Elizabeth Morris/HBOSunday, Aug. 16
Lovecraft Country
HBO, 9pm
New Series!
Misha Green (Underground) and Jordan Peele (Get Out) co-created this thrillingly original series based on Matt Ruff’s novel. It follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he, his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams). This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the horrifying, literal monsters that could be ripped from the pages of an H.P. Lovecraft paperback.
Summer Under the Stars: “Cary Grant”
TCM, beginning at 6am
Catch a Classic!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a movie star in Hollywood history as effortlessly charming as the legendary Cary Grant. See for yourself in today’s SUTS film lineup devoted to the actor formerly known as Archibald Leach. The schedule begins with Sylvia Scarlett (1935), the first of four films Grant made with Katharine Hepburn, and the day will also feature Bringing Up Baby (1938), another Grant/Hepburn pairing. Other classics include His Girl Friday (1940), Topper (1937), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and Grant’s memorable teaming with costar Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief (1955).
NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona
NBC, 3pm Live
The NASCAR Cup Series is back at Daytona International Speedway for the first ever Cup Series race on the famed speedway’s road course. Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and other stars will complete 65 laps for 231 miles around the combined oval/road course.
Major League Baseball: Boston at N.Y. Yankees
ESPN, 7pm Live
Sunday Night Baseball returns to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., for a matchup between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
Renovation Island
HGTV, 8pm
Season Finale!
This special 90-minute episode wraps up the season for the show highlighting the journey of home renovation experts Bryan and Sarah Baeumler as their family embarked on an epic adventure to restore a massive, rundown beachfront resort in the Bahamas.
Psycho Sister-in-Law
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
After the death of their father, the half sister of a father-to-be moves into her half brother and his wife’s happy home and brings danger as she seeks to claim the full inheritance. Stars Andrea Bowen, Lydia Hearst, Brando Eaton, Diora Baird and Ryan Carnes.
Lucy Worsley’s Royal Photo Album
PBS, 8pm
Explore how the royal family has shaped their image with photography, from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana to Prince Harry. From official portraits to tabloid snapshots, the camera has been the Crown’s confidant, messenger — and nemesis.
Autopsy: The Last Hours of… “Burt Reynolds”
REELZChannel, 8pm
On Sept. 6, 2018, news broke that Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds had died. Reynolds broke into the big time by winning the lead in the gritty survivalist drama Deliverance in 1972 and became a household name in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Behind all the fame and fortune, Reynolds suffered from panic attacks that were so severe he needed to be hospitalized and eventually turned to large doses of anti-anxiety medications and painkillers to cope with injuries incurred from doing stunt work. His reliance on prescription pills turned into addiction and led to an overdose and a coma, though he survived. Renowned medical examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter analyzes crucial details of Reynolds’ life to explain his death.
The Circus
Showtime, 8pm
New Episodes!
The second half of Season 5 of the political docuseries will cover the pandemic, systemic racism and a crucial presidential election.
The Real Housewives of Potomac: “Sip and See You Later”
Bravo, 9pm
Gizelle spends her birthday with Jamal and the girls, but underlying tension makes for an awkward celebration. Candiace struggles to understand Monique’s anger toward her after their recent reconciliation. Wendy takes note of Karen’s cold shoulder. Ashley hosts the ladies to meet baby Dean, but an unexpected guest causes Monique to make a dramatic exit.
Very Scary People: “Dr. Death: A License to Kill”
HLN, 9pm
Season Finale!
For nearly two decades, Michael Swango, a physician turned murderer, left a trail of death across two continents. Suspicious illnesses and deaths followed this once-trusted doctor from hospital to hospital, picking off unsuspecting coworkers and helpless patients. What would make a well-respected doctor become one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history? To help find out, this episode features interviews with authorities who brought Swango to justice, as well as with survivors of his poisoning sprees, families of his victims and others.
Endeavour: “Raga”
PBS, 9pm
A clash between rival gangs results in tragedy. Initial investigations lead Morse and Thursday to the door of a familiar face. Then tragedy strikes a second time when an Indian restaurant’s customer disappears and a shocking murder is discovered.
