(Here are the five TV best-bets for Saturday, July 26, sent a bit early; feel free to use in any form — all or some, print and/or web)
1) “Shark Week” finale, Discovery. We’ve survived another summertime blitz of shark shows. This final day has lots of reruns, plus new hours with ominous titles: At 8 p.m. is “Attack of the Devil Shark”; at 9, “Battle for Shark Mountain” views in-fighting in a shark stronghold. Read more…
1) “Resident Alien,” 10 p.m., USA and Syfy. Things are unfolding quickly. Last week, Harry finally got his alien persona (shown here in a previous episode) back … just as the mayor and his wife arrived; they hadn’t known that the town doctor is also is a 12-foot-tall alien. We also learned that the Mantid has assumed the body of an FBI agent. Now Harry enlists an unlikely ally, trying to save the town. Read more…
1) “Revival,” 10 p.m., Syfy. At first, this juggled humor and horror; now it gets deeper and darker. One night in Wausau, Wis.; some of the dead revived. Most are benign, but people are freaked out. Now we see the sheriff’s daughters — one dead/revived, the other (a deputy, shown here) at the brink. There are surprises, plus strong moments for the sheriff (David James Elliott). Read more…
1) “Match Game” debut, 9 p.m., ABC. Since 1962, this game has sprawled across three networks and beyond. Gene Rayburn was the first host; Alec Baldwin (2016-21) the most recent. Now it’s Martin Short. Panelists include Selena Gomez (his “Only Murders in the Building” colleague) and Cara Delevingne (who played her friend in the second season). They’re shown here, upper left. Read more…
1) “Daredevil: Born Again,” 8-11 p.m., FX. Created by Stan Lee 61 years ago, this blind crimefighter still thrives. Ben Affleck played him in a 2003 movie; then Charlie Cox (shown her) took over. Cox starred in a Netflix series for three seasons and was briefly in a movie, a mini-series and three TV series. Then came this nine-hour series on Disney+; it now reaches FX. Read more…
1) “Lego Masters,” 8 p.m., Fox. We’re down to the final four duos in this fun competition. There are brothers … and a brother-sister … and two wedding DJ’s … and two school guys, a coach and a band director. Inan impressive hour, they make Lego creations (shown here) that can nudge a ball across a table. That leads into next week’s finale … and, for four Mondays after that, a junior edition. Read more…
1) “Patience” season-finale, 8 p.m., PBS. Over five episodes, Patience Evans (shown here) has transformed. Young and autistic, she burrowed in the police records section, rarely talking. Nurtured by Detective Inspector Bea Metcalf, she’s become a skilled crimesolver. Now Metcalf is barred from a case; the result is smartly written and perfectly played. Read more…
1) WNBA All-Star Game, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC, pre-game at 8. For Indiana, already basketball-obsessed, this is big. It’s hosting the game for the first time and its star, Caitlin Clark (shown here), is the top vote-getter and a captain. Last year, as a rookie, she led the league in 3-pointers and assists. She’s missed half this year’s games with injuries, but is back now. Read more…
1) “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (2025), 8-10:27 p.m., HBO, rerunning at 11:30. It’s been a big career for Joel (shown here), with 160 million records sold, from the basic “Uptown Girl” to the complex “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” And a big life, with four marriages and lots of Madison Square Garden” sell-outs. Susan Lacy, the “American Masters” founder, co-directed this film. Read more…
1) “Transplant” series-finale, 8 p.m., NBC. Over four strong seasons, we’ve seen Bash’s life transform. A surgeon for Syrian rebels, he moved to Toronto, finding work, friends and a lover (who recently died). Now there’s a gas leak at the hospital, alongside turning points for Theo and Bash (they’re shown here) and virtually everyone. As usual, it’s all done with subtlety and skill. Read more…
