As hard as it may be for some of us to comprehend or accept, the 1990s are now far enough removed from our present — not only in time, but also in technology, pop culture and a few social mores — that the decade warrants a historical overview.
Of course, studying history can be fun, and Rewind the ’90s, Nat Geo’s new series that looks back at that era, is a good time — whether you grew up in the ’90s, were an adult who lived through them or were not even here at all yet.
Over the series’ 10 hourlong episodes (with two installments airing Mondays from July 31 through Aug. 28), celebrities, eyewitnesses and pop culture pundits relive the most memorable moments of the 1990s. Each episode is focused on a particular theme, and they are comprehensive in covering major parts of that decade. A lot of that coverage deals with popular culture like TV,
movies, music, etc., but the show also does a nice job of delving into other notable areas, like technology and the rise of cellphones and the World Wide Web, along with social changes in the decade.
Just as when you look back at your own personal past, this peek behind us at a decade from our collective history has both moments of which to be proud alongside those that are “what-were-we-thinking” cringeworthy. What falls into either category might depend upon your personal history with the array of people and things featured in the series: toys like Beanie Babies, Furbys and electronic pocket pets; movies like Harry Potter, Titanic and Clueless; TV shows like In Living Color, Ellen, Xena: Warrior Princess, The X-Files and early reality programs; music and musical artists like Tupac Shakur, Backstreet Boys, TLC, Madonna and the Macarena; and lots more.
Archer FXX (Aug. 30; final season)
Big Brother CBS (Aug. 2)
Billions Showtime (Aug. 13; final season)
Botched E! (Aug. 3)
The Challenge: USA CBS (Aug. 10)
The Chi Showtime (Aug. 6)
Great Chocolate Showdown The CW (Aug. 5)
Heartstopper Netflix (Aug. 3)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Disney+ (Aug. 9; final season)
Johnson Bounce TV (Aug. 5)
Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham Starz (Aug. 11)
My Dad the Bounty Hunter Netflix (Aug. 17)
Only Murders in the Building Hulu (Aug. 8)
Physical Apple TV+ (Aug. 2)
Reservation Dogs Hulu (Aug. 2; final season)
Secret Celebrity Renovation CBS (Aug. 4)
Sister Wives TLC (Aug. 20)
Solar Opposites Hulu (Aug. 14)
The Upshaws Netflix (Aug. 17)
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty HBO (Aug. 6)
NBC put the brakes on game show The Wheel after one season and stalled sitcom American Auto after two seasons. ... The truth hurts:
Comedy game show Would I Lie to You? is done at The CW. The network also wiped out surfing drama Barons after four episodes and fired Professionals Magnum P.I. has been canceled again. NBC airs the final episodes in 2024. ... Perry Mason is done after two seasons on HBO, and the charming comedy/
documentary series How to With John Wilson will end after its current third season. ... I Love That for You won’t return to Showtime, which also confirmed the end of Billions after Season 7. ... Comedy Central put the kibosh on Tooning Out the News and Hell of a Week With Charlamagne Tha God ... FOX Business Network dropped Kennedy from its portfolio. ... Supernatural detective series Lockwood & Co. went out of business at Netflix.
The Network’s Annual Summer Under The Stars Event Returns. By Jeff Pfeiffer
Summer Under the Stars (SUTS), Turner Classic Movies’ annual August programming favorite, returns this month, with the network again devoting each of the 31 days to films from a particular actor or actress. It begins Aug. 1 with a 14-movie salute to Lucille Ball, which is appropriate, given that this month marks the
anniversary of the legendary comic actress’ birth (Aug. 6, 1911).
Over the course of the month, eight stars will be spotlighted in SUTS celebrations for the first time. Below are this year’s SUTS first-timers, along with movies making their TCM debuts during this celebration.
Anthony Perkins (Aug. 2) Anthony Perkins is justifiably remembered for chillingly embodying murderous mama’s boy Norman Bates in the 1960 thriller Psycho, which of course will be featured during his first SUTS day. But you’ll also see his range of talent across other titles, like his second film, Friendly Persuasion (1956), for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination and the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer — Male; the 1957 biopic Fear Strikes Out, where he gives a terrific performance as troubled baseball player Jim Piersall; and more.
