1) “Patience,” 8 p.m., PBS. Autistic actors have key roles here. That includes the superb Ella Maisy Purvis as Patience Evans; Connor Curren (shown here) as Billy, the leader of her autism support group; and everyone in the group. Now the focus moves to Billy, when his brother is reported as dead. It’s a thick, clever hour, with great work from Curren, Purvis and others. Read more…
1) “Transplant” series-finale, 8 p.m. Thursday, NBC. It’s a deeply emotional ending for an excellent series. A surgeon for Syrian rebels, Bash (shown here) moved to Toronto, finding work, friends and a lover (who recently died). Now there’s a new crisis (a gas leak at the hospital), alongside turning points for virtually everyone. It’s all done with subtlety and skill. Read more…
Two long-running TV shows are preparing their final seasons.
Netflix’s “Queer Eye” has just started production on its 10th and final year. PBS’ “Grantchester” (shown here) has announced that the 11th, next year, will be its last.
Details include: Read more…
1) Movies. This is a night of terrific films and A-list stars. At 8 p.m., it’s Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” (shown here, 1986) on CMT, Harrison Ford in “The Fugitive” (1993) on BBC America and George Clooney and friends in “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) on TBS. And E has star-stuffed films — “Goodfellas” at 1 and 7:30 p.m., “The Departed” at 4 and 10:30. Read more…
1) “The ’90s Boy Band Boom,” 8-10 pm., CW. As the ’90s began, A.J. McLean said, pop music was ignored. “It was grunge or rap.” His group (Backstreet Boys, shown here) sputtered in the U.S., but soared in Europe; it has sold130 million records. Amid attacks — one rocker called them “the spawn of Satan”– boy bands thrived, as this lively film shows Read more…
1) “Big Brother” opener, 8-9:30 p.m., CBS. This 27th season starts with an expanded episode to introduce the housemates and usher them into their re-designed home (shown here). After that, it has an hour on Thursdays and Sundays, 90 minutes on Wednesdays … and (starting July 25) an hour-long “Big Brother Unlocked” on alternate Fridays. Read more…
Don’t you hate it when kids want to play with toys while adults are still using them?
Now they’re even taking over the Legos. “Lego Masters Jr.” will have a four-Monday, end-of-summer run.
“Lego Masters” (shown here in its episode tonight, July 7) is at 8 p.m. Mondays on Fox and also has Christmastime tournaments. When its current season ends, the new show will take over the spot for four weeks. Read more…
1) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” season-opener, 9 p.m., FX and FXX. Last season, the “Sunny” people (shown here) did an “Abbott Elementary” episode, “helping” at the school. Now the “Abbott” people offer extra footage of what happened that day. It’s hilarious… and R-rated. Janine, the gentle grade-school teacher, even manages a harsh word. Read more…
For years, Melissa Johns was in the “Grantchester” background, unnoticed and underused. We all know the feeling.
Still, she says, she felt OK. After all, she got the job during the pandemic.
“I actually assumed that it (show business) was over and most of us would never work again and there wouldn’t be an industry,” Johns said by Zoom.
Now her patience is rewarded. Over the next two Sundays (9 p.m. July 13 and 20, on PBS), there are great moments for Johns and for Brad Hall (both shown here). Read more…
1) “The 1% Club,” 8 p.m., Fox. After a one-week break, “Club” (shown here) — slick and smart — is back. The questions are clever and the contestants are quirky, including Lego and roller-coaster buffs and all four guys from the first “Farmer Wants a Wife.” Joel McHale toys with them verbally. Read more…
