Raylan Givens Returns in ‘Justified’ Sequel, ‘Sharknado’ 10th Anniversary Marathon, Meet Some Southern Storytellers, ‘Silent Witness’ Speaks Up

Series Premiere

10/9c

Not seen since he hung up his cowboy hat in 2015, ultra-cool U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant in his signature role) returns in the limited-series sequel Justified: City Primeval. Circumstances thrust Raylan from his new home base of Miami to the urban jungle of Detroit, with his sullen daughter Willa (played by real-life daughter Vivian Olyphant) in tow. Though the big-city locals patronize the “cowboy marshal,” they’ll soon learn just how formidable he is as he tangles with an ambitious defense lawyer (the terrific Aunjanue Ellis) and pursues a psychopath known as the ”Oklahoma Wildman” (Boyd Holbrook, having a ball). Opens with two of eight episodes, none to be missed. (See the full review.)

With Discovery’s Shark Week just days away, Syfy puts its own ridiculously cheesy spin on our obsession with the finned predators in a 10^th-anniversary salute to the franchise that sent deadly sharks flying through the air with the greatest of glee. The afternoon replays some of the B-movies in reverse order, but if you want to watch them in proper sequence, the OG Sharknado airs at 6 pm/5c followed by Sharknado 2: The Second One (8/7c), Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (10/9c), Sharknado: The 4^th Awakens (midnight/11c), Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2 am/1c) and The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time (4 am/3c). The constants in this feeding frenzy are Ian Ziering and Tara Reid as a couple who keep finding themselves in the eye, and teeth, of the storm.

Documentary Premiere

9/8c

A three-part docuseries goes down home with some of the South’s most distinctive voices — including in music, literature and film — to explore the diverse communities from Appalachia to the swamps of the Gulf of Mexico that nurtured their art. Among the participants: Lyle Lovett, Billy Bob Thornton, Mary Steenburgen, National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward, poet Jericho Brown, and singer-songwriters Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Thao Nguyen, and Adia Victoria.

Season Premiere

Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise doesn’t have a monopoly on longevity. Witness the 26^th season of the British crime drama, led by Emilia Fox as Dr. Nikki Alexander, whose crack team of forensic pathologists and scientists puzzle over five two-part mysteries (all available for binge watching). Their work begins with an investigation into a man’s fatal fall from a London bank that leads to an underworld mafia operation.

INSIDE TUESDAY TV:

• Down to Earth with Zac Efron (8/7c, The CW): The network’s latest import comes from Netflix, with Daytime Emmy-winning host Zac Efron traveling the globe in search of sustainable and healthy ways to live. First stop: Iceland, a land of renewable energy—and spas. Followed by another travel docuseries, Fantastic Friends (9/8c), in which Happy Potter alums James and Oliver Phelps visit famous pals, including Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams on a St. Lucia vacation in the Caribbean.
• Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (10/9c, HBO): Segments include a profile of NBA star-turned-NASCAR team owner Brad Daugherty, a report on endangered Iranian athlete-activists, Mary Carillo’s look at Special Olympics athletes in Florida, and an update with explorer Victor Vescovo, who discusses the OceanGate submersible tragedy.
• Love Island USA (streaming on Peacock): Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland hosts the fifth competition of the reality competition series where singles head to Fiji to hook up and find temptation with new “bombshells” who keep arriving to shake up the status quo, while home viewers weigh in to vote on who stays and goes. Airs nightly for the first week, and Thursdays through Tuesdays regularly (taking Wednesdays off, presumably for rest).
• I Wanna Rock: The ’80s Metal Dream (streaming on Paramount+): From MTV Entertainment Studios and Gunpowder & Sky, a three-part docuseries relives the big-hair days of the 1980s’ controversial heavy metal craze.