8.6.21
Hello and Happy Friday! It’s time for an update on what to watch on tv, courtesy of Jason Dietz for Metacritic.
Credit source: Metacritic
PREMIERE DATES FOR NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS AND SPECIALS
New (
) and returning shows, TV movies, miniseries, and specials (including streaming exclusives) with announced premiere dates are listed below. All times are both ET/PT unless otherwise indicated. Items available to buy or rent through digital outlets (VOD, Prime Video, iTunes, etc.) are marked with a ($).
Miss something? View our archive of past premiere dates >
AUGUST PREMIERES – VIEW OUR AUGUST TV PREVIEW
| THU / AUGUST 5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Abandoned: Expedition Shipwreck | Reality | Science, 10p | |
| Brat Loves Judy Trailer | Reality | WE, 9p | |
Deadly Mom Retreat  | Drama | LMN, 8p | |
| Departure Trailer | Drama | Peacock | |
| The Canadian conspiracy thriller starring Archie Panjabi and the late Christopher Plummer as transportation bureau investigators returns for a second season that centers on a train crash. New cast members this year include Donal Logue and Jason O’Mara. | |||
Dream Team: Birth of the Modern Athlete  Trailer | Documentary/Sports | Paramount+ | |
Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets A Puppy  | Family | HBO Max | |
| Hart to Heart Trailer | Talk | Peacock | |
| Kevin Hart hosts a new weekly interview show (though three episodes will be available on launch day). | |||
| Teddy | Horror | Shudder | |
| Underground Marvels | Reality | Science, 9p | |
| FRI / AUGUST 6 | |||
| 60 | All the Streets Are Silent Trailer | Documentary | ($) Virtual theaters |
| Ancient Aliens | Reality | History, 9p | |
| Death She Wrote | Drama | LMN, 8p | |
| For the Love of Kitchens | Reality | discovery+ (Magnolia) | |
| Hit & Run Trailer | Drama |  | |
| 63 | John and the Hole | Drama/Thriller | ($) Rent |
| There’s acting out and then there’s acting out. The debut film from director Pascual Sisto centers on the titular 13-year-old boy (that would be John, not The Hole), played by Captain Fantastic‘s Charlie Shotwell, who discovers a hidden unfinished bunker near his house. Like any teenager would then do, he decides to drug his parents (Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle) and older sister (Taissa Farmiga) and keep them captive inside the pit while he gets to enjoy the family home all to himself. The psychological thriller received mixed-to-positive reviews when it debuted at Sundance early this year, and it opens in theaters today as well. | |||
| Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary Trailer | Reality/Music | IMDb TV | |
| Madagascar: A Little Wild | Animation/Family | Hulu/Peacock | |
| 56 | Mr. Corman Trailer | Comedy/Drama | Apple TV+ |
| Created by Joseph Gordon-Levitt—who writes, directs, and produces in addition to starring as the title character—Apple’s newest dramedy series centers on failed musician who is now a fifth-grade public school teacher in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley struggling with lowered expectations and a failed relationship. Arturo Castro, Debra Winger, Logic, Juno Temple, and Jamie Chung also star alongside Gordon-Levitt, who returns to TV for his first regular starring role since the end of 3rd Rock from the Sun two decades ago. Three of the 10 episodes stream today, followed by weekly installments. | |||
| Navarasa Trailer | Foreign/Drama/Anthology | | |
| 70 | Never Gonna Snow Again | Foreign/Drama | ($) Virtual theaters |
| Night Drive Trailer | Sci-fi/Thriller | ($) Rent | |
| Notorious Nick | Action/Drama/Sports | ($) Rent | |
| Ranch to Table | Reality | discovery+ (Magnolia) | |
| 86 | Sabaya Trailer | Documentary | ($) Virtual theaters |
| She Ball Trailer | Drama/Comedy/Sports | ($) Rent | |
| 73 | Sheep Without a Shepherd | Foreign/Drama/Thriller | ($) Virtual theaters |
| S.O.Z. Soldiers or Zombies | Foreign/Drama | Prime Video | |
| 75 | The Suicide Squad Trailer | Action-adventure | HBO Max |