Stella Stevens (Aug. 3; memorial tribute) Stella Stevens’ first SUTS celebration will also serve as a tribute to the late actress, who passed away Feb. 17 at age 84 (she was born Estelle Caro Eggleston on Oct. 1, 1938). Among the 12 Stevens films featured today are the Elvis Presley-led musical comedy Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962); the romantic comedy The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963); Sam Peckinpah’s comedic Western The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970); and a couple of the campy cult classics Stevens started appearing in during the ’70s, including the “blaxploitation” titles Slaughter (1972) and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975).
Jackie Cooper (Aug. 4) John Cooper Jr., better known as Jackie Cooper, had an amazing big-screen career from his early days as a child star in the late 1920s to the late ’80s. You’ll see 15 films from roughly the first 15 years of that career as he appears during SUTS for the first time. Cooper had a notable first himself: He became, and still is, the youngest ever nominee for the Best Actor Oscar, for the comedy Skippy (1931), which is part of TCM’s lineup. You’ll also see him in The Champ (1931), Treasure Island (1934) and more.
Rhonda Fleming (Aug. 10; 100th birthday tribute) One of Hollywood’s most glamorous actresses of the 1940s and ’50s, Rhonda Fleming is getting her first SUTS celebration on the 100th anniversary of her birth (she was born Marilyn Louis on Aug. 10, 1923; she passed away Oct. 14, 2020, at age 97). In several of the 13 films featured in TCM’s lineup, you’ll see why the highly photogenic Fleming became known as the “Queen of Technicolor,” but her beauty and talent shine through in the black-and-white productions, as well. Among the highlights during this day are the film noir classic Out of the Past (1947), the musical comedy A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1949) and the historical adventure Serpent of the Nile (1953), with Fleming as Cleopatra.
The Nicholas Brothers (Aug. 9)
Katy Jurado (Aug. 16)
Geraldine Chaplin (Aug. 22)
John Carradine (Aug. 31)
Aug. 3 (Stella Stevens): Slaughter (1972; airs late-night)
Aug. 9 (The Nicholas Brothers): My Son Is Guilty (1939)
Aug. 22 (Geraldine Chaplin): Honeycomb (1969); Anna and the Wolves (1973); Stress-es tres, tres (Stress Is Three, 1968; airs late-night)
Aug. 29 (Woody Strode): Winterhawk (1975)
Aug. 31 (John Carradine): I Escaped From the Gestapo (1943)
Former hedge fund mogul Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) returns on the brainy financial drama Billions’ final season with his charming ruthless confidence intact. Having fled to Switzerland to avoid arrest by the now-former Attorney General Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) on trumped-up money laundering charges, “Bobby wants back in the game,” says Lewis (who left the show to spend time with family after his wife died of cancer in 2021). We eagerly anticipate Bobby’s two-pronged attack against the shady wannabe POTUS Michael Prince (Corey Stoll), who bought Axelrod’s huge assets way below market price, and his longtime nemesis Chuck, though he, too, is targeting Prince. Here Giamatti and Lewis talk about doing time on Billions
Damian, welcome back! Did you plan to return for the final season, or did you have to be convinced?
Lewis: Neither. I didn’t expect to come back, but I wanted to in the end. Axe has a rock ’n’ roll swagger that’s fun to play, and all my colleagues on the show are my bros.
Paul, what did you miss most about the loss of your scene partner?
Giamatti: I missed it all; the too-tight pants, the swagger. The character is iconic and unique. It was vital to have him back. Also, he’s a lovely chap and a lot of fun to act with.
Though beloved by many, Bobby has always been about money, whether it’s
acquired honestly or not. Has he evolved in any significant way?
Lewis: No, he hasn’t. Bobby found a way to make money from a major global conflict [the Ukraine/Russia war] and he’s doing business with a character you will enjoy seeing again. He’s an old-fashioned opportunist who is just out to make dough. If he’s the slightest bit likable, it’s because he enjoys the friendship of the group. But he will turn quickly to maneuver to where he needs to be.
