Posted Sunday, May 6, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
On Saturday, film star Benedict Cumberbatch is back on TV playing a messed up adult suffering from a variety of addictions, who tries to go clean and face his troubled past in a five-part British miniseries on Showtime called "Patrick Melrose."
And the frenzy for the upcoming May 19 wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is heating up. This week, there's an E! special and a scripted Lifetime film Sunday.
Plus, several shows are concluding their seasons, including Fox's "Lethal Weapon," CBS shows "Bull," "Big Bang Theory," "Young Sheldon" and "Mom," NBC's "Chicago P.D.," "Chicago Fire" and "Timeless," FX's "Atlanta," E!'s "The Royals" and HBO's "Silicon Valley."
This covers Monday, May 7 through Sunday, May 13, 2018.
MONDAY
"Dancing With the Stars" 8 p.m. ABC — Somehow, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar outlasted Jamie Anderson and Johnny Damon last week.
"The Voice" 8 p.m. NBC — The top 10 perform.
"Kevin Can Wait" 8 p.m. CBS (second season finale) — After a former bandmate talks Kevin into reuniting with their old band, Smokefish, with hopes of making it big, Vanessa realizes a chance encounter with the band in her past changed the course of her life.
"A Dangerous Son" 8 p.m. HBO — A profile of three families who are struggling with a child's severe mental illness highlights the cycle of counselor visits, medications, hospitalizations and encounters with law enforcement; and features interviews with mental-health experts and advocates.
"The Resident" 9 p.m. Fox — Devon and Conrad race against the clock to save the life of a woman who is deteriorating fast from undetermined symptoms.
"The Real Princess Diaries" 9 p.m. E! — A wedding special ahead of the upcoming royal nuptials.
"Elementary" 10 p.m. CBS — Watson and her half sister, Lin, have conflicting reactions when their estranged biological father dies.
"Running With Bear Grylls" 10:01 p.m. NBC (fourth season debut) — Joseph Gordon Levitt tackles Kenya's unyielding terrain with Bear Grylls.
TUESDAY
"NCIS" 8 p.m. CBS — When evidence reveals an NCIS team member is a hitman's latest target, the team must search through old case files to determine who is seeking vengeance.
"Roseanne" 8 p.m. ABC — The Conners can't pay their Wi-Fi bill, so they befriend their new neighbors to use the Internet for Mary to Skype with mom Geena, who is stationed in Afghanistan.
"Lethal Weapon" 8 p.m. Fox (second season finale) — The squad is on high alert after an apparent threat is made on Riggs' life.
"Black-ish" 9 p.m. ABC — The Johnson kids attempt to keep their emotions in check after an estranged Dre and Bow try "nesting," taking turns living in the family house separately to give each other space.
"Bull" 9 p.m. CBS (second season finale) — Bull's team is rocked when their client, Elliott Miles, is found guilty of murder, and they must regroup as the trial enters the penalty phase in order to prevent him from being sentenced to death.
"Rise" 9:01 p.m. NBC — Gordy agrees to volunteer in the theater, bringing him back onto Gwen's radar, while his family tries to come to terms with Maashous' imminent departure.
"Chrisley Knows Best" 10 p.m. USA (sixth season debut) —Julie gets frustrated when the family use Chloe's birthday as a reason to compete against each other.
"Chicago Med" 10 p.m. NBC — Dr. Manning rushes to save a young boy who has a life-threatening case of the flu.
WEDNESDAY
"Empire" 8 p.m. Fox — When Cookie finally visits her mother, the two must confront their complicated past.
"The Blacklist" 8 p.m. NBC — When Samar lands in the crosshairs of an unconventional Blacklister, Aram and the Task Force spring into action to find her before it's too late.
"Survivor" 8 p.m. CBS — With Mololo numbers down to just two, what can Donathan and Laurel do to survive?
"Star" 9 p.m. Fox —Tired of sitting on the sidelines, Star seizes an opportunity to stand out.
"Modern Family" 9 p.m. ABC — Haley meets Arvin's parents but when things don't go as planned, fate leads to an unexpected reunion with all of her ex-boyfriends.
"Law & Order: SVU" 9 p.m. NBC — Fin investigates a man's claim that his sister was gang-raped.
"Chicago PD" 10 p.m. NBC (fourth season finale) — Tensions run high as Intelligence seeks justice for Olinsky after he's stabbed in prison.
"Brockmire" 10 p.m. IFC — Jim and Uribe go on an epic bender.
"The Americans" 10 p.m. FX — Philip and Elizabeth come together for a perilous operation unlike any they've ever had before.
"Colony" 10 p.m. USA —Will and Katie put themselves at risk to make contact with the Resistance. Broussard pieces together IGA secrets left behind in LA.
