Originally posted Sunday, June 2, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Three major prestige dramas are returning this week.
Hulu’s dystopian “The Handmaid’s Tale” enters season three cutting too close to home for some.
“Black Mirror” has what one would call a “mini” season of three episodes on Netflix.
And HBO returns with a second season of “Big Little Lies” after a super successful season one.
On Friday, Netflix is also bringing back "Designated Survivor," which was cancelled by ABC last year. TNT's well-liked "Claws" is back Sunday as well. History's popular "Alone" lands in the Arctic for season six. CMT Awards are on this week and James Corden is back hosting the Tony's on Sunday.
Season finales: “Chernobyl,” “Masterchef Junior,” “The Last O.G.” and “Billions.”
This covers Monday, June 3 through Sunday, June 9, 2019.
MONDAY
"The Bachelorette" 8 p.m. ABC — Growing tension between the men explodes on the playing field and forces Hannah to decide which man really has her best interest at heart.
"Beat Shazam" 8 p.m. Fox — Beauty queens, sanitation workers and a married couple compete.
"Chernobyl" 9 p.m. HBO (mini-series finale) — The powerful Sky original concludes as Valery Legasov, Boris Shcherbina and Ulana Khomyuk risk everything to expose the truth about Chernobyl.
"The Code" 9 p.m. CBS — Abe and Harper travel to Afghanistan to investigate when an Afghan commander is killed on a U.S. base.
"So You Think You Can Dance" 9 p.m. Fox (16th season debut) — The first round of auditions begins.
"Gentleman Jack" 10:15 p.m. HBO — Halifax, West Yorkshire. 1832, the height of the Industrial Revolution. Gentleman Jack is based on the real life of Anne Lister, an English landowner resolute to restore her faded ancestral home by reopening the coal mines and marrying well.
TUESDAY
"MasterChef Junior" 8 p.m. Fox (seventh season finale) — Ivy from Atlanta is one of the finalists.
"Dance Moms" 9 p.m. Lifetime (eighth season debut) — After jail time and health issues, Abby finally returns to the competition dance scene where her legacy first began in Pittsburgh.
"Animal Kingdom" 9 p.m. TNT — J reconsiders his relationship with Smurf after he gets bad news about Morgan's death
"Blood & Treasure" 10 p.m. CBS — A vital clue leads Danny and Lexi to an Austrian castle where the Germans may have hidden Cleopatra's sarcophagus during World War II.
"Songland" 10:01 p.m. NBC — Will.i.am comes to "Songland" to hear unknown songwriters pitch their original material to be the next hit song for the Black Eyed Peas.
"The Last O.G." 10:30 p.m. TBS (second season finale) — The title of the episode is "Fight the Power," a reference to the Public Enemy song.
WEDNESDAY
"Black Mirror" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (fifth season debut) — Just three episodes for this brief season. Miley Cyrus stars in one of them.
"The Handmaid's Tale" 8 p.m. Hulu (third season debut) — After the very depressing second season, some signs of light at least early on season three.
"American Ninja Warrior" 8 p.m. NBC — The Atlanta auditions were held just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium this spring.
"CMT Music Awards" 8 p.m. CMT — Little Big Town hosts. Performers include Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris & Sheryl Crow and the Zac Brown Band
"The InBetween" 10 p.m. NBC — Tom and Damien enlist Cassie's help when a mother and her young son mysteriously vanish.
THURSDAY
"The Cold Blue" 8 p.m. HBO — Directed by Erik Nelson and featuring newly restored footage shot by Oscar-winning director William Wyler, this a meditation on youth, war .and trauma, and a tribute to one of the world's great filmmakers and the men of the Eighth Air Force
"Project Runway" 9 p.m. Lifetime — The remaining designers arrive at a new work space to unpack their collections and learn their final challenge.
"Life in Pieces" 9:30 p.m. CBS — Heather and Tim get an emergency text from Samantha to pick her up in the middle of the night, and they try not to freak out so she'll still think they're the "cool" parents.
"Alone" 10 p.m. History (sixth season debut) — Ten new survivalists have a chance to win $500,000 by enduring the coldest location in the history of Alone: The Arctic.
"Elementary" 10 p.m. CBS — Holmes takes extreme measures to secure his return to New York when he leans on his father's disreputable connections to aid his legal re-entry into the U.S.
FRIDAY
"3%" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (third season debut) — In a future where the elite inhabit an island paradise far from the crowded slums, you get one chance to join the 3% saved from squalor.
"Designated Survivor" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (third season debut) — Kiefer Sutherland's ABC political drama has now moved to Netflix.
"Master of Illusion" 8 p.m. the CW (ninth season debut) — Cutting-edge illusionists, escape artists and performers display their skills. Appearing: Dan Sperry; Joshua Jay; Anna DeGuzman; Shoot Ogawa; Naathan Phan; Jeki Yoo; and Greg Frewin
"Whistleblower" 8 p.m. CBS — John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld senior killer whale trainer, was entranced with whales ever since he first visited the theme park as a child. But after years of working at SeaWorld, he grew to believe that the forced captivity of the whales caused physical and behavioral issues, including aggressive and dangerous actions, and he decided to speak out and quit the job he once loved.
WEEKEND
"Adriana Trigiani's Very Valentine" 8 p.m. Saturday Lifetime — To save the family wedding shoe business from ruin, Valentine Roncalli must bring the family's old-world craftsmanship into the 21st century and (of course) finds love in the process.
"The 73rd Annual Tony Awards" 8 p.m. Sunday CBS — James Corden hosts again.
"Celebrity Family Feud" 8 p.m. Sunday ABC (sixth season debut) — Chrissy Teigen, John Legend and family play against Lisa Vanderpump and the cast of "Vanderpump Rules.
"Good Witch" 8 p.m. Sunday Hallmark (fifth season debut) — With the day of the wedding only a day away, Grace realizes how much she misses her father.
"$100,000 Pyramid" 9 p.m. Sunday ABC (fourth season debut) — Leslie Jones against Rosie O'Donnell; and Anthony Anderson against Cheryl Hines.
"Big Little Lies" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO (second season debut) — Meryl Streep joins an all-star cast.
"Billions" 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime (fourth season finale) — Axe makes a big decision; Connerty gets closer to the truth; tensions rise; and dynamics shift.
"Claws" 9 p.m. Sunday TNT (third season debut) — In the wake of Virginia being shot, the crew must regroup to face their off-kiltered new adversaries, Mac and Melba Lovestone.
"Fear the Walking Dead" 9 p.m. Sunday AMC — Morgan and Alicia meet a survivor and learn of a grave new walker threat.
"To Tell the Truth" 10 p.m. Sunday ABC (fourth season debut) — Oliver Hudson, Justin Long, Snoop Dogg and Amanda Seales.
"The Chi" 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime —Brandon and Emmett hatch a plan; Emmett starts his new job.
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