How much does he want revenge on Prince?
Lewis: I’ll say any reentry into that story on Bobby’s part might involve friends. There’s dissatisfaction within the ranks left behind with Prince. There’s still animus with Chuck, of course. But Bobby is [Gen.] Sherman-esque in his scorched-earth approach to business and life, so he’s going to have to rebuild bridges.
Giamatti: Prince is such an interesting character. It was an attempt to create someone who did seem to try to be the good billionaire, but that seems to be a facade, which maybe makes him worse.
Is taking that guy down enough of a mutual mission for Bobby and Chuck to temporarily become allies, despite their deep distrust of each other?
Giamatti: Yeah. In reclaiming his throne [as U.S. attorney] for the Southern District, Chuck attempts to reclaim some moral compass. Maybe he’ll try to do the right thing for the right reasons. Handing the reins of power over to [Prince], a self-interested monster, is wrong and un-American. That becomes his mandate.
What role does Wendy Rhoades, Chuck’s ex-wife and Bobby’s adviser and almost lover, play in this season’s machinations?
Giamatti: She’s still maintaining this monkey-in-themiddle stance, trying to negotiate both sides, because she has her own feelings about Prince.
Lewis: If you’re a fan of Billions, there’s a long con always, and Wendy has proved herself as good a grifter as the next person, which is the overall arc for the show. I think, conclusively now, anyone who enters the sphere of the Billions world is corrupted by the money and power. That’s the message, isn’t it?
Giamatti: She may be the closest on the show to
having a moral compass, but yes, she doesn’t really survive the corrupting influences around her.
Does Chuck want to rekindle his marriage to Wendy? Does Bobby want to further the relationship he started with her?
Giamatti: Chuck still harbors feelings for her; that’s dealt with this season.
Lewis: By far, the most profound relationship is between Chuck and Wendy. For Bobby, it would be an interesting, sexy thing for them to get together, but they know who they both are.
Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon), now corunning Michael Prince Capital, tried to keep an ethical core too, no?
Lewis: Asia plays it so beautifully. It’s odd that a character who is seemingly devoid of emotional impulses and tries to rationalize in an algorithmic way is seduced by Bobby more than anyone.
Would either of you consider guesting on one of the announced Billions spinoffs?
Lewis: I would say there is absolutely no chance that I’m going to jump into the Billions universe — Trillions, Gazillions, any long-running spinoff. But if somebody came up with a fabulous 90 minutes with a really good grift or con. … If Mr. Giamatti and Mr. Lewis would reunite [as Chuck and Bobby] on the silver screen, I would love that.
Giamatti: This would not fall outside of my realm of possibility.
Billions is stuffed with extraordinarily complex financial maneuvers. Did you understand the markets when you came on the show? How about now?
Giamatti: A lot of it went over my head. Now I get the gist of it, but fortunately, I didn’t have to do a lot of the financial talk.
Lewis: Before I started the show, I couldn’t have told you what betting long or short on a stock meant. Now I know a bit more about bonds and sovereign funds and a bit more about the nefarious ways of the wealthy and powerful!
Billions returns to Showtime Sundays beginning Aug. 13
Sundays beginning Aug. 20 on MGM+ NEW SERIES!
Chivalry is not dead — at least onscreen. See the countless film and TV versions of the medieval King Arthur legend, in which good and brave knight Arthur Pendragon battles for the heart and soul of a kingdom. This 10-episode drama, based on author Bernard Cornwell’s trilogy and set in fifth century Britain, has a fresh tilt that makes the hero even more impressive: his painful origin story as an outcast.
“Arthur is trying to reconcile with childhood trauma and face the harsh realities of what it means to become a leader for [moral] good,” says star Iain De Caestecker (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). “We
first meet him living under the weight of the title of bastard son, having spent his life all but rejected by his father.”
That would be High King Uther (Eddie Marsan, Ray Donovan), who unjustly banishes Arthur.
Eventually, the wizard Merlin (Nathaniel MartelloWhite) tracks him down in Gaul, where Arthur has made a reputation for himself as a great fighter. He is convinced to return and unite Britain’s warring tribal kings against the invading Saxons. “Their army is an unparalleled threat,” says De Caestecker.
