technical, a leafy challenge; and the final, three tiers of flavored sponges and stunning floral designs.

Playing House
USA Network, 11pm
Season Finale!
Season 3 of the comedy starring Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair comes to an end tonight in two back-to-back episodes.

Saturday, July 15

Tennis: Wimbledon Women’s Singles Final
ESPN, 9am Live
The Wimbledon women’s singles final match at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club airs live on ESPN.

Star vs. the Forces of Evil: The Battle for Mewni
Disney XD, 11am
Original Film!
In this two-hour movie event, Star returns to her home dimension of Mewni, where she discovers that magic is disappearing throughout the kingdom. Star must dig deep and challenge her archnemesis, Ludo, in order to save her family and kingdom.

“Star Trek: Voyager” Marathon
BBC America, 2pm
Episodes from Season 5 (1998-99) of the Star Trek: Voyager TV series air back-to-back today on BBC America. The marathon includes the two-part episode “Dark Frontier.”

Major League Baseball
FS1, beginning at 4pm
Live
FS1 has a Saturday MLB doubleheader featuring AL rivals as the N.Y. Yankees visit the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers visit the Kansas City Royals.

Sherlock Holmes
BBC America, 7pm

Robert Downey Jr. steps into the role of the cerebral detective and gives him an action makeover in this 2009 film, in which Holmes and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) pursue a Satanist threatening all of England.

Soccer: CONCACAF Gold Cup: Nicaragua vs. USA
FXX, 7pm Live

The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team takes on Nicaragua at Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium in the USA’s final group match in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The Essentials: “Woman of the Year”
TCM, 8pm
Tina Fey is host to tonight’s “Essentials” film. In the film, Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) and Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy) are rival reporters who fall in love and get married. But their relationship is strained when Sam comes to resent Tess’ hectic lifestyle. It was during the filming of Woman of the Year that Hepburn and Tracy became romantically involved, a relationship that lasted until Tracy’s death in 1967.

Turn: Washington’s Spies: “Our Man in New York”
AMC, 9pm
The plot to kidnap Benedict Arnold is hatched. Peggy learns Cicero’s secret. Washington and the French clash over strategy.

The Christmas Cure
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!
An emergency room doctor (Brooke Nevin) returns home for Christmas after many years to find that her father (Patrick Duffy) has decided to retire. After reuniting with her high-school sweetheart (Steve Byers) and spending an emotional Christmas with her family, she must decide if she will stay in her hometown and take over her father’s practice.

Still Star-Crossed: “Nature Hath Framed Strange Fellows in Her Time”
ABC, 10pm
When Benvolio finds himself in serious trouble, he surprisingly turns to Rosaline for help. Meanwhile, Princess Isabella travels to Venice to try to make peace with the Doge, but quickly discovers he has other intentions.