What to Watch Update

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 (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 NEWRealityScience, 10p
 Brat Loves Judy NEW TrailerRealityWE, 9p
 Deadly Mom Retreat MOVIEDramaLMN, 8p
Departure TrailerDramaPeacock
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 MINISERIES TrailerDocumentary/SportsParamount+
 Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets A Puppy SPECIALFamilyHBO Max
Hart to Heart NEW TrailerTalkPeacock
Kevin Hart hosts a new weekly interview show (though three episodes will be available on launch day).
 Teddy MOVIEHorrorShudder
 Underground MarvelsRealityScience, 9p
FRI / AUGUST 6
60All the Streets Are Silent MOVIE TrailerDocumentary($) Virtual theaters
 Ancient AliensRealityHistory, 9p
 Death She Wrote MOVIEDramaLMN, 8p
 For the Love of Kitchens NEWRealitydiscovery+ (Magnolia)
 Hit & Run NEW TrailerDramaNetflix
63John and the Hole MOVIEDrama/Thriller($) 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 MINISERIES TrailerReality/MusicIMDb TV
 Madagascar: A Little WildAnimation/FamilyHulu/Peacock
56Mr. Corman NEW TrailerComedy/DramaApple 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 NEW TrailerForeign/Drama/AnthologyNetflix
70Never Gonna Snow Again MOVIEForeign/Drama($) Virtual theaters
Night Drive MOVIE TrailerSci-fi/Thriller($) Rent
Notorious Nick MOVIEAction/Drama/Sports($) Rent
 Ranch to Table NEWRealitydiscovery+ (Magnolia)
86Sabaya MOVIE TrailerDocumentary($) Virtual theaters
She Ball MOVIE TrailerDrama/Comedy/Sports($) Rent
73Sheep Without a Shepherd MOVIEForeign/Drama/Thriller($) Virtual theaters
 S.O.Z. Soldiers or ZombiesForeign/DramaPrime Video
75The Suicide Squad MOVIE TrailerAction-adventureHBO 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 MOVIE TrailerForeign/HorrorNetflix
72Val MOVIE TrailerDocumentaryPrime 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.
65Vivo MOVIE TrailerAnimation/FamilyNetflix
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 MOVIE TrailerDocumentary($) Virtual theaters
Whirlybird MOVIEDocumentary($) Rent
SAT / AUGUST 7
 The 27-Hour Day MOVIEDramaHallmark, 9p
 Heartbreak IslandReality competitiondiscovery+
The first season streamed just last week, but the second season is already here. These shows must make themselves.
72I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking) MOVIE TrailerDramaBET Her
SUN / AUGUST 8
 2020 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony SPECIALSpecialNBC 8p
If an Olympics cermony is held in an empty stadium, does it make a sound?
Family Game Fight! NEWGame showNBC 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 TrailerDramaEpix, 9p
 In Their Own WordsRealityPBS 8p
The L Word: Generation Q TrailerDramaShowtime 10p
Tonight’s season 2 premiere will be available to stream early, beginning on August 6.
 Money Hungry NEWReality competitionFood, 10p
 On the Case With Paula ZahnRealityID, 10p
 Psycho Intern MOVIEDramaLifetime, 8p
 Sweet Revenge MOVIEDramaHMM, 9p
UFO MINISERIES TrailerDocumentaryShowtime 9p
All four episodes will also be available to stream at once (beginning this morning).
MON / AUGUST 9
 Cheap Old Houses NEWRealityHGTV, 9p
 Monster GarageRealityDiscovery, 10p
85Reservation Dogs NEW TrailerComedyHulu
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 NEW TrailerAnimeNetflix
 Super Heists NEWRealityCNBC, 10p
 The WallGame showNBC 10p
TUE / AUGUST 10
 Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers MOVIE TrailerComedy($) Rent/Buy
 Bleed With Me MOVIEHorrorShudder
 Chopped: Playing With FireReality competitionFood, 9p
 Dark Stories MOVIE TrailerHorror/Thriller($) Rent/Buy
DC’s Stargirl TrailerDramaCW 8p
The series moves from DC Universe to the CW for its second season.
 Eye Without a Face MOVIE TrailerHorror/Thriller($) Rent/Buy
Fantasy Island NEW TrailerDrama/AnthologyFox 9p
Roselyn Sanchez (Devious Maids) takes over the Ricardo Montalban role of Mr. Roarke (now called Elena Roarke) in a modern-day reboot of the ABC episodic anthology series that ran from 1977-84.
 The Florist MOVIEDrama($) Rent/Buy
 Gabby’s DollhouseAnimation/FamilyNetflix
 Hard Knocks: The Dallas CowboysReality/SportsHBO 10p
Materna MOVIE TrailerDrama($) Rent/Buy
 Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang SPECIALComedy specialNetflix
 The ProfitRealityCNBC, 10p
 Untold NEW TrailerDocumentary/Sports/AnthologyNetflix
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 SPECIALRealitydiscovery+
 Wild ‘N OutComedyVH1, 8p
WED / AUGUST 11
 Bake Squad NEW TrailerReality competitionNetflix
