Discover ‘Witches,’ BET Awards, TCM’s Hitchcock Feast, Biography’s KISStory, Remembering Jackie Collins

In case you missed it on (or don’t have) AMC+, Sundance Now or Shudder, the lavish supernatural fantasy A Discovery of Witches begins airing its second season on old-school AMC. The BET Awards celebrates the “Year of the Black Woman.” Revel in the magic of Hitchcock classics all weekend on TCM. New documentaries explore the very different legacies of KISS and best-selling novelist Jackie Collins.

Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer in A Discovery of Witches - Season 2
Simon Ridgway/Sundance Now/Bad Wolf

A Discovery of Witches

Season Premiere

After premiering exclusively on AMC’s streaming siblings earlier this year, the lavish second season of the supernatural thriller makes its basic-cable debut with back-to-back episodes. Based on the second book of Deborah Harkness’ “All Souls” trilogy, Witches propels its spellbinding heroine, witch/scholar Diana (Teresa Palmer) and her ancient vampire lover Matthew (Matthew Goode) back to Elizabethan London. Amid palace intrigue, Diana takes a clandestine tutorial to master her gifts, while Matthew wages war against his internal blood rage. This will make for a great summer escape (also suitable for bingeing on AMC+, Sundance Now and Shudder). (SUNDAY)

Queen Latifah
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival

BET Awards

Queen Latifah, also known as TV’s new Equalizer, receives this year’s Lifetime Achievement BET Award at this year’s ceremony, hosted by Taraji P. Henson (Empire) with the theme “Year of the Black Woman.” Megan Thee Stallion, tied with DaBaby for the most nominations (seven), will perform, along with Andra Day, DJ Khaled, H.E.R., Kirk Franklin, Lil Baby, Lil Nas X and more. The late rapper DMX is remembered in a tribute featuring Busta Rhymes, Griselda, Method Man and Swizz Beatz. (SUNDAY)

Alfred Hitchcock Weekend

Special

Good eve-uh-ning! This is my kind of wallow, with two full days of suspenseful Hitchcock classics that are among the most influential and memorable films ever made. To get the full flavor of his genius, start Saturday afternoon at 3:15/2:15c with 1959’s rollicking North by Northwest, followed by his hauntingly romantic Vertigo (5:45/4:45c), the still-shocking The Birds (8/7c) and the claustrophobic Rear Window (10:15c/9:15c), with the potent chemistry of James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The Sunday schedule is anchored at 8/7c by 1960’s groundbreaking Psycho. (SATURDAY & SUNDAY)

Kiss

Biography: KISStory

Documentary Premiere

This rock’n’roll pop-culture history is so fiery it takes two nights to tell (concluding Monday). Biography enlists those hair metal rockers from KISS, including Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (plus current bandmates Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer), to tell the wild behind-the-scenes stories of the scrappy band’s rise from the grit of 1970s New York City to the glory of sold-out arenas. Fellow musicians Dave Grohl and Tom Morello also weigh in during this chronicle of rock, drugs, redemption and a high body count of smashed guitars. (SUNDAY)

Jackie Collins

Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story

Documentary Premiere

File this under guilty pleasure, as director Laura Fairrie’s admiring film biography recounts the reign atop best-seller lists of Jackie Collins (sister to Dynasty’s Joan). Her sexy books including Hollywood Wives and Chances—and the miniseries they spawned—offered an insider’s dishy view of the glamour and tawdry truths of show business and high society. Her brand of feminism may have been controversial, but was it ever popular. (SUNDAY)

CBS

Evil

Being touched by an angel takes on a more sinister tone in this terrific series, when a new client insists her husband has been possessed by a holier-than-thou spirit that’s prompting him to give all of their possessions away. While processing that weirdness to a bizarre end, David encounters a pragmatic nun (Andrea Martin) who could be of help in the team’s battle of wills with the devious Leland (Michael Emerson), whose relationship with Cheryl (Christine Lahti) takes an unexpected dark turn. (SUNDAY)

Inside Weekend TV:

  • Batwoman (Sunday, 8/7c, The CW): In the second-season finale, Ryan (Javicia Leslie) and the rest of Team Batwoman go into action to take on the villainous Black Mask (Peter Outerbridge) when he enacts his master plan to destroy Gotham’s infrastructure. The showdown could turn enemies into uneasy allies.
  • Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts (Sunday, streaming on Peacock): As part of the countdown to the Tokyo Olympics, this six-part series follows several leading female gymnasts as they train and compete in hopes of landing a coveted spot on Team USA. The first three episodes drop Sunday, with the remainder appearing Wednesdays starting July 7.
  • This Is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular (Sunday, 8/7c, 5/PT, streaming on Disney+): Disney’s streamer gets into the Pride Month spirit with a virtual variety-show concert spotlighting the company’s LGBTQ+ community, with RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Nina West hosting, and performances from Alex Newell (Glee, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Serafini from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Broadway’s Michael James Scott, Todrick Hall and more.
  • Rebel Hearts (Sunday, streaming on discovery+): While the rest of us were watching The Sound of Music in the 1960s, a group of activist nuns from L.A.’s The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were fighting for equality within the patriarchal Catholic Church. This documentary tells their story through archival footage, interviews and paper doll-like animation.