Brave as he is in battle, the gallant Arthur has a weakness — his love interest, Guinevere (Jordan Alexandra). “They’re forced to decide between their rigid codes of honor or their hearts,” the actor says. “Things quickly get out of hand.” — Kate Hahn
Monday, Aug. 21 and Tuesday, Aug. 22 on A&E NEW LIMITED SERIES!
A&E continues its exploration of adult publishing with this new four-episode limited series based on Brooklyn-born Bob Guccione’s rise and fall as the creator of the sexually explicit Penthouse magazine. Guccione first launched the magazine in the U.K. in 1965, clear competition to the well-established Playboy magazine (1953) but with a darker and racier photo/edit offering, and within four years he moved it to the United States, where he became one of the wealthiest men. His launch of the title also began a bitter battle with Hugh Hefner. At its peak, Penthouse was distributed to over 5 million subscribers a month in the 1970s. When Guccione died in 2010, he had lost his entire fortune. Now, with access inside the family and to those who knew him best, many of whom have never spoken on this subject before, this series reveals the truth about Guccione and explores the impact he had on those closest to him.
Sundays beginning Aug. 6 on HBO SEASON PREMIERE!
“My friends, the future of sport is purple and gold,” boasts Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) in HBO’s teaser trailer for Season 2 of the drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The seven-episode second season picks up after the Lakers’ 1980 NBA championship and the birth of the franchise’s “Showtime” era. A powerful rival emerges in the Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small), and the show’s season culminates in the epic 1984 NBA Finals between the two clubs. The cast also features Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Sally Field as Jessie Buss, McCabe Slye as Jimmy Buss, Jason Segel as Paul Westhead, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman and Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach.
Mondays beginning July 31 on THE CW NEW SERIES!
Starring and cowritten by Kim’s Convenience this beloved Canadian comedy about a contemporary VietnameseSouth Asian family living life to the fullest in the suburbs makes its U.S. debut with a feel-good sense of humor and an upbeat attitude. You don’t have to be Canadian or Vietnamese or even an immigrant to enjoy the show; it’s relatable because it’s about family.
But if you are an immigrant, it’s more so. “We often see immigrant families on the screen, but I want to see the generation below that, the next one. How do they raise their kids?” Phung, who plays the father, Andrew, explained about the inspiration behind the show. “I often joke that the second generation raises their kids with one foot in North America and one foot in their parents’ country.”
Phung also wanted to revitalize the idea of the suburb on television. “For so many people, the suburbs are a place you go to actually thrive. We’re pivoting the camera one house over to the family that’s always existed in your neighborhood,” Phung said. “On top of that, we wanted to make it relatable to being millennial parents. Don’t go in expecting Kim’s Convenience, because it’s a different family, but this is a spiritual continuation. It’s the slice of life, the day-to-day.”
— Zhanna SlorFridays beginning Aug. 18 on OWN NEW SERIES!
Featuring interviews with Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and many other stars, as well as former employees, this five-part docuseries tells the history of the trailblazing beauty magazine Essence and how it has informed and reflected Black culture for 50-plus years. Beginning with its turbulent start in the 1970s, which included shareholder wars and a revolving door of editors-in-chief, each onehour episode focuses on a different decade of the magazine’s existence. In addition to covering the history of the magazine, cultural icons and former Essence writers and editors discuss the biggest moments from the world at large that were covered by Essence journalists; they also cover the huge cultural shift of inclusion with shows like The Cosby Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show that Essence helped to instigate. “Women would say they had a Bible on their night table and an Essence,” quips former Essence staffer Harriette Cole on the significance of the magazine, which was the first of its kind. Candid commentary is paired with never-before-seen footage, creating a window into the world of this revolutionary cultural publication as well as a trip down memory lane.
