TV best bets with Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes, first Democratic debates, return of ‘Big Brother’

Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes in "The Loudest Voice."

Credit: Showtime

Credit: Showtime

Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes in "The Loudest Voice."

Originally posted Sunday, June 23, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Besides “Big Brother” coming back and MTV reviving “The Hills,” it’s a relatively quiet week.

Showtime is bringing out the big guns for a series about the creation of Fox News with Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes and Naomi Watts as Gretchen Carlson.

And in the oddest broadcast summer series, Fred Savage stars in a fake aftershow about a fake TV series on Fox. Weird.

This covers Monday, June 24 through Sunday, June 30, 2019.

MONDAY

"Beat Shazam" 8 p.m. Fox — The highest scoring team ever shows up.

"America Ninja Warrior" 8 p.m. NBC — Tacoma City qualifiers.

"The Bachelorette" 8 p.m. NBC — Hannah looks forward to taking her nine remaining men to beautiful Riga,

"Years and Years" 9 p.m. HBO (new series) — This drama follows the members of one family as their complex lives converge on one crucial night in 2019, when Britain is rocked by political, economic and technological advances. Emma Thompson stars.

"The Hills: New Beginnings" 10 p.m. MTV (new series)  Following the professional and personal lives of the cast of "The Hills" years after the series finale.

"Legion" 10 p.m. FX (third season debut)  David gains a following

"Grand Hotel" 10:01 p.m. ABC — Gigi attempts to step in to save the hotel after El Rey's performance gets out of control.

TUESDAY

"Big Brother" 8 p.m. CBS (21st season debut) — Julie Chen Moonves is back with a new cast in a nautical-themed house.

"The Haves and the Have Nots" 9 p.m. OWN — David's blunder has deadly consequences. Candace loses something precious to her.

"Ambitions" 10 p.m. OWN — Amara puts Stephanie on notice; Atlanta's First Lady learns a shocking secret from a rival's past.

"Blood & Treasure" 10 p.m. CBS — Danny and Lexi must improvise in order to stay alive and out of jail when they're stuck in Casablanca with both law enforcement and their enemies hot on their trail.

"Pose" 10 p.m. FX — A fatal mishap with a client leads Elektra to seek out the counsel of Blanca and Candy.

"Songland" 10:01 p.m. NBC —Meghan Trainor hears unknown songwriters pitch their original materia to be her next hit song.

"The Detour" 10:30 p.m. TBS —Following a breakthrough, the Parkers return to their hometown to find their daughter.

WEDNESDAY

"True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality" 8 a.m. HBO — Alabama public interest attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has advocated on behalf of the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned, seeking to eradicate racial discrimination in the criminal justice system.

"MasterChef" 8 p.m. Fox — The Top 17 remaining home cooks compete in a high-pressure mystery box challenge, inspired by special guest Alessandra Ambrosio.

"The Amazing Race" 9 p.m. CBS (31st season finale) — Tyler and Korey have finished first the most, making them favorites to win.

"NBC News Democratic Candidates Debate" 9 p.m. NBC,MSNBC, Telemundo — The first 10 candidates include Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuhar and Cory Booker.

"Match Game" 10 p.m. ABC — Joel McHale, Rachael Ray, Jason Biggs, Caroline Rhea, Donald Faison and Vanessa Williams.

"Yellowstone" 10 p.m. Paramount — Kayce and Rip face each other; Beth starts to purchase land around the ranch.

"Younger" 10 p.m. TV Land — Liza thinks Charles is keeping something from her; Millennial secures an exclusive with acquitted murderer Audrey Colbert.

THURSDAY

"The Wall" 8 p.m. NBC  Matt and Nick compete in hopes to win millions of dollars in prizes.

"In the Dark" 9 p.m. the CW (first season finale)  Murphy figures out what happened to her friend.

"Spin the Wheel " 9 p.m. Fox A game show that mixes pop culture trivia, strategy and simple whirling luck.

"NBC News Democratic Candidates Debate, Part 2" 9 p.m. NBC, MSNBC, Telemundo — The second 10 candidates include Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg.

"Life in Pieces" 9:30 p.m. CBS (fourth season finale) — Tim and Heather realize that being grandparents is very far off in the future so decide to have another baby.

"Elementary" 10 p.m. CBS — Tech billionaire Odin Reichenbach presents Holmes and Watson with an extraordinary offer to help him with a program that can predict future crimes.

FRIDAY

"7Seeds" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — Natsu awakens to a post-apocalyptic world, only to learn that she'd been cryogenically frozen as part of a program to ensure the survival of humanity.

"Family Business" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — After learning France is about to legalize pot, a down-on-his-luck entrepreneur and his family race to turn their butcher shop into a marijuana café.

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 8 p.m. ABC— Enoch and FitzSimmons find themselves in yet another gambling dilemma.

"The Big Stage" 9 p.m. the CW  Acts include the Savitsky Cats, Omri & Paulina, Cubcakes, Elliott Yamin, Jackie Fabulous, and Ben Schneider.

"Bridezillas" 10 p.m. WE  ViralZilla, Lessika, wants a wedding dance that will make her famous, but a rage-fueled chase after her groom may turn her dream wedding into a sham.

WEEKEND

"Family Pictures" 8 p.m. Saturday Lifetime — Sylvie and Maggie are two strangers living on opposite coasts, leading very similar lives with husbands that travel for work too much and daughters about to leave the nest. But when their daughters befriend each other on a college tour, they soon discover a shocking secret that threatens to tear both families apart.

"Celebrity Family Feud" 8 p.m. Sunday  ABC — Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker vs. Roselyn Sanchez and Eric Winter.

"The Rook" 8 p.m. Sunday Starz (new series) — Myfanwy Thomas goes to the world of the Checquy, where she is a high-level operative.

"Sunday Best" 8 p.m. Sunday BET (ninth season debut) — The show is back after a three-year break.

"Big Little Lies" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO — All we have is the show title at the moment: "She Knows."

"City on a Hill" 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime — Jackie looks for his absent informant, while Jenny finds her purpose.

"Claws" 9 p.m. Sunday TNT — Claws follows the rise of five diverse and treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisan of Manatee County salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures.

"Fear the Walking Dead" 9 p.m. Sunday AMC — Althea chases a story with determination, endangering her life.

"Instinct" 9 p.m. Sunday CBS (second season debut)  Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of a businesswoman who attempted to prolong the lifespan of humans.

"What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage" 9:30 p.m. Sunday Fox (season debut)  A mock post show on a fictional drama.

"Euphoria" 10 p.m. Sunday HBO —High school students discover their identities while dealing with love, trauma, and social media.

"The Loudest Voice" 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime (new series)—Roger Ailes (played by Russell Crowe) and media magnate Rupert Murdoch team together to form the Fox News Channel.