| Both a sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad as well as a reboot of the superhero franchise, the new film finds James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) taking over from director David Ayer. Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis return from the previous film, while new faces include John Cena (as Peacemaker), Idris Elba (Bloodsport), Peter Capaldi (The Thinker), and Sylvester Stallone. The film begins a one-month run on HBO Max today concurrent with its theatrical release. | |||
| The Swarm Trailer | Foreign/Horror | | |
| 72 | Val Trailer | Documentary | Prime Video |
| Did you feel Boyhood was too unambitious? Well, actor Val Kilmer has merely spent the past 40 years documenting his own life, and the result (edited down to 109 minutes) comes to Amazon today after a brief theatrical run. | |||
| 65 | Vivo Trailer | Animation/Family | |
| Lin-Manuel Miranda and Gloria Estefan head the voice cast of this Sony-produced original animated family musical adventure centering on a kinkajou who journeys from Cuba to Miami. | |||
| What We Left Unfinished Trailer | Documentary | ($) Virtual theaters | |
| Whirlybird | Documentary | ($) Rent | |
| SAT / AUGUST 7 | |||
| The 27-Hour Day | Drama | Hallmark, 9p | |
| Heartbreak Island | Reality competition | discovery+ | |
| The first season streamed just last week, but the second season is already here. These shows must make themselves. | |||
| 72 | I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking) Trailer | Drama | BET Her |
| SUN / AUGUST 8 | |||
| 2020 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony | Special |  8p | |
| If an Olympics cermony is held in an empty stadium, does it make a sound? | |||
| Family Game Fight! | Game show | 10:30p | |
| Husband and wife Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell pair up with regular folk and compete against each other in a series of games in yet another format inspired by segments on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Tonight’s special post-Olympics premiere, which replaces the diarrhea-postponed Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide (look it up—or don’t), will be followed this week by another episode in the show’s regular timeslot on Wednesday 8/11 at 9p. | |||
| Godfather of Harlem Trailer | Drama | Epix, 9p | |
| In Their Own Words | Reality |  8p | |
| The L Word: Generation Q Trailer | Drama |  10p | |
| Tonight’s season 2 premiere will be available to stream early, beginning on August 6. | |||
| Money Hungry | Reality competition | Food, 10p | |
| On the Case With Paula Zahn | Reality | ID, 10p | |
| Psycho Intern | Drama | Lifetime, 8p | |
| Sweet Revenge | Drama | HMM, 9p | |
| UFO Trailer | Documentary | 9p | |
| All four episodes will also be available to stream at once (beginning this morning). | |||
| MON / AUGUST 9 | |||
| Cheap Old Houses | Reality | HGTV, 9p | |
| Monster Garage | Reality | Discovery, 10p | |
| 85 | Reservation Dogs Trailer | Comedy |  |
| The latest “FX on Hulu” original series comes from Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo. Featuring an all-Indigenous cast and writing/directing staff, the comedy is set on a reservation in Oklahoma where four teenaged friends attempt to save (and steal) enough money to move to California. | |||
| Shaman King Trailer | Anime | | |
| Super Heists | Reality | CNBC, 10p | |
| The Wall | Game show | 10p | |
| TUE / AUGUST 10 | |||
| Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers Trailer | Comedy | ($) Rent/Buy | |
| Bleed With Me | Horror | Shudder | |
| Chopped: Playing With Fire | Reality competition | Food, 9p | |
| Dark Stories Trailer | Horror/Thriller | ($) Rent/Buy | |
| DC’s Stargirl Trailer | Drama |  8p | |
| The series moves from DC Universe to the CW for its second season. | |||
| Eye Without a Face Trailer | Horror/Thriller | ($) Rent/Buy | |
| Fantasy Island Trailer | Drama/Anthology |  9p | |
| Roselyn Sanchez (Devious Maids) takes over the Ricardo Montalban role of Mr. Roarke (now called Elena Roarke) in a modern-day reboot of the ABC episodic anthology series that ran from 1977-84. | |||