Sundays on HISTORY
It’s not often a brand gets an epic plug like Wilson did back in 2000, when Tom Hanks befriended its volleyball (and kept the name, Wilson) and won viewers’ hearts in the blockbuster hit Cast Away The brand’s original story as a top sporting goods company, however, isn’t as well known and dates back to 1913 Chicago and meatpacking (they manufactured gut strings for tennis rackets as a means of using animal byproducts). History continues to fascinate us with two new episodes of its Mega-Brands That Built America series delving into these surprising origin stories behind some of the world’s biggest brands and their trailblazing founders. In “Whole New Ballgame” (Aug. 6) you’ll meet the pioneers behind some of America’s most beloved sports: A.G. Spalding (think basketballs), Wilson and Rawlings (think baseballs). The following week (Aug. 13) puts the spotlight on “Dirty Work,” looking at Harley Procter and James Gamble of Procter & Gamble, and King Gillette and Jacob Schick, whose bitter rivalry revolutionized the shaving business, spawning a billion-dollar industry.
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays beginning Aug. 2 on CBS SEASON PREMIERE!
Adapted from a Dutch show, the reality competition series Big Brother debuted in the U.S. on July 5, 2000, and gave voyeuristic viewers the opportunity to watch the goings-on of Houseguests as they tried to avoid eviction and claim the $500,000 prize. More than 22 million people tuned in to the premiere, but only about half that audience returned the following night. The show had a major overhaul for Season 2, with the competition elements ramped up and the episodes cut down from 70 to a more digestible 30. This summer, expect a lot of throwbacks to past seasons as Big
Saturdays beginning Aug. 5 on THE CW NEW SERIES!
This new cooking reality series will pit three professional chefs against each other as they are partnered with novices and challenged by various simulated disasters and high-pressure situations. Each week the studio will transform into a different location with a different premise, such as a desert island in monsoon season or an alien-infested Mars; competitors must create the best dishes under the worst circumstances in order to be crowned the Masters of Disaster. The series premieres with two back-to-back episodes.
Saturdays beginning Aug. 5 on BBC AMERICA NEW SERIES!
BBC America’s “Wonderstruck” nature programming block on Saturdays features this new three-part documentary series exploring the wildlife of Mashatu in Botswana, where elephants, cheetahs, leopards, jackals and baboons coexist in an unforgiving ecosystem. In the premiere, “The Drought,” the region’s four-year dry spell is at its worst, and animal species struggle to maintain the balance of cooperation and competition to survive. Then in “Flood and Foes,” the desperately needed rains finally arrive, but the relief they bring also brings danger in the form of a pride of lions looking for food. In the finale, “Growing Up,” Mashatu has become a lush and fruitful land after the rains, and animal families welcome their next generation. Danger lurks even closer, as the lions see the young as easy prey.
Thursdays beginning Aug. 24 on HISTORY SEASON PREMIERE!
Could you drop all the conveniences of modern society and learn how to live off the land and survive? Off-the-grid living is more popular than ever, and we can thank History’s favorite mountain
men and women for showing us how to master the craft. Mountain Men, starting Season 12, welcomes back fan favorites, as well as a handful of new cast members and locations. We tracked down Chris Richardson, an executive producer, former cameraman and now president of Warm Springs Productions (which shoots the series) to find out what
we can expect. First, rest assured, the 80-year-old Tom Oar is returning and continues his hunting and trapping. “He’s a true craftsman who has become a beloved mentor to a new generation of mountain men and women in Northwest Montana,” Richardson shares. Oar joins Eustace Conway, Jake Herak, brothers Kidd and Harry Youren, and a few newcomers. “Eustace takes on some new challenges traveling away from his Turtle Island homestead to complete unique projects that even he has not attempted before,” Richardson says. “Jake and his dogs chase mountain lions away from the ranches of Southwest Montana in their toughest season yet. Treeing mountain lions is wild and unpredictable, but Jake was also confronted by the heavy snow and even got stranded on the mountain for a night.”
As for the newbies, camera crews will follow Ray Livingston, an outdoor survivalist putting down roots in the mountains of Northeast Washington; Paul Antczak, who makes a living as an elite trapper of predators who is looking to further his remote life by buying a plot of land in Northwest Montana (enter Tom Oar!); and Aron Toland and his wife, Jen, a Canadian couple living on a remote off-grid homestead hundreds of miles from civilization on a lake in British Columbia.
