TV best bets for the week of Aug. 4
Sunday, Aug. 4
“CMA Fest”
ABC, 8 p.m.
Country music superstars Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini return to host the music event of the summer: this three-hour prime-time concert special, which brings country music’s ultimate fan experience to a national television audience.
“Serengeti”
Discovery, 7:55 p.m.
New series
Emmy winners Simon Fuller (“American Idol”) and John Downer (“Penguin: Spy in the Huddle”) are behind this revolutionary six-part series that follows the lives of several animal “characters” in the Serengeti region of east Africa. A subjective filming approach, technological innovations, beautiful scenery and narration by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o help draw viewers into the individual real-life stories of Kali the lioness, Zalika the hyena and other amazing creatures.
“Preacher”
AMC, 9 p.m.
Season premiere
In the fourth and final season of AMC’s supernatural epic, God’s “great design” for the universe is approaching its completion. Humperdoo (Tyson Ritter) is the key to the apocalypse, but that key has gone missing. It’s up to Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), Tulip (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) to battle their way to find God before Humperdoo brings forth doomsday.
Monday, Aug. 5
“Bachelor in Paradise”
ABC, 8 p.m.
Season premiere
Breakout fan favorites from “The Bachelor” franchise are back and ready for a second (or third) chance at finding love. They may have left their respective seasons brokenhearted, but now they have the opportunity to travel to a romantic paradise in hopes of turning a potential summer fling into the real thing.
“Mystic Britain”
Smithsonian Channel, 9 p.m.
New series
British comedian Clive Anderson and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota embark on a 10-episode study of their homeland’s ancient sites and beliefs. Tonight: demonic symbols on a church’s walls and real-world witches.
“Aaron Needs a Job”
Discovery Channel, 10 p.m.
Custom car builder Aaron Kaufman (“Fast N’ Loud”) is still seeking his gearhead dream gig. In this episode, his forays include joining a tugboat crew as well as visiting an industrial-size Las Vegas laundry facility and folding sheets, which everyone knows is the toughest engineering job of all.
Tuesday, Aug. 6
“The Real Housewives of Orange County”
Bravo, 9 p.m.
Season premiere
Returning for Season 14 are housewives Tamra Judge, Shannon Storms Beador, Kelly Dodd, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson, joined by new housewife Braunwyn Windham-Burke. The tres amigas are back with their numero uno, the OG of the OC, Vicki Gunvalson, who appears throughout the season.
“Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation”
PBS, 9 p.m.
Broadcast in connection with this month’s 50th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock music festival, filmmaker Barak Goodman’s documentary features never-before-seen footage to tell the story of the political and social upheaval leading to those three historic days, as well as the extraordinary events and performances of the concert itself.
“Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Oakland Raiders”
HBO, 10 p.m.
Season premiere
The latest season of Hard Knocks spotlights the daily lives and routines of the Oakland Raiders’ coaches, established veterans, highly regarded rookie hopefuls and free-agent acquisitions.
Wednesday, Aug. 7
“Grown-ish”
Freeform, 8 p.m.
Season finale
As Season 2 wraps up, the gang’s sophomore year comes to an end, and bottled-up emotions start to unravel, causing rifts in relationships and some interesting reconciliations.
“BH90210”
Fox, 9 p.m.
New series
In this six-episode event series, the cast of the hottest ’90s teen soap gathers to put a new spin on an old favorite. Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green and Gabrielle Carteris play heightened versions of themselves who reunite and attempt to create a reboot of “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
“American Mystery”
Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
New series
Each episode of this series dives into the history of three unsolved mysteries. The premiere episode focuses on mass UFO sightings.
Thursday, Aug. 8
“Wu Assassins”
Netflix
New series
This series follows Kai Jin (Iko Uwais), a young chef in present-day San Francisco’s Chinatown who becomes entangled with the Chinese Triad’s pursuit of deadly ancient powers. After an encounter with a mystical spirit, Kai reluctantly becomes the Wu Assassin, using his enhanced martial arts skills to recover supernatural powers from five modern-day criminals threatening to use them to destroy the world.
“Two Sentence Horror Stories”
The CW, 9 p.m.
New series
This anthology series is inspired by the viral flash fiction of horror stories written using only two sentences. Vera Miao, who originated the web series of this title, executive produces this version, which features a cast including Nicole Kang (The CW’s upcoming “Batwoman” series), Jim Parrack (“Suicide Squad”) and Aleyse Shannon (“Charmed”). The half-hour series kicks off with back-to-back episodes.
“Chasing the Cure”
TNT & TBS, 9 p.m.
New series
Every week, patients battling puzzling ailments meet with a panel of top doctors who work to help solve their cases. Some stories are surprising, odd and uplifting, while others involve heartbreaking, life-or-death circumstances. The 90-minute series is anchored by Ann Curry and includes a 24/7 global digital interactive experience to fully harness the power of crowdsourcing in an effort to help people who are suffering from undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or uncured medical mysteries.
Friday, Aug. 9
“GLOW”
Netflix
Season premiere
In Season 3, the women wrestlers take the Las Vegas Strip by storm and headline at the Fan-Tan Hotel and Casino. But they quickly learn that Sin City is much more grind than glitter. Oscar winner Geena Davis guest-stars in five of this season’s 10 episodes as Sandy Devereaux St. Clair, a former showgirl who is now entertainment director for the Fan-Tan.
“WE Day”
ABC, 8 p.m.
This annual celebration recognizes young people around the world who are working to be unstoppable forces for good. The one-hour special showcases the best moments from a daylong event — hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and featuring performances and inspiring speeches from notables including Chance the Rapper, Selena Gomez, Mahershala Ali, Natalie Portman, Bill Nye, Meghan Trainor, Joe Jonas and Lilly Singh — that was filmed in Los Angeles before a crowd of 16,000 students who had all earned their tickets through volunteerism.
“David Bowie: Finding Fame”
Showtime, 9 p.m.
This documentary offers a glimpse at a young David Jones (soon to be David Bowie) in his early years of performing. For an artist who came to embody “cool,” the film clearly shows that Bowie was anything but in the beginning stages of his career.
Saturday, Aug. 10
“The Zoo: San Diego”
Animal Planet, 8 p.m.
New series
The producers of Animal Planet’s “The Zoo” and “The Aquarium” go behind the scenes at the famed San Diego Zoo in this new docuseries. The show will feature stories from the zoo itself, along with its adjacent establishments, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Of course, a variety of animals will be on hand, including pandas, giraffes, Galapagos tortoises, koalas, elephants, two baby cheetahs, a flock of ostriches known as the “Spice Girls” and plenty more.
“A Taste of Summer”
Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m.
Sous chef Gabby (Roselyn Sanchez) leaves a posh Manhattan eatery and her noncommittal boyfriend to open her own restaurant in New England. When she checks out the local competition, Delaney’s Coastal Grille, owned by handsome Caleb (Eric Winter), the two restaurateurs quickly embark on a restaurant war. But when the rivals are forced to pair up, they discover that their competitive relationship might be seasoned with a hint of romance.
“Mountain Mamas”
HGTV, 11 p.m.
New series
Families with a passion for the great outdoors love Montana for its picturesque mountain vistas and wide-open spaces. Real estate mavens and busy moms Jackie Wickens and Trecie Wheat Hughes help clients make their dream a reality, fueled by the duo’s Montana pride and fun friendship.
