‘The Bear’ Open for Business, Jensen Ackles in ‘Countdown,’ Remembering Anne Burrell, Flagging the NBA Draft

The Bear

Can The Bear — the fictional restaurant, not the series — survive a bad review? That question haunts the fourth season of the FX-produced Emmy-winning dramedy, with all 10 episodes available for a binge. As the trailer teases, a literal ticking clock adds urgency, dictating that the work-in-progress fine-dining Chicago eatery faces a deadline (roughly two months) to get their affairs in order or risk running out of money and going dark. Will moody master chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) compromise his ideals for the sake of his embattled staff? Can they all get along?

Countdown

Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, The Boys) brings his trademark cocky swagger to a generic action romp, introducing an alphabet-soup covert task force including DEA, FBI and LAPD — Ackles representing the latter as maverick homicide detective Mark Meacham. He’s first seen undercover in prison, involved in a brawl, when he’s plucked by no-nonsense Special Agent Nathan Blythe (Grey’s Anatomy alum Eric Dane) to help investigate what’s behind the in-broad-daylight killing of a Homeland Security officer (played by a recognizable TV face). Paired with prickly DEA pro Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho), Meacham and the team soon realize the stakes are higher than they imagined, with “enough missing fission material to fuel a Chernobyl-level event right here in Los Angeles.” Launches with three episodes.

NBA Draft

The confetti has barely settled after Sunday’s final game of the NBA season, and already the league is looking to prospects for the future. The two-night draft event returns to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with the Dallas Mavericks awarded the first overall pick in the draft lottery. Their likely choice: Duke standout Cooper Flagg. Analysts also are high on Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, who could be headed to the San Antonio Spurs, picking at No. 2. Kevin Neghandi hosts ABC‘s coverage with analysts Stephen A. Smith and two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bob Myers. Malika Andrews hosts ESPN‘s coverage with analysts Jay Bilas, Kendrick Perkins and Andraya Carter on set. The draft continues Thursday on ESPN.

Stick

In the fictional sports world of this good-natured golf comedy, Pryce (Owen Wilson) gives his young protégé Santi (Peter Dager) and the rest of his entourage some breathing room in advance of the U.S. Amateur Championship. While Santi’s mom, Elena (Mariana Treviño), opens up to the curmudgeonly Mitts (Marc Maron), Santi explores his options with Zero (Lilli Kay), but the secret hovering over their budding relationship could present a distraction at the worst possible time.

Anne Burrell Tribute (10/9c, Food Network): In a salute to Anne Burrell, the colorful TV chef who passed away June 17 at 55, Food Network is showing what amounts to a highlight reel of several of her memorable appearances on the channel. First up: an episode of Guy’s Grocery Games (10/9c) in which she competed against fellow chefs Eric Greenspan, Jet Tila and Marcel Vigneron. Followed by episodes at 11/10 and 11:30/10:30c of her signature series, Worst Cooks in America. Food Network has set July 28 as a premiere date for her final season as mentor on Worst Cooks, subtitled Talented and Terrible.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• MasterChef: Dynamic Duos (8/7c, Fox): In the first team challenge, the Top 10 duos head to a pier to feed more than 100 local fishermen and women. Followed by a new episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service (9/8c).
• Sullivan’s Crossing (8/7c, The CW): A search and rescue team goes looking for Lola (Amalia Williamson) and Jacob (Joel Oulette) when they don’t return from the woods. Followed by new episodes of Children Ruin Everything at 9/8c and 9:30/8:30c.
• Human Footprint (9/8c, PBS): The second season of biologist Shane Campbell-Staton‘s series about how humans have transformed the planet opens with a study of the impact of supermarkets from New York City to Thailand.

ON THE STREAM;

• The Ultimatum: Queer Love 2 (streaming on Netflix): The reality show returns with six new couples of women and non-binary partners deciding after eight weeks (and swapping partners) whether to get married or split. A second batch of episodes drops next Wednesday.
• Nine Perfect Strangers (streaming on Hulu): Season 2’s penultimate episode reveals more about Helena (Lena Olin) following last week’s surprise revelation, when Martin (Lucas Englander) tells the guests about the Zauberwald retreat’s past and possible future.
• Outrageous (8 pm/ET, BritBox): The Mitford sisters become embroiled in controversial politics when Nancy (Bessie Carter) writes a novel mocking the Blackshirts, which annoys Diana (Joanna Vanderham), while Unity (Shannon Watson) heads to Munich in hopes of meeting Hitler.