Bo Derek: In My Own Words
REELZChannel, 9pm
Born Mary Cathleen Collins in Long Beach, Calif., Bo Derek was the oldest of four siblings and, by her account, grew up an ordinary teenager until a fateful encounter with a Hollywood agent. Her first role came in an independent movie directed by John Derek, who would forever change her life. The two fell in love despite a 30-year age difference and the fact that Derek was married to actress Linda Evans. Labeled as outlaws from the start, Bo and John married and began a long and headline-filled life together. Eventually Bo became an accomplished producer. Viewers will hear from her sister Kerry Perez, John Derek’s daughter Sean, and friends Jon Voight and Evans.
NOS4A2: “Welcome to Christmasland”
AMC, 10pm
In the penultimate episode, Vic (Ashleigh Cummings) and Maggie (Jahkara Smith) embark on a dangerous journey, while Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto) confronts his deepest fears. And as her world falls apart, Millie (Mattea Conforti) must choose between freedom and her father.
Fran Drescher: In My Own Words
REELZChannel, 10pm
Actress Fran Drescher paints an in-depth portrait of her life, from growing up in Queens admiring Lucille Ball to masterminding her own career in show business, all while opening up about life’s challenges she has conquered along the way. Armed with beauty, brains and what would turn out to be an iconic voice, Fran knew from a young age that she would become an actor. Sharing their stories of Fran are her parents Sylvia and Morty Drescher, The Nanny costar Charles Shaughnessy, Donna Dixon, Peter Marc Jacobson and Cancer Schmancer executive director Susan Holland.
Democracy 2020: Convention Kickoff
FOX News Channel, 10pm
FOX News Channel presents special programming of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), featuring Sunday’s primetime special Democracy 2020: Convention Kickoff. The network’s convention coverage will originate from Washington, D.C., throughout the week and will be available across all of FOX News Media’s signature platforms, including FOX News Audio and FOX News Digital. Helmed by Special Report’s Bret Baier and The Story’s Martha MacCallum, the one-hour special will preview the upcoming political convention in Milwaukee, Wis., and features prominent guests who will provide analysis ahead of the week’s events.
ALSO SEE: FOX News Channel’s Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier Preview an Unconventional Convention Season
Darcey & Stacey
TLC, 10pm
New Series!
TLC fan favorites from 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days — twins Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva — are headlining their own series. Viewers were glued to Darcey through four seasons of globe-trotting, long-distance love affairs followed by heartbreaking, tear-filled breakups, where she always had her devoted twin Stacey by her side. Now this series looks into both of their lives, loves and supportive family members. As the series begins, Darcey is healing over yet another failed relationship. Stacey is gearing up for a major step in her own love life — after a five-year engagement to Albanian fiancé Florian, they have finally been approved for the K-1 visa. Florian and Stacey will have 90 days to get married once Florian arrives, but Darcey has lingering doubts about his commitment to Stacey after photos of him with another woman surfaced online, sparking rumors that he was unfaithful.
Monday, Aug. 17
2020 Democratic National Convention
Various Networks
The DNC’s scaled-back (due to COVID-19) Democratic National Convention will take place Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee and include virtual events and smaller gatherings in different cities. Delegates won’t make the trip and will instead remotely cast their votes. Joe Biden is still expected to accept his party’s nomination, though not in person in Milwaukee.
Summer Under the Stars: “Maureen O’Hara”
TCM, beginning at 6am
Catch a Classic!
Celebrate the classic movies of Maureen O’Hara on what would have been her 100th birthday (she was born Aug. 17, 1920; died Oct. 24, 2015). The day begins with one of her earliest roles, alongside Charles Laughton in the 1939 Hitchcock thriller Jamaica Inn, and also includes another famed 1939 film she made with Laughton, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other films today include The Wings of Eagles (1957), one of O’Hara’s notable pairings with costar John Wayne; her starring role in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947); and many more.
American Ninja Warrior: “Seattle/Tacoma City Qualifiers”
NBC, 8pm
American Ninja Warrior brings the competition indoors for the first time ever in Seattle’s Tacoma Dome for the City Qualifying Round. Competitors will face up to six challenging obstacles including Lunatic Ledges and Barrel Roll, which are new to the course this year. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila host, and Zuri Hall joins the show as sideline reporter.
