1) Basketball, 9 p.m. ET, ABC, with previews at 8 and 8:30. A couple more points one way and this would be over; Toronto, which had never been in the finals before, would be celebrating its championship. But Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors slipped past the Raptors on Monday, 106-105. Now the series moves to San Francisco; if the Warriors win tonight, things will be back to Toronto for the final game. Read more…
1) “Queen Sugar” season opener, 9 p.m.; and Central Park Five interview, 10, Oprah Winfrey Network. It’s a huge night for Winfrey and Ava DuVernay. They produce “Queen Sugar,” the intense drama (shown here) about a Louisiana family; this season, Nova’s book brings ripples of rage. They also produced (and DuVernay directed and co-wrote) “When They See Us,” the Netflix mini-series about the five black youths incorrectly convicted of rape. Now Winfrey interviews them, in a special that Netflix will simulcast. Read more…
1) “Pose” season-opener, 10 p.m., FX. The first season was set in 1987, with New York’s “ball culture” in its own bubble of flash and sass. But now we jump to 1990, with powerful forces building: There’s the devastation caused by AIDS … the rage of the Act Now protests (shown here) … and the pop-culture impact of Madonna’s “Vogue.” Bianca is convinced the song will bring success to the ball world. Bursting with optimism, she nudges Angel. It’s a passionate episode, beautifully directed and played. Read more…
1) “So You Think You Can Dance,” 9 p.m., Fox. For 15 years, this has been one of TV’s best summer shows. It’s had gifted dancers, brilliant choreographers and earnest judges; it also sometimes doesn’t get the push it deserves. This year, Fox scheduled the debut (shown here) for tonight … then made a late decision to move it a week earlier. Tonight, we’ll settle for the second part of the Los Angeles auditions. Read more…
1) Tony Awards, 8-11 p.m., CBS. James Corden is back for his second time as host. His first, three years ago, had some great moments – Corden’s dazzling opening number (shown here), his clever monolog and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s passionate sonnet. This time, “Hadestown” leads with 14 nominations, two shy of the “Hamilton” record. It will do a number, as will the other best-musical nominees — “Tootsie,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Prom,” “Ain’t Too Proud” and the revivals of “Oklahoma” and “Kiss Me Kate.” There will also be numbers from “Choir Boy” and “The Cher Show,” plus a song by past winner Cynthia Erivo. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m, NBC. There was a long gap – 23 years long – between when Adam Sandler was fired by “SNL” and when he returned to host. Still, the wait was worth it; an OK show, rerunning tonight, was elevated each time Sandler sang. There was his opener, about being fired … and his hilarious “Weekend Update” bit as Opera Man. And, most of all, his musical tribute (shown here) to his late friend, Chris Farley. Both funny and moving, it was one of the TV season’s finest moments. Read more…
1) “The Big Stage” debut, 9 and 9:30 p.m., CW. Imagine “America’s Got Talent” without judges or singers. Each half-hour has a blitz of five odd, high-energy acts. Most are skilled (it’s not easy to juggle umbrellas); some are entertaining. The opening dancers are frantic and pointless, but a later dance duo is first-rate. Some acts are so-so, the hosts are awful (even by lame-host standards) … but the final act is terrific. That happens to be Terry Fator, the second “AGT” champ. Read more…
1) “The Longest Day” (1962), 8-11 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies; and “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), 7-11 p.m., AMC. On the 75th anniversary of D-Day, here are esteemed films, a generation apart. Both won Oscars for cinematography (black-and-white, for “Longest Day”) and were nominated for best picture. “Longest Day” required three directors and endless stars, from John Wayne to Richard Burton; “Private Ryan” (shown here) had Tom Hanks and the brilliant, Oscar-winning direction of Steven Spielberg. Read more…
1) CMT Music Awards, 8 p.m., CMT, rerunning at 10:30. The show will have the most performances in its history, CMT insists. And these are A-list stars — Carrie Underwood (shown here), Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini and more. Two of this year’s nominations leaders, Maren Morris and the Zac Brown Band, will perform; so will the hosts, Little Big Town, plus Thomas Rhett, Tanya Tucker, Toby Keith, Cole Swindell and Kane Brown. For crossover, there’s Boyz II Men, Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile and Trombone Shorty. Read more…
1) “MasterChef Junior” finale, 8-10 p.m., Fox. This began with 24 home chefs – all talented and all ages 8-13. Now we have the final three, each 11. Che Spiotta is from Boiceville, NY,, in the Catskills … Malia Brauer is from Santa Clarita, Cal. … Ivy Angst (shown here with Gordon Ramsay) is from Atlanta and especially interesting: Going by Little Chef Ivy, she’s 3-foot-6, with a form of dwarfism that causes short limbs. She masters the kitchen, with the help of a stool; now she has a shot at a $100,000 prize. Read more…
