Summer once marked a time when good TV shows become sparse and hit-or-miss reality TV and reruns filled time slots in their absence. Just when you thought it was safe to put the DVR to rest and head outside for some healthy outdoor activity, I've rounded up a list of diamonds in the rough along with some streaming gems and a few Fourth of July specials. Besides, it’s hot and humid outside and hurricane season is on the horizon. Handpicked and curated by a team of exactly one, here are the top TV premieres and events to help keep you inside all week long.
Michael K. Williams gets the dirty on what causes people to do illegal things.
Courtesy of VICELAND
Monday
Idris Elba: No Limits The chocolate god we all know as Idris Elba prepares his already ripped body for various extreme motor sports from power boating to street racing and competes in renowned races from Florida to the British Isles in a four-part mini-series that highlights the discipline of racing, the engineering and history behind motor sports and the fact that Idris Elba should be named James Bond already. Series premieres 7 p.m. on Discovery Channel.
Macy's Fourth of July fireworks from 2015.
Craig Blankenhorn/NBC
Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular Fireworks positioned throughout Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge are set to light up the New York City skyline in a 25-minute choreographed display featuring over 56,000 pyrotechnic shells. Live musical performances include Kenny Chesney, 5 Seconds of Summer, Meghan Trainor, the Radio City Rockettes and more. Airs 8 p.m. on NBC.
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular Hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Nancy O’Dell, a two-hour celebration will be broadcast live from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston with live performances from Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Little Big Town and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. Airs 9 p.m. on CBS.
Michael K. Williams gets the dirty on what causes people to do illegal things.
Courtesy of VICELAND
Tuesday
Black Market Michael K. Williams (Omar Little from The Wire and Chalky White from Boardwalk Empire) chills with criminals around the world from carjackers in New Jersey to heroin-addicted shoplifters in London to get the lowdown on what drives people to do the things they do. Series airs 10 p.m. on Viceland.
Wednesday
Duck Dynasty Either you like the idea of Keeping Up With the Kardashians for rednecks or if, like me, are still trying to figure out why this show is so popular. Season ten premieres 9 p.m. on A&E.
American Tarzan The new survival competition series sends seven contestants to a remote Caribbean island where they must traverse jungle, coast, mountains and canyons while living completely off the land. Watch as they forage for food, evade predators, swing on vines and essentially out-caveman one another for bragging rights and the title of American Tarzan. Premieres 10 p.m. on Discovery Channel.
Vice Does America road trips across the country on cultural exploration of our nation 'tis of thee.
Courtesy of VICELAND
Vice Does America Three Vice staffers road trip across the country to meet different types of Americans, learn about them and do what they do in an attempt to explore and appreciate the cultural diversity in various regions of our nation. Series premieres 10 p.m. on Viceland.
Cleverman Season one finale of the Australian fantasy drama series starring Game of Thrones’ Iain Glen and set in the near-future about an ancient Aboriginal superhuman creatures (called the Hairypeople) who are forced to live as a second-class species alongside humans. Airs 10 p.m. on SundanceTV.
Friday
Million Dollar Matchmaker Catch the former Millionaire Matchmaker star Patti Stanger berating the shit out of super successful millionaires leading socially awkward and underdeveloped romantic lives. Series premieres 10 p.m. on WE.
Saturday
Hello World! Famous musicians including Steven Tyler, Elie Goulding, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Dave Matthews and Joan Jett narrate wildlife programs set to their own soundtracks. Premieres 8 p.m. on Discovery.
After a two year hiatus and a felony prison sentence, Teresa and the Jersey crew are back.
Tommy Garcia/Bravo
Sunday
Real Housewives of New Jersey After a long, criminally-charged prison sentence, ex-fraud convict Teresa Giudice is back along with Melissa Gorga,veteran Jersey friend Jacqueline Laurita, and the fresh meat of two new housewives in an all new season. Watch as they perpetuate Italian-American stereotypes, slaughter the English language, and desperately try to get their points across with violent spurts of Jersey gibberish. Season seven premieres 8 p.m. on Bravo.
The Night Of Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) stars as Naz, a Pakistani-American college student who decides to steal his father’s taxi to go a party in Manhattan. What begins as an opportune night slowly turns into a mysterious murder case in which he is the primary suspect. As he naively consents to interrogation requests and police requests, Naz slips further down a rabbit hole into the complex social and political intricacies of New York City's criminal justice system. The storyline unfolds slowly like a dense noir crime thriller, but stunning cinematography and hypnotic visuals make the series look well worth the wait. John Turturro co-stars. Series premieres 9 p.m. on HBO.
Ying Lo has no shame. She eats, sleeps, and shits television all day long. Check out her blog or find her flunking social media @yinglo. Let her tell you how best to binge watch every Monday.