“This winter much of the western U.S. and Canada received record snowfall, which proved to be a daunting challenge for all,” Richardson says. “Everyone’s skills and grit were put to the test.”
— Barb Oates
Get some relief from the summer heat bingeing on some seasonal favorites on HGTV and Food Network. Enjoy plenty of helpful hints on renovating your home and daily meal schedule with shows like Fixer to Fabulous, Windy City Rehab, Nate & Jeremiah: Save My House, BBQ Brawl, Chopped and The Great Food Truck Race. Stream TV shows online or on your mobile device with TV Everywhere from Midco — included free with your TV package — anywhere there’s an internet connection!
Not all networks are available in all areas, and networks are subject to change. The number of available TV Everywhere networks depends on your TV package.
(Action) Peter Quill rallies the remaining team in an attempt to save the universe. Will this quest be their last ride, or is it just the latest adventure for the Guardians of the Galaxy? Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista (PG-13, 2:30) Available Aug. 31
(Comedy) Sebastian has decided to propose at an upscale getaway. He chooses to bring along his immigrant father. Two cultures will collide as a lack of decorum and a working-class mentality meet proper etiquette and everything-in-its-place in-laws to be. Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb (PG-13, 1:30) Available Aug. 1
(Action) This journey takes place in 1994 as Optimus is in search of a missing key that can help the Autobots return home, but with the fate of the world on the line, will Optimus see the value of the human race? Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez (PG-13, 2:07) Available Aug. 1
(Horror) A knocking sound within the walls of his house drives 8-year-old Peter to investigate. As he uncovers more about what lies there, he also realizes there is a dark secret that his parents kept hidden from him. Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, Woody Norman (NR, 1:28) Available Aug. 11
(Thriller) A police detective who struggles with a diagnosis that leaves him shattered turns to an informant of his to do a favor. Asked the unthinkable, will the man carry out the officer’s wishes, and will he succeed? Dominic Purcell, Kate Bosworth, Mel Gibson (R, 1:28) Available Aug. 15
(Action) An intelligence operative and his translator are exposed as part of a covert mission. The pair flee to a possible extraction point at a base in Kandahar while trying to survive the forces that look to eliminate them. Gerard Butler, Navid Negahban, Ali Fazal (R, 1:59) Available Aug. 15
(Comedy) Seven Black friends get together for a reunion at a cabin in the woods, but they have no idea the game the group is about to play. Will their knowledge of horror films and the inevitable bad decisions those characters make help them to survive?
Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg (R, 1:36) Available Aug. 22
Simply
(Comedy) After an author finds out her husband doesn’t like her latest book, she wonders how many other things he may have lied about. Now, because of hurt feelings, life just got more complicated. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins (R, 1:33)
Available Aug. 22
(Comedy) Maddie responds to a classified ad to secure a new vehicle. All she has to do is “date” the son of two wealthy parents. It’s a secret arrangement, but the task of keeping it quiet and feelings removed may prove harder than expected. Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Natalie Morales (R, 1:43) Available Aug. 29
(Action) Barry Allen uses his superpowers to attempt to save his family and alters the past, creating a world without superheroes. Now he must race for his life to save what remains of the future. Worlds will collide in this latest entry in the DC Universe. Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle (PG-13, 2:24) Available Aug. 29
You’ll be asked to enter your account number, name, email address, phone number and titles and dates of movie rentals. Enter promo code: BOGOAUG23
Two estranged sisters have their reunion cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons. They are thrust into a battle for survival against a twisted version of family. Alyssa Sutherland, Lily Sullivan, Morgan Davies (R)
Premieres on HBO Aug. 3
The peaceful lands of Pandora are about to be disrupted as a familiar threat returns. Together with a variety of friends, Jake Sully races to protect his new home. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver (PG-13)
Premieres on HBO Aug. 5
The seven-episode second season of the drama picks up after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1980 NBA championship and the birth of the franchise’s “Showtime” era. John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Adrien Brody (TV-MA)
Premieres on HBO Aug. 6
HBO’s Hard Knocks documentary series returns for a five-episode 18th season, this time following the New York Jets’ training camp in Florham Park, New Jersey. (TV-MA)
Premieres on HBO Aug. 8
Max is free with your HBO subscription. Get unlimited access wherever you are. Watch now at max.com or access Max on MidcoTV or another streaming device.