Botched: “Necrotic Nightmare”
E!, 9pm
A filler-obsessed Australian wants Dr. Terry Dubrow to increase her breast size, while a surgery in the Dominican Republic left a patient in the ER with only one breast. Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Nassif tried to bring a nose back to life after a horrible necrosis incident.
Intervention: “Courtney”
A&E, 10pm
An adventurous child with a love for animals, Courtney dreamed of growing up to be a veterinarian. Tragically, when she was just 7 years old, her best friend died in a drowning accident, and Courtney was never the same. Unwilling to conform to her mother’s rules, Courtney left to live with her father, under whose roof she graduated to full-blown addiction. Today, Courtney no longer cares about her health or safety. Her alarming re-use of dirty needles has taken her to the brink of death.
Bad Chad Customs
Discovery Channel, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Bad Chad is back with bigger and badder builds than ever before. After enjoying small-town success as the Green Goblin auto shop, Chad is eager to transform his small business into an internationally known operation by the name of Hiltz Auto Co. This season, all hands are on deck as Chad and his team take on an ambitious seven builds over six months.
Into the Unknown: “The Brown Mountain Lights”
Travel Channel, 11pm
The Brown Mountain Lights of North Carolina are one of the greatest mysteries on the continent, and Cliff Simon is on an eerie recon mission to find out more. For over a century, people have witnessed strange, orb-like lights that rise up and hover above this largely unexplored wilderness. The only way to find out more is to spend the night in an area where people have been known to disappear.
Tuesday, Aug. 18
Summer Under the Stars: “Warren Beatty”
TCM, beginning at 6am
Catch a Classic!
As an actor and a filmmaker (often both at once), Warren Beatty has worn many hats, and movies featuring some of his most memorable work in various roles air today. This includes perhaps his crowning multi-hyphenate achievement: 1981’s Reds, the Best Picture Oscar nominee that won him a Best Director Oscar and also earned him Best Actor and Best Screenplay nominations. Also on tap: Beatty’s first film, 1961’s Splendor in the Grass; his iconic pairing with Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967); and Bugsy (1991), the Best Picture Oscar nominee that netted Beatty a Best Actor nomination.
Dead Pixels
The CW, 8pm
New Series!
A group of 20-somethings try to escape their mundane lives by playing an online role-playing game during every spare moment they’re not at their office jobs or with their families. The show splits time between their real lives and their online personas.
America’s Got Talent: “Live Show 2”
NBC, 8pm Live
Live from Universal Studios Hollywood, 11 performers compete for America’s vote and a $1 million prize as judging is turned over to the viewing audience. Creator and executive producer Simon Cowell serves as judge along with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.
Undercover Billionaire: Return to Erie
Discovery Channel, 9pm
In this special, Glenn Stearns returns to Erie, Penn., with unfinished business. Stripped of everything, Glenn had to build a $1 million business from scratch in just 90 days. Now, exactly one year after his business Underdog BBQ opened, Glenn is headed back to Erie to check in on the restaurant and visit with those who helped him build it. Through candid, never-before-seen footage, Glenn reveals fresh insight about his 90 days and what it takes to start from nothing, culminating with an unexpected announcement about his future plans in the city.
Backyard Envy: “Growing to New Heights”
Bravo, 10pm
The Manscapers are tasked with creating a Tuscan-themed backyard in the middle of New Jersey. With their business growing rapidly, they decide to do some much-needed team building and finally lay down ground rules for the Mannies, but can they go from friends to bosses overnight? Meanwhile, Mel’s doctor calls her with unsettling news.
I Quit
Discovery Channel, 10pm
New Series!
This series follows six sets of hopeful entrepreneurs as they leave their steady incomes and retirement plans behind, going all in on their dreams of launching their own businesses. Along the way, they will be mentored by three successful business leaders who have each built empires of their own — Harley Finkelstein, COO of Shopify; Debbie Sterling, CEO of the award-winning children’s multimedia company GoldieBlox; and Tricia Clarke-Stone, cofounder/CEO of the award-winning creative and tech agency WP Narrative_.