| The Florist | Drama | ($) Rent/Buy | |
| Gabby’s Dollhouse | Animation/Family | | |
| Hard Knocks: The Dallas Cowboys | Reality/Sports |  10p | |
| Materna Trailer | Drama | ($) Rent/Buy | |
| Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang | Comedy special | | |
| The Profit | Reality | CNBC, 10p | |
| Untold Trailer | Documentary/Sports/Anthology | | |
| Netflix’s five-film sports doc anthology series from the creators of Wild, Wild Country kicks off with a look at the so-called “Malice at the Palace” brawl during a 2004 Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game. Upcoming films (which will arrive weekly on Tuesdays) include profiles of female boxer Christy Martin and a minor league hockey team controlled by a teenage son of a mob boss as well as looks at tennis player Mardy Fish and Caitlyn (then Bruce) Jenner’s Olympic career and later gender transition | |||
| Unraveled: The Stalker’s Web | Reality | discovery+ | |
| Wild ‘N Out | Comedy | VH1, 8p | |
| WED / AUGUST 11 | |||
| Bake Squad Trailer | Reality competition | | |
| Christina Tosi hosts TV’s latest baking competition. | |||
| The Challenge Trailer | Reality competition | MTV, 8p | |
| Cribs Trailer | Reality | MTV, 9:30p | |
| The MTV celebrity home tour series returns with its first new episodes since 2011. | |||
| Disney Presents Goofy in How to Stay at Home | Animation/Family | Disney+ | |
| Josh Gates Tonight | Talk | Discovery, 9p | |
| The Kissing Booth 3 Trailer | Rom-com | | |
| 65 | Misha and the Wolves | Documentary | |
| This surprising but not necessarily penetrating documentary by Sam Hobkinson tries to get to the truth surrounding author Misha Defonseca’s Holocaust survivor tale. Built like a detective story, the film tells quite an entertaining story, but several critics found it too slick for its own good when it debuted at Sundance earlier this year to decent if unspectacular reviews overall. | |||
| Money Court | Reality | CNBC, 10p | |
| Riverdale | Drama | 8p | |
| Superstar | Reality |  10p | |
| What If…? Trailer | Animation/Drama/Sci-fi | DIsney+ | |
| Yes, it’s yet another Marvel series on Disney+, but this one’s different: It’s animated. It’s also literally different. Based on the comic book series of the same name, the anthology series What If reimagines classic Marvel characters in hypothetical situations that depart from the stories you know from the MCU films. What if it were Peggy Carter who took the Super Soldier serum and became Captain | |||
| THU / AUGUST 12 | |||
| AlRawabi School for Girls Trailer | Foreign/Drama | | |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine Trailer | Comedy | 8p | |
| For the acclaimed comedy’s final season, new episodes will arrive two per week (Thursdays at 8 and 8:30p). | |||
| Chrisley Knows Best Trailer | Reality | USA, 9p | |
| Ex Rated Trailer | Reality | Peacock | |
| Forbrydelsen | Foreign/Drama | Topic | |
| All three seasons of the Danish crime drama—later remade in the U.S. as The Killing—make a belated U.S. debut. | |||
| Growing Up Chrisley Trailer | Reality | USA, 9:30p | |
| Hear Me Out | Talk | Vice, 11:30p | |
| 69 | Homeroom Trailer | Documentary | |
| The Hunt for a Killer | Foreign/Drama | Sundance Now | |
| The Hype Trailer | Reality competition | HBO Max | |
| Lokillo: Nothing’s the Same | Comedy special | | |
| Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild Trailer | Anime | | |
| The Ms. Pat Show Trailer | Comedy | BET+ | |
| The Mysterious Death of Eazy-E Trailer | Reality | WE, 10p | |
| Slasher: Flesh & Blood Trailer | Drama/Horror | Shudder | |
| While David Cronenberg and horror are a classic pairing, this eight-episode fourth installment of the horror anthology Slasher (now a Shudder original series after previously airing on Chiller and then Netflix) finds Cronenberg neither directing nor writing—but starring. Flesh & Blood finds members of a large, wealthy family reuniting on a secluded island, where they are pitted against each other as a masked killer stalks them. Two episodes stream per week. | |||
