Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, Sept. 11-17. Details and times are subject to change.
Monday
THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 5:45 p.m. on Freeform. If you grew up in the ’90s, like I did, there is a good chance that you know by heart the quite intricate handshake made famous by this movie, which stars Lindsay Lohan as identical twin sisters separated at birth who accidentally meet at summer camp. They decide to switch places and hatch a plan to get their parents back together. Obviously, shenanigans ensue.
Tuesday
MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS 8 p.m. on MTV. Starbucks has released their pumpkin-themed menu, influencers and celebrities have flocked to New York for Fashion Week and people are saying it’s fall even though temperatures are dangerously approaching 100 degrees. All of this can only mean one thing: It’s time for the annual MTV VMAs. Airing live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey, Olivia Rodrigo, Demi Lovato, Lil Wayne and many others will perform, and Shakira and Sean “Diddy” Combs will be among the awardees.
WELCOME TO WREXHAM 10 p.m. on FX. In 2020 Rob McElhenney (of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fame) and Ryan Reynolds (of “Deadpool” fame) bought the third oldest soccer club in the world, which resides in Wrexham in North Wales, with the goal of bringing it back to glory. Now, the second season begins as the team, McElhenney and Reynolds prep for a visit from King Charles III.
Wednesday
DONYALE LUNA: SUPERMODEL 9 p.m. on HBO. The supermodel Donyale Luna died in 1979 at just 33 years in old. But in those 33 years, she gained the reputation of breaking barriers in the fashion industry, becoming the first Black model to grace the cover of both Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Now, this documentary is taking viewers behind the scenes of Luna’s modest upbringing to her life in the spotlight.
Thursday
JIMI HENDRIX: ELECTRIC CHURCH 8:30 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). On July 4, 1970, Jimi Hendrix drew a crowd of almost 500,000 people to his performance at the Atlanta International Pop Festival. Because of the 16-mm footage taken at the show, we can relive this concert, featuring performances of “Electric Church,” “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” and others, over and over again.
BUDDY GAMES 9 p.m. on CBS. Josh Duhamel directed and starred in a 2020 movie about six best friends who compete in silly physical and mental challenges in an attempt to win $150,000. Now Duhamel is hosting a reality game show with a similar premise: six teams of friends join him at a lake house to compete in challenges to win the championship title and some prize money.
HEELS 10 p.m. on Starz. Football has “Friday Night Lights,” soccer has “Ted Lasso” and wrestling has “Heels.” This show, about two brothers, Ace and Jack, carrying on their father’s legacy through the Duffy Wrestling League, is wrapping up its second season, which gave us a few deep dives into the characters’ emotional sides.
Saturday
48 HOURS: THE GILGO BEACH SERIAL KILLINGS and THE NIGHT OF THE IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS starting at 9 p.m. on CBS. If you’re catching up on your true-crime news, “48 Hours” has you covered with these back-to-back episodes. First up is the Gilgo Beach serial killings: Between the years of 1996 and 2011, the remains of 10 bodies were found on a stretch of a Long Island beach; earlier this year, Rex Heuermann was charged with killing three of the people. In November 2022, four college students were found murdered in Moscow, Idaho. Now, Bryan Kohberger, a Ph.D. student in criminology at a nearby university, has been charged with four counts of murder.
Sunday
CHRISTMAS IN JULY (1940) 8 p.m. on TCM. This movie, directed by Preston Sturges, is about a prank that simultaneously goes very right and very wrong. Jimmy is trying to win a slogan competition so he can buy a ring to propose to his girlfriend. When the winner still hasn’t been announced, Jimmy’s co-workers write a fake telegram and leave it on his desk so he thinks he won. Shticks, fake outs and confusion quickly follow.
WINNING TIME 9 p.m. on HBO. Based on the book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” by Jeff Pearlman, this fictionalized account of the NBA team is wrapping up its second season, which has focused on Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) after his knee injury and tension with the team. It seems important to note that some of the Lakers stars that are fictionalized in this series are not at all happy with their portrayal.