The drama returns for a 16-episode Season 6 with “New Chi City,” in which Emmett’s new venture yields big results, and Kiesha and Jake chart new career paths. Jacob Latimore, Birgundi Baker, Michael V. Epps (TV-MA)
Premieres on Showtime Aug. 6
Director Sacha Jenkins weaves together a collage of dynamic celebrity interviews, rare archival footage, reenactments with puppets and playful animation to share the personal and professional story of hip-hop icon Biz Markie. (TV-MA) Premieres on Showtime Aug. 11
The seventh and final season of the drama begins with “Tower of London,” in which Prince’s political ambitions come with a surprising twist and his intentions are met with skepticism. Paul Giamatti, Corey Stoll, Maggie Siff (TV-MA)
Premieres on Showtime Aug. 13
Brendan Fraser won an Oscar for his portrayal of a severely overweight English teacher named Charlie who longs to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. Also stars Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins (R)
Premieres on Showtime Aug. 19
When you subscribe to Showtime, you get instant access to their new & past episodes, movies, sports & more!
Melinda has been a faithful wife who is tired of standing by her husband. When it becomes evident that she has been betrayed, she is enraged, and revenge is only the beginning.
Taraji P. Henson, Lyriq Bent, Crystle Stewart (R)
Premieres on Starz Aug. 6
After finding out about her fiancé’s cheating ways, a pop superstar impulsively marries a total stranger. Can they find true love, or will forces conspire to separate the unlikely newlyweds?
Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma (PG-13)
Premieres on Starz Aug. 10
The first half of Season 7 concludes with “Turning Points,” in which Jamie fights in the pivotal Second Battle of Saratoga. The second half of the season is expected in 2024. Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton (TV-MA)
Premieres on Starz Aug. 11
Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish take viewers along to discover the rich, complex heritage of New Zealand, meeting local artisans and experts, and experiencing genuine moments of awe and fascination. (TV-MA)
Premieres on Starz Aug. 11
When you subscribe to Starz, you get instant access to their new & past episodes, movies, sports & more!
Megan Walsh may look like your average teenage girl, but she is a special ops agent on a mission. She decides to fake her death and try a normal life, but one wrong move could put her back into the spy game. Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Alba, Samuel L. Jackson (PG-13)
Premieres on Cinemax Aug. 1
Trying to do things the right way, Abel Morales works to establish himself in the heating oil business. With a wife whose father was connected to a mob family, can he stay clean amid the violence? Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Albert Brooks (R)
Premieres on Cinemax Aug. 2
An amateur sleuth steals a machine that can extract, record and play the memories of another person. He uses the device to try and solve the mysterious death of the man who invented it. Peter Dinklage, Julia Ormond, Martin Donovan (PG-13)
Premieres on Cinemax Aug. 3
A young programmer at a tech company is chosen to evaluate the capabilities and consciousness of a beautiful and sophisticated robot. Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac (R) Premieres on Cinemax Aug. 5
When you subscribe to Cinemax, you get instant access to their new and past episodes, movies & more!
Tuesdays Beginning Aug. 1
The series pulls back the curtain on epic tales from the wide (and wild) world of sports. This season’s installments are “Jake Paul the Problem Child” (Aug. 1), a deep dive into boxer Jake Paul, who morphed from an internet sensation into the most polarizing man in sports; “Johnny Football” (Aug. 8), about how NFL bust Johnny Manziel has gone on to find inner peace with a quieter life; “Hall of Shame” (Aug. 15), a look at Victor Conte, whose name has become infamously linked to the biggest doping scandal ever to rock the sports community; and “Swamp Kings” (Aug. 22), which explores the extraordinary story of the Florida Gators from 2005-10.
Series
Available Aug. 3
This sweet U.K. romantic dramedy based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels set hearts aflutter last year, and it wasn’t only younger viewers drawn in by the blossoming love between sensitive Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and cautiously closeted Nick Nelson (Kit Connor). The swoon-worthy tale continues as Season 2 picks up the day after last year’s finale, in which Nick came out to his understanding mother, Sarah (Olivia Colman), and officially coupled with Charlie. Now, Nick wrestles with how much to share with his class and rugby mates.