| Star Trek: Lower Decks Trailer | Animation/Comedy/Sci-fi | Paramount+ | |
| Titans Trailer | Drama | HBO Max | |
| The former DC Universe series is now an HBO Max exclusive for its third season. Three new episodes stream today, followed by weekly installments. | |||
| Ultimate Rides | Reality | FYI, 10p | |
| Well Done With Sebastian Maniscalco | Reality | discovery+ | |
| FRI / AUGUST 13 | |||
| AEW: Rampage Trailer | Sports-ish | TNT, 10p | |
| 52 | Beckett Trailer | Drama/Thriller | |
| John David Washington stars as an American tourist who suddenly finds himself on the run in Greece after a car accident embroils him in a political conspiracy. Vicky Krieps, Boyd Holbrook, and Alicia Vikander also star for Italian director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, a frequent Luca Guadagnino collaborator. | |||
| Brand New Cherry Flavor Trailer | Drama/Horror | | |
| Todd Grimson’s hallucinatory horror novel gets an eight-episode adaptation from Channel Zero vets Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion. The series follows an aspiring film director (Rosa Salazar) who heads to L.A. in the 1990s, only to find her dream project turn into a nightmare—apparently, one that includes “zombies, hit men, supernatural kittens, and a mysterious tattoo artist.” Catherine Keener, Manny Jacinto, Eric Lange, and Mark Acheson also star. | |||
| Buckley’s Chance | Drama | ($) Rent | |
| Charming the Hearts of Men | Drama/Comedy | ($) Rent | |
| 72 | CODA Trailer | Drama | Apple TV+ |
| Streaming on Apple TV+ the same day it opens in theaters, CODA (short for Child of Deaf Adults) swept the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival early this year, where Apple acquired the film for a Sundance-record $25 million. (The last film to win both top Sundance awards from audiences and the festival jury? Minari, the previous year.) Director Sian Heder (Tallulah) also won an award at the fest for her crowd-pleasing remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier that stars Emilia Jones as Ruby, the sole hearing member of a deaf Gloucester fishing family. As the family business comes under threat, she explores her love of singing despite the disapproval of her mother, played by Marlee Matlin. | |||
| Crime Story Trailer | Drama/Thriller | ($) Rent | |
| Curiosa Trailer | Drama | ($) Virtual theaters | |
| Descendants: The Royal Wedding | Animation/Family | Disney, tbd | |
| Disney’s Magic Bake-Off | Reality competition | Disney, tbd | |
| Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time Trailer | Anime | Prime Video | |
| Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Trailer | Animation/Family | | |
| Gone for Good Trailer | Foreign/Drama | | |
| The Kingdom | Foreign/Drama | | |
| Masters of Illusion | Reality | 8p | |
| The Meaning of Hitler | Documentary | ($) Rent | |
| Modern Love Trailer | Drama/Anthology | Prime Video | |
| The anthology’s second season features Garrett Hedlund, Dominique Fishback, Kit Harington, Aparna Nancherla, Sophie Okonedo, Tobias Menzies, Anna Paquin, Lucy Boynton, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver, Jack Reynor, and more. | |||
| 32 | Naked Singularity Trailer | Drama/Comedy | ($) Rent |
| Point of View: A Designer Profile | Reality | discovery+ (Magnolia) | |
| Spin Trailer | Family/Drama | Disney, 8p | |
| 64 | Swan Song Trailer | Comedy/Drama | ($) Rent |
| Also playing in select theaters (beginning August 6th), the latest from writer-director Todd Stephens (Another Gay Movie) stars Udo Kier as a retired hairdresser who leaves his nursing home and makes his way across town to do a dead woman’s hair for her funeral. Shot in Sandusky, Ohio and based on the life of local icon Pat Pitsenbarger, the film received positive reviews from critics at its SXSW debut earlier this year. | |||
| Valeria Trailer | Foreign/Comedy/Drama | |
Hope this is helpful to you. A great selection of shows and films to see on small screen. Enjoy the rest of your Friday, be safe, healthy, and blessed.
Featured image: Pexel
