Discovery Channel’s 28th annual Shark Week begins Sunday, promising eight days of deep-sea programming (plus more sharktastic stuff to watch later in August). Here’s what to watch:
Shark Trek (8 p.m. Sunday) – Kicking off Shark Week, Massachusetts’ Senior Marine Fisheries marine biologist Dr. Greg Skomal tags Great White sharks off the coast of Cape Cod.
Monster Mako (10 p.m. Sunday) – A glimpse at the fastest species of sharks.
Shark After Dark (11 p.m. nightly Sunday through next Thursday) – Director/Producer/Actor Eli Roth hosts nightly chats with shark fans and experts and reviews past Shark Week clips and previews upcoming shows.
Alien Sharks: Close Encounters (10 p.m. Monday) – Researcher/scientist Paul Clerkin returns to some of the deepest and darkest oceans to get up close and personal with some particularly petrifying sharks.
Tiburones: Sharks of Cuba (10 p.m. Tuesday) – Since obviously Shark Week needs to comment on U.S.-Cuban affairs, we get a look at the famed 21-foot-long, 7,000-pound Great White “El Monstruo,” captured off the coast of Cuba in 1945, as scientists look into whether giant sharks still roam the area.
Shark Planet (9 p.m. Thursday, July 9) – Footage of sharks hunting, finding a mate, having babies and growing up. Like The Real Sharkwives of the Ocean.
For those looking for more campy shark fare, Syfy’s Sharknado franchise expands later this month with Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!. Summary presented without comment: “The president (Mark Cuban) and vice president (Ann Coulter) spring into action when ravenous sharks unleash their fury in Washington, D.C.”
THURSDAY 02
Hannibal (10 p.m., NBC) – Jack joins Italian inspector Pazzi on the hunt for Hannibal, but Mason’s bounty offering may be too good for Pazzi to pass up. Elsewhere, Will and Chiyoh make their way to Florence together, but with different intents. Alana grows worried as she continues working with Mason stateside.
Maron (10 p.m., IFC) – Marc envisions an intellectual experience when his novelist friend invites him to guest-lecture a class he teaches, but things change when Marc and the T.A. butt heads.
SATURDAY 04
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (8 p.m., NBC) – Ed Sheeran, Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Brad Paisley, Flo Rida and lots of explosives.
SUNDAY 05
Humans (9 p.m., AMC) – Laura continues to feel threatened by Anita; Leo falls into danger while on the hunt for his super-Synth friends; Niska organizes a brothel escape; George discovers something horrifying. Although perhaps the least exciting, George and Odi’s storyline is my favorite so far.
True Detective (9 p.m., HBO) – Ani makes it clear that she’s heading the investigation in the fallout of Ray’s rogue activity, much to Mayor Chessani’s chagrin; After trying to go legit, Frank learns he doesn’t have the criminal pull he once possessed; Paul questions prostitutes about Caspar.
Ballers (10 p.m., HBO) – Joe and Spencer host a corporate gathering; Reggie and Spencer’s rivalry boils over.
Halt and Catch Fire (10 p.m., AMC) – Gordon visits his family in California in hopes of reconnecting with his brother Henry (Kevin Rankin of Breaking Bad, Justified); Joe looks to change Wheeler’s ideas about computing.
TUESDAY 07
Inside Amy Schumer (10 p.m., Comedy Central) – Jon Glaser and Natasha Lyonne guest-star in this episode wherein Amy dates a dude with a British accent, observes hookup fails and discovers she has three buttholes.
Scream (10 p.m., MTV) – Another teen death!?
Another Period (10:30 p.m., Comedy Central) – Beatrice and Lillian throw a fake funeral; Peepers learns his father has died.
CONTACT JAC KERN: [email protected] or @jackern