— Jim Halterman
Available Aug. 11
In this adrenalized thriller, Gal Gadot leads the action as Rachel Stone, an elite agent working for a secret international group that employs a massive quantum computer known as “The Heart” to detect and avert potential threats to mankind. “It can hack into anything anywhere,” explains director Tom Harper, adding that the stunt-packed, globe-trotting tale ultimately examines “how we retain our humanity in a world where technology is becoming ever more powerful.” It helps to have the film revolve around Gadot, whose character sees her world — and relationship with a colleague played by Jamie Dornan (Belfast) — turned upside down after a mission goes tragically awry. — Damian Holbrook
Available Aug. 25
Adam Sandler produced and stars in this comedy that follows the tumultuous and relatable friendship between two BFFs — Stacy Friedman (played by Sandler’s real-life daughter, Sunny) and Lydia Rodriguez Katz (Samantha Lorraine) — who are preparing for the most important day (and party!) in a young Jewish girl’s life: her bat mitzvah. But Stacy and Lydia find their friendship in jeopardy thanks to some very cringey middle school mishaps and a popular boy. Sandler, portraying goofy patriarch Danny, didn’t have to look far when casting: He brought his entire household. In addition to Sunny, the film costars his daughter Sadie as Stacy’s older sister Ronnie, and his wife, Jackie, as Stacy’s friend’s mom, Gabi. — Emily Aslanian
Available Aug. 10
OxyContin was promoted as a nonaddictive pill that would end pain; instead, it brought agony. This six-episode limited series (covering similar ground as Hulu’s Dopesick) dramatizes how the powerful prescription opioid, manufactured by drug company Purdue Pharma, led to a massive rise in addiction and deaths. The series is populated by real and composite players, with a cast including Matthew Broderick as Richard Sackler, head of the family that owns Purdue, and Taylor Kitsch as a character standing in for the millions who became hooked on opioids. — Ileane Rudolph
Available Aug. 31
Based on Japan’s highest-selling manga comic book series in history, this live-action series is a high-seas adventure unlike any other. Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) is a youngster who has longed for a life of freedom for as long as he can remember. He sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find a legendary fabled treasure, known as One Piece, to become King of the Pirates. But to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he has always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast seas and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.
Customize Your TiVo To Your Needs.
The TiVo Experience from Midco does more than just record. You can access all your favorite shows and movies on TV, ON Demand or on a streaming app, all from one place. The Home screen is the starting point for just about everything you do with your TiVo box, and it can be tailored specifically to your individual needs.
The Home screen menu items take you to commonly used screens in the TiVo Experience. Use the left and right arrow buttons on your remote control to move between menu items and press Select to choose one. Use Back to go back to the previous screen.
■ My Shows takes you straight to your recorded and streaming videos, all ready to watch instantly, no matter if they’re TV recordings, ON Demand shows, or streaming from apps like Netflix or Hulu.
■ What to Watch lets you browse what shows are available.
■ Search by title, keyword or actor name.
■ Apps gives you access to your favorite streaming and music apps directly.
■ The Menu icon, the three horizontal lines to the left of “My Shows,” takes you to the Manage, Settings and Help menus. This is the place for managing your recordings and OnePass searches, as well as controlling your settings.
You can easily add up to four of your own shortcuts to the list as well — for example, having quick access to streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu. Here’s how:
1. While on the Home screen, press the A button on your remote control.
2. On the right, you’ll see shortcut numbers for your Menu. Highlight the app you want to add to the Menu, and press an available number on your remote.
3. The new shortcut will appear on the Home screen.
Buy
• Watch one movie one day, the other the next day or week, or make it a doubleheader.
• Order a movie in August for $6.99 or less and get your second in the same month (at the same or lower price) for FREE!*
To redeem, simply click below or log on to: Midco.com/Promo
You’ll be asked to enter your account number, name, email address, phone number and titles and dates of movie rentals. Enter promo code: BOGOAUG23