"Code Black" 10 p.m. CBS — Jesse is in denial when his brother arrives at Angels Memorial in bad shape after being pinned down in a warehouse collapse and further tests reveal he has advanced congestive heart failure.
"Designated Survivor" 10 p.m. ABC — White House Council Kendra Daynes finds herself in a dangerous situation that puts another White House staffer's life at risk while Hannah Wells takes an unexpected trip for answers.
THURSDAY
"The Big Bang Theory" 8 p.m. CBS (11th season finale) — When Amy's parents and Sheldon's family arrive for the wedding, everybody is focused on making sure all goes according to plan—everyone except the bride and groom.
"Grey's Anatomy" 8 p.m. ABC — One of Grey Sloan Memorial's own is seriously injured, making the team reflect on what is truly important to them.
"Gotham" 8 p.m. Fox— As Gotham falls into complete anarchy, a team of unlikely heroes step up to save it.
"Young Sheldon" 8:30 p.m. CBS (first season finale) — When Meemaw is pursued by two gentlemen callers, Sheldon interferes, forcing her to set some ground rule.
"Chicago Fire" 9 p.m. NBC (sixth season finale) — Boden takes a big step in the pursuit of a major career decision.
"Station 19" 9 p.m. ABC — In the final days before the Station 19 captaincy is announced, Pruitt warns Andy not to be disappointed with the outcome of the race.
"Mom" 9 p.m. CBS (fifth season finale) — Christy and Bonnie's relaxing trip to a spa takes a turn when Bonnie lands in jail.
"Atlanta" 10 p.m. FX (second season finale) — Going where the money goes is important, but it's hard when something holds a person back.
"Quantico" 10 p.m. ABC — The team must protect an ex-CIA agent to take down a cartel kingpin, an assignment that puts all of their lives in danger.
FRIDAY
"All Night" 3:01 a.m. Hulu (new series) — During an all-night, lock-in graduation party, a group of new grads will do whatever it takes to make their remaining high school dreams come true.
"Bill Nye Saves the World" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (third season debut) — In the six-episode third season, Nye tackles the truth behind evolution, how climate change will impact foods of the future and what our pets can teach us about being human, with guests including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Karlie Kloss and Paul F. Tompkins.
"Dynasty" 8 p.m. the CW (first season finale) — As Alexis loses control of her plan with the Colbys, Fallon challenges Blake for control of the family's company only to learn she's not the only one with a claim to the throne.
"Undercover Boss" 8 p.m. CBS (ninth season debut) — Three-time Olympic Gold medalist Gabby Douglas goes undercover to discover incredibly gifted gymnasts and coaches.
"Hawaii Five-O" 9 p.m. CBS — McGarrett joins Junior and his SEAL Team on a high-risk covert mission to capture an elusive target who is holding his mentor, Joe White, hostage.
"Blue Bloods" 10 p.m. CBS (eighth season debut) — When a series of drive-by murders occur after six wrongly convicted men are released from prison, Danny and Baez wonder if they were orchestrated by the men as an act of revenge.
WEEKEND
"Patrick Melrose" 9 p.m. Saturday Showtime (new series) — Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this five-part dark comic miniseries adaptation of the British novels.
"Saturday Night Live" 11:29 p.m. Saturday NBC — Amy Schumer hosts.
"American Idol" 8 p.m. Sunday ABC — Top 5 perform.
"Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance" 8 p.m. Sunday Lifetime — Chronicling the courtship and love story between a beloved prince and his new fiancée, the film will examine the history of Prince Harry (Murray Fraser) and Meghan Markle (Parisa Fitz-Henley) from the moment they met after being set up by friends, through their initial courtship when they were able to keep their romance under wraps
"Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" 9 p.m. Sunday CNN — An exploration of this rocky, east coast Canadian island by Bourdain reveals a magical place abundant in fish and wild game and steeped in distinctive traditions.
"Fear the Walking Dead" 9 p.m. Sunday AMC — The arrival of a wounded visitor in John Dorie's life forces him to change his ways.
"Timeless" 9 p.m. Sunday NBC (two-hour second season finale) — This show again is "on the bubble" for renewal.
"Westworld" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO (75-minute episode) — Looking forward means looking in the wrong direction.
"Madam Secretary" 10 p.m. Sunday CBS — When terrorists threaten to cause a flood in the Middle East that could kill millions of people, Elizabeth's hopes of getting a neighboring country to close the dam fade after the government suddenly goes dark during a coup.
"The Royals" 10 p.m. Sunday E! (fourth season finale) — The rest of the family unites to combat a formidable foe.
"Silicon Valley" 10:15 p.m. Sunday E! (fifth season finale) — Richard gets unsettling news as the Pied Piper guys prepare to close their Series B funding.
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