‘She-Hulk,’ Peacock’s ‘Undeclared War,’ Selena in the Kitchen, A&E Goes In and Out of Prison

Series Premiere

Sounds like a joke, and mostly it is—which is a good thing, because a Marvel series that doesn’t take itself too seriously is always welcome. Ambitious lawyer Jennifer Walters (Orphan Black’s fabulous Tatiana Maslany) is in on the joke, often addressing the camera with “would you believe” asides, but she’s not always amused once her blood become intwined with that of her famous cousin: Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), aka The Hulk. Outed in the courtroom as a Hulk in lawyer’s clothes, Jen finds new work as an attorney specializing in the new field of superhuman law (it’s the MCU, after all). The pilot episode gives us the backstory, including a slapstick training homage at Bruce’s Mexico retreat/lab where they bring out the beast in each other. Familiar faces from the MCU including Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination and Benedict Wong as Wong will soon enter the picture, all seeming to enjoy the lark. (Episodes stream weekly.)

Series Premiere

Following in a tradition of taut six-part international thrillers imported to the streamer (Trigger Point, Vigil, The Capture, etc.), the latest nail-biter is more of an intellectual thriller, hoping to get pulses racing by watching code upload. The setting: the U.K.’s cyber-focused GCHQ, where techies monitor but are unable to stop Russian hackers and bots from interfering in an election, sowing chaos through high-tech fakery. Enter 21-year-old Saara (Hannah Khalique-Brown), an emotionally insecure but brilliant student intern whose ability to think outside the box keeps surprising her alarmingly inferior superiors. Does peace have a chance? (The entire series is available for a binge.)

Season Premiere

Familiar TV chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Rachael Ray and Ludo Lefebvre are among the masters of the kitchen giving Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez tips of the trade in the foodie-friendly series’ fourth season. Befitting a summer premiere, Gomez takes it all in while staying in a Malibu beach house with friends and family. As before, each chef represents a different charity.

Season Premiere

9/8c

In a new twist for the undercover docuseries, the seven participants who willingly go behind bars to investigate conditions within Georgia’s Henry County Jail are all former prison inmates themselves. Collectively, they’ve served more than 40 years, and their goal in spending another two months in jail is to root out illegal activity and other aspects of local prison life to help newly elected Sheriff Reginald Scandrett live up to his campaign platform of improving prison conditions.

Series Premiere

10/9c

A new companion piece to the prison franchise spotlights seven newly released inmates who are adjusting to life outside with the help of everyday strangers who’ve welcomed them into their homes. It’s a social experiment designed to curb the high rate of recidivism, but can these new roomies make it work?

Inside Thursday TV:

• Bump (8/7c, The CW): In the Australian teen dramedy about the aftermath of an unexpected pregnancy and childbirth, Oly’s (Nathalie Morris) family has a face-to-face meeting with baby daddy Santi (Carlos Sanson Jr.) and his folks to work out this messy situation
• 101 Places to Party Before You Die (11/10c, truTV): In the weed- and whiskey-infused travelogue, Adam Pally and best bud Jon Gabrus head to Portland, Oregon to celebrate Adam’s 40th birthday. Not that they’re likely to remember much about it afterward.
• The Diana Investigations (streaming on discovery+): Among the many remembrances of Princess Diana on the 25th anniversary this month of her untimely death, a four-part docuseries examines the fatal crash from the viewpoint of those who investigated the high-speed tragedy, promising new insight and details.
• Glorious (streaming on Shudder): True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten stars in director Rebekah McKendry’s bizarre horror film as an unfortunate soul who finds himself locked and trapped inside a rest-stop restroom. (Ick.) Oscar winner J.K. Simmons is a mystery man in the adjoining stall who may be able to shed light on their increasingly weird and terrible situation.
• American Horror Stories (streaming on Hulu): The spooky anthology takes a stab at the legend of Bloody Mary, when a gaggle of teenage girls learn the hard way that every wish comes at a dire cost.
• Inside the Mind of a Cat (streaming on Netflix): In a purr-fectly intriguing documentary, feline experts share their theories on what our cuddly but enigmatic friends might actually be thinking.
• Rise (streaming on Hulu and ESPN+): The Disney+ original film, which tells the inspiring true sports story of the Antetokounmpo brothers and their emergence as NBA stars, expands to the other spokes of the Disney Bundle.
• When You Least Expect It (streaming on Paramount+): A Spanish-language drama series follows the paths of five members of a group therapy session, each dealing with the loss of a loved one.