The Media Tourist

What to watch, and more, July 4 – 11

‘Jaws’ at 50, a lotta fireworks & families go back to the 1800s!

Learn all about the movie that created the concept of summer blockbusters back in ’75.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, July 4
A Capitol Fourth
Celebrate our nation’s 249^th birthday with this annual tradition, live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, with fireworks along the Potomac and musical performances from multiple genres of music (8 p.m., PBS).

Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks
In addition to a lot of kaboomy razzle-dazzle up in the sky, there’ll also be ground-level performances from Eric Church, the Jonas Brothers, Lenny Kravitz, Keke Palmer and Trisha Yearwood (8 p.m., NBC). 

SATURDAY, July 5
The Summer Hikaru Died
Anime thriller based on an award-winning manga novel about a young man in a rural Japanese village who discovers his best friend has been “replaced” with a replicant (Netflix).

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Show
All this month, you can watch material from the groundbreaking talk show, spanning the 1960s into the early ’90s, with 50 episodes (never before seen after their original airings) featuring classic Carson bits, sketches, guests and musical acts. It’s a time capsule of retro TV, when Johnny ruled late night (MeTV).

SUNDAY, July 6
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Yep, that Wild Kingdom, the great-grandaddy of wildlife TV series hosted by Marlin Perkins for more than two decades beginning in 1963, returns in reruns (7 a.m., MeTV).

The Princess Bride
Always worth a rewatch, this 1987 classic from director Rob Reiner has an all-star cast (Billy Crystal! Robin Wright! Chris Sarandon! Andre the Giant!) in a whimsical, swashbuckling bedtime-story tale of a princess, a giant and “true love” (9:03 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, July 7
Such Brave Girls
A young woman, her sister and their mother flee their cramped, crumbling home for a shot at love and adoration in this six-episode comedy series. With Kate Sadler, Lizzie Davidson and Louise Brealey (Hulu).

Bachelor in Paradise
Returning cast members from across the franchise hit the beach in Costa Rica for season 10 or the hit reality-show matchmaking competition (8 p.m., ABC).

TUESDAY, July 8
Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty
How the greatest works of art in western civilization sprung from one of the most turbulent periods in history (9 p.m., PBS).

Born to be Viral: The Real Lives of Kid Influencers
Six-episode docuseries follows the first generation of kids to be raised in the media spotlight, with their lives streamed to millions—and some of them becoming millionaires in the process (Hulu)

WEDNESDAY, July 9
South Park
The acclaimed animated grownup comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (above) begins season 27 tonight. So they must be doing something right, right? (Comedy Central).

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The gang of chronic underachievers stoops even lower in season 17 in their cravings for money and societal privileges. With Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Katilin Olson and Danny Devito (FXX and Hulu).

THURSDAY, July 10
Brick
A couple becomes trapped in their apartment behind an impenetrable, futuristic wall that has materialized overnight, enclosing their entire building. Can everyone band together to find a way out, solve the mystery, and survive? (Netflix). 

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Go inside the making and behind-the-scenes shark drama of the movie that launched the era of summer blockbusters back in ’75—and made just about everyone afraid of going in the water (National Geographic).

Back to the Frontier
Chip and Joanna Gaines challenge three families in this new adventure/reality series to reimagine their lives as 1880s homesteaders, forgoing present-day comforts for old-fashioned life on the frontier (Magnolia Network and Max).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Everyone’s a photographer now, with cameras built into phones. But decades ago, when photography was a marvelous new thing, there were all sorts of innovations and experimentation to be found—and all sorts of new “high tech” trickery even danger. Anika Burgess’ fascinating Flashes of Brilliance (W.W. Norton) examines the long arc of photographic advancement, from early cameras attached to ballons, to X-rays, photography deep under the sea, on the moon and deep into the cosmos. It’s an engrossing combination of science, history, art and wild eccentricities about the human desire to document our existence in our world, and beyond.

Find out what it’s really like—and I mean really, really like—to be a stand-up comedian in Doing Time (Jawbone Press), author JT Habersaat’s refreshingly candid and gloriously uncensored look at the artistry and hard work that go into making people laugh. With reflections and recollections, and more than a few hard-earned battle scars, from Patton Oswalt, Bobcat Goldthwait, The Kids in the Hall, Dana Gould and dozens of others who share their anecdotes and stories.

Remember the promotional-tie-in toys you used to get with food at McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and other fast-food places? Author Jonathan Alexandrotos for sure does, in Free With Every Kids Meal (McFarland), he digs deep to examine the past and present, the cultural impact, and the full-throttle fun of all sorts of “happy meals.”

BRING IT HOME

Vampires attack the South in Sinners (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), a tale of two brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return home after World War II only to face an even greater (and graver) threat than the Klan. Hailee Steinfeld also stars in this horror show gloriously a-swirl with undertones about music, culture, history and race. Loaded with extras and bonus features, including making-of docs, interviews and a closer look at the movie soundtrack.

NOW HEAR THIS

Get deep into the retro grooves of The Legends of Surf Guitar, recorded live in California, with musicians from the ‘70s and ‘80s surf-music revival recreating such classics as “Wipe Out,” “Pipeline,” the Peter Gunn theme and “Baby Elephant Walk.” And some special guest stars take the stage, too!  Surf’s up! (Oglio Records).