Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities, where AllYourScreens HQ is running on ginger ale & breakfast potatoes.
BETH CHAPMAN'S FINAL REALITY SERIES TO AIR IN SEPTEMBER
Beth Chapman - wife of reality TV star Dog The Bounty Hunter - died of cancer last month in a Honolulu hospital. She was 51. Her struggle with the disease will be highlighted in a new series from the couple which will premiere September 4th on WGN America. In "Dog's Most Wanted," the husband and wife team work with a group of bounty hunters called "The Dirty Dozen."
In September 2017, the couple confirmed a report that she had been diagnosed with Stage 2 throat cancer. A later A&E special, "Dog & Beth: Fight of Their Lives," reported that the cancer had been removed and she was cancer-free. But the cancer returned earlier this year and her battle with the disease will be a recurring part of the premiere season of the new show.
COMEDY CENTRAL TO ROAST ALEC BALDWIN
In an effort to conveniently include every actor I find annoying into one two-block of television, Comedy Central announced late Monday that "Will & Grace" actor Sean Hayes will be hosting the network's upcoming roast of Alec Baldwin. "The Comedy Central Roast Of Alec Baldwin" will tape in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 7 and will premiere on Sunday, September 15th.
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BRAD PITT AND MARGOT ROBBIE CRASH JIMMY KIMMEL'S OPENING MONOLOGUE
And by "crash," I mean "participate in a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt." Regardless, the stars of “Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood" stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday night for a surprise visit, interrupting Jimmy Kimmel's monologue as they each cut through the studio on their way to the premiere of their new film. It's a goofy bit, but it's the kind of piece Kimmel does really well. Walking that line between "I'm going to shill for this thing" and "Hey, I know this is cheesy, but let's have fun with it."
TOO MUCH TV REALLY IS A THING
This newsletter is called "Too Much TV" because....well, it's hard to keep track of all the new television premiering everyday. To help you prioritize your viewing, click here to see our list of more than 400 upcoming television premieres, movies and finales. You'll find listings from more than 70 networks, as well as streaming services and web shows.
And if you're a glutton for punishment (or just want to know what you've missed), check out this list of all the shows that have premiered so far in 2019.
If you'd like to get this daily feature as an email, subscribe to our free daily "Too Much TV" newsletter here.
WHAT'S NEW ON TV TONIGHT:
Here's a rundown of the modest amount of television premiering tonight:
1) Cajun Navy (Discovery)
In the days after Hurricane Katrina, a group of ordinary citizens came together with one goal: to pull people from the water. The government had failed New Orleans, and it was up to the people to get the job done. The group filled with fishermen, lawyers, pastors, and housewives were known as the Cajun Navy because its members caravanned down the highways, boats in tow. They mobilized when they realized that their government wasn’t going to act in time. All that united them was a love of boats and a deep-seated desire to help their fellow man. In that storm, these men and women saved hundreds. When Hurricane Harvey hit, their numbers had grown, and together they saved thousands.
Now, every year, communities across the southern and eastern portions of the U.S. gear up for what could be the next catastrophic storm. 2018 was no different — it was the third consecutive year of devastating hurricanes. With intimate access to these heroic men and women during Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, "Cajun Navy" chronicles the inspiring, spontaneous grass-roots rescue efforts from a movement that started during Hurricane Katrina and lives on today.
2) The Real Story of Lone Survivor (Reelz)
Audiences were on the edge of their seats watching the remarkable events lived by U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell in the movie Lone Survivor. Luttrell’s SEAL team was attacked by Taliban fighters during a 2005 mission and he was the lone survivor after being aided by a brave Afghan villager named Mohammad Gulab.
3) The Shocking Truth (Reelz)
Considered one of the most iconic war movies ever made Apocalypse Now had a heavy hitter cast with the likes of Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen who helped make it an Oscar winning masterpiece. In new hour long episodes of "The Shocking Truth" see the riveting and unnerving real stories behind movies including Apocalypse Now which despite being a classic was over budget, off schedule and filming it would nearly claim the life of one of its stars.
4) Who Killed Garrett Phillips? (HBO)
On Oct. 24, 2011, 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was murdered in his home in Potsdam, a small town in upstate New York. Police quickly zeroed in on a suspect in this unthinkable crime: Oral "Nick" Hillary, a black man in the mostly white community, who was a soccer coach at Clarkson University and the ex-boyfriend of Garrett’s mother, Tandy Cyrus. The documentary chronicles the five years following the murder, as Garrett’s grief-stricken family and community relentlessly seek justice, and Hillary desperately fights to prove his innocence.
Hillary, who has lost his job, tries to move forward with his life caring for his five children and files a civil case against the Potsdam police department. Mary Rain, the new district attorney, makes it her mission to put Garrett’s murderer behind bars, and Hillary is charged with second degree murder based on testimony given during his civil case. Despite holes in the prosecution’s case, both sides prepare for a bench trial without a jury, as national media attention raises important issues of race and bias in policing.
For a rundown of all the new episodes of television premiering tonight, click here.
TODAY'S FLASHBACK:
From the February 14th, 1979 television variety special "Carol & Dolly In Nashville"
I'll be back with another one tomorrow. If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.