Christina Tosi hosts TV’s latest baking competition.
 The Challenge TrailerReality competitionMTV, 8p
 Cribs TrailerRealityMTV, 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 MINISERIESAnimation/FamilyDisney+
 Josh Gates TonightTalkDiscovery, 9p
The Kissing Booth 3 MOVIE TrailerRom-comNetflix
65Misha and the Wolves MOVIEDocumentaryNetflix
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 NEWRealityCNBC, 10p
 RiverdaleDramaCW 8p
 Superstar NEWRealityABC 10p
What If…? NEW TrailerAnimation/Drama/Sci-fiDIsney+
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 America Britain? What if it were Steve Rogers who donned the Iron Man suit? What if T’Challa became Star Lord? These and other alternate realities will be explored across 10 episodes, streaming weekly. Jeffrey Wright voices Uatu The Watcher, who narrates the series, while MCU regulars Michael B. Jordan, the late Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Jeff Goldblum, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Hayley Atwell, Chris Evans, Michael Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Taika Waititi, and many more will reprise their film and TV roles (at least in voice form).
THU / AUGUST 12
 AlRawabi School for Girls NEW TrailerForeign/DramaNetflix
Brooklyn Nine-Nine TrailerComedyNBC 8p
For the acclaimed comedy’s final season, new episodes will arrive two per week (Thursdays at 8 and 8:30p).
 Chrisley Knows Best TrailerRealityUSA, 9p
 Ex Rated NEW TrailerRealityPeacock
 ForbrydelsenForeign/DramaTopic
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 TrailerRealityUSA, 9:30p
 Hear Me Out NEWTalkVice, 11:30p
69Homeroom MOVIE TrailerDocumentaryHulu
 The Hunt for a Killer NEWForeign/DramaSundance Now
 The Hype NEW TrailerReality competitionHBO Max
 Lokillo: Nothing’s the Same SPECIALComedy specialNetflix
 Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild MOVIE TrailerAnimeNetflix
 The Ms. Pat Show NEW TrailerComedyBET+
 The Mysterious Death of Eazy-E MINISERIES TrailerRealityWE, 10p
 Slasher: Flesh & Blood TrailerDrama/HorrorShudder
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 TrailerAnimation/Comedy/Sci-fiParamount+
Titans TrailerDramaHBO 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 RidesRealityFYI, 10p
 Well Done With Sebastian Maniscalco NEWRealitydiscovery+
FRI / AUGUST 13
 AEW: Rampage NEW TrailerSports-ishTNT, 10p
52Beckett MOVIE TrailerDrama/ThrillerNetflix
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 MINISERIES TrailerDrama/HorrorNetflix
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 MOVIEDrama($) Rent
 Charming the Hearts of Men MOVIEDrama/Comedy($) Rent
72CODA MOVIE TrailerDramaApple 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 $25 million. (The last film to win both top Sundance awards from audiences and the festival jury? Minari, the previous year.) Director Sian Heder (Tallulah) also won an award at the fest for her crowd-pleasing remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier that stars Emilia Jones as Ruby, the sole hearing member of a deaf Gloucester fishing family. As the family business comes under threat, she explores her love of singing despite the disapproval of her mother, played by Marlee Matlin.
Crime Story MOVIE TrailerDrama/Thriller($) Rent
Curiosa MOVIE TrailerDrama($) Virtual theaters
 Descendants: The Royal Wedding SPECIALAnimation/FamilyDisney, tbd
 Disney’s Magic Bake-Off NEWReality competitionDisney, tbd
 Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time MOVIE TrailerAnimePrime Video
 Fast & Furious: Spy Racers TrailerAnimation/FamilyNetflix
 Gone for Good MINISERIES TrailerForeign/DramaNetflix
 The Kingdom NEWForeign/DramaNetflix
 Masters of IllusionRealityCW 8p
The Meaning of Hitler MOVIEDocumentary($) Rent
Modern Love TrailerDrama/AnthologyPrime 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.
32Naked Singularity MOVIE TrailerDrama/Comedy($) Rent
 Point of View: A Designer Profile NEWRealitydiscovery+ (Magnolia)
 Spin MOVIE TrailerFamily/DramaDisney, 8p
64Swan Song MOVIE TrailerComedy/Drama($) 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 TrailerForeign/Comedy/DramaNetflix

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

About L. Richelle Murry

I'm the founder of Shadowboxerinc, Creativity In All Forms. This where I share all kinds of information in the creative world of art, fashion, games, comics, literature, music, photography, digital...all art! I'm also a writer. The reason my brain is wired, too much creativity!

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