What to Watch, and more! Aug. 15 – 21
John Cena kicks bad-guy butt, Sheryl Crow stands up to cancer & virgins compete for some lovin’!
FRIDAY, Aug. 15
The Rainmaker
Two friends at different law firms and find themselves on opposite sides of a weighty case in this new legal series starring Milo Callaghan, Lana Parrilla and John Slattery (8 p.m., USA Network).
Stand Up to Cancer Special
Sheryl Crow hosts this all-star benefit concert from Nashville, with appearances from Dolly Parton, Jelly Roll, Jonas Brothers and many other stars, some in pretaped segments (7 p.m., ABC, NBC and CBS).
SATURDAY, Aug. 16
I’ll Never Let You Go
Inspired by real stories, this torrid tale stars Meagan Good as a successful art gallery owner whose life takes a dark turn after an affair with a charismatic Italian artist (8 p.m., Lifetime).
The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Summer
Celeb bakers including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, June Diane Raphel and Andrew Rannells are about for this single-episode special of the popular food competition held under a big tent (Roku Channel).
SUNDAY, Aug. 17
Women Wearing Shoulder Pads
Quirky new stop-motion quarter-hour Spanish-language comedy series (with English subtitles) about a wealthy Spanish woman navigating life, business and love—and fighting guinea pigs in a bullfighting ring. OK! (Adult Swim).
Sister Act
Whoopi Goldberg stars in this 1992 comedy as a nightclub singer taking refuge from the mob in a church—and transforming the singers into a soulful chorus. With Harvey Keitel and Kathy Najimy (8:30 p.m., ABC).
MONDAY, Aug. 18
Lego Masters Jr.
Kelly Osborne hosts this spinoff featuring kid builders paired with celebs for challenging building-block projects (8 p.m., Fox).
Are You My First?
Former NFL player Colton Underwood and former Bachelor contestant Kaitlyn Bristowe host this new reality-dating experiment with a group of—ahem—virgins, brought to a tropical paradise to explore…in every way (Hulu).
TUESDAY, Aug. 19
Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson
The Grammy-winning pop singer, daytime TV host and American Idol winner spreads the musical goodness around with this four-part primetime special featuring the Jonas Brothers, Teddy Swims and Lizzo (10 p.m. NBC).
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
Grace Van Patten (above) stars in this based-on-a-true-story episodic saga of Knox, wrongly convicted for the tragic murder of her roommate, and her 16-year struggle to set herself free (Hulu).
Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe
Joe Manganiello hosts this one-hour special exploring the new Universal theme park in Orlando, with five immersive “worlds” built around movies including the Harry Potter franchise, Super Nintendo and How to Train Your Dragon. Guest appearances by Bowen Yang, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vin Diesel and more (9 p.m., NBC).
THURSDAY, Aug. 21
Churchy
Season two of the workplace comedy stars Kevin Fredericks as a pastor who, after being passed over for leadership at his father’s mega-church, moves to Lubbock, Texas, to build his own ministry from the ground up (BET+).
Peacemaker
Vigilante superhero Chris Smith (John Cena) struggles in season two to reconcile his past with a newfound sense of purpose—which involves continuing to kick self-righteous evil-doers in the butt (9 p.m., Max)
NOW HEAR THIS
The band Van Halen marks the 30th anniversary of their 1995 album Balance with a new expanded edition full of songs and surprises. It’s got all the tunes from the original LP, plus some rarities and other goodies, including videos and live versions of the hits “Jump,” “You Really Got Me,” “L.A. Woman” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.” (Rhino).
And if you need to dust the rust off your “Rebel Yell,” here’s a trio of newly remastered anniversary colored vinyl editions of classic Billy Idol albums—Charmed Life, Whiplash Smile and Don’t Stop—with hits including “Cradle of Love,” “Mony Mony” and “Dancin’ With Myself.” As Idol himself sings, it’s “more, more, more, more, more!”
BRING IT HOME
Revel in retro cinematic badassery with Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 2 (Shout! Factory), a 12-disc collection of six genre touchstones including Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, Cotton Comes to Harlem and Slaughter. You’ll see Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Yaphet Kotto, Red Foxx, Eartha Kitt, Jim Backus, Ed McMahon and more! And it’s loaded with bonus features!
The Media Tourist 