The Return of Happy Gilmore, Dexter’s Dinner Party, Shark Week Circles the Globe, ‘Smoke’ Heats Up

Happy Gilmore 2

It only took about 30 years, but Adam Sandler is back to wreak havoc on the golf course as Happy Gilmore, the raucous hero of the 1996 hit comedy. This time around, he picks up the clubs to help pay for his daughter Vienna’s (Sunny Sandler) ballet school, with real-life pros including Rory McIlroy and current #1 player Scottie Scheffler among the many cameos. Bad Bunny (aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) co-stars as his caddy, with return appearances by Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller and Christopher McDonald as Happy’s unhappy nemesis Shooter McGavin. Among the legion of famous faces getting in on the action: the Kelce brothers and Jeopardy GOAT Ken Jennings, perhaps filling the void of a fellow game-show host, the late Bob Barker, who memorably tangled with Happy in the original movie.

Dexter: Resurrection

This was an invitation too tempting to refuse: a dinner party for “like-minded” serial killers. The suspenseful spinoff goes baroque as Dexter (Michael C. Hall) poses as the “dark passenger” killer he recently dispatched to attend the secret gathering. He’s the new guest of honor of wealthy fanboy Leon Prater (Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage), who promises, “Your secrets are safe with me.” But are his fellow guests safe? The rogues’ gallery, which Dexter views as an “all-you-can-eat buffet” of potential future victims, includes such scene-stealers as Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Stonestreet, Krysten Ritter and Murderbot‘s David Dastmalchian. In developments from the outside world, Dexter’s former Miami colleague Angel Batista (David Zayas) scours New York City for Dex’s son Harrison (Jack Alcott), who still has no idea that his dad is still alive. The episode premieres Sunday on Showtime.

Smoke

Showrunner and novelist Dennis Lehane writes a pivotal episode of the slow-burning crime drama, in which excitable ex-cop Ezra Esposito (John Leguizamo) and current task-force detective Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett) try to convince fire chief Harvey Englehart (Greg Kinnear) that his ace arson investigator Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton) is himself a notorious arsonist. Veep alum Anna Chlumsky joins the show as an ATF agent who also has Dave in her sights. Unaware he’s being tracked, Dave shows that despite his very dark side, he’s still pretty good at his job, following new leads to the “milk jug” arsonist, Freddy (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), who’s planning one last and terrible blaze.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

The enthralling, revealing documentary profile of “Piano Man” Billy Joel continues with its second half (also a generous two-and-a-half hours), presenting his biography through music. Joel gets serious with gritty hits including “Allentown” and “Goodnight Saigon” and ties the knot with supermodel Christie “Uptown Girl” Brinkley. With insights into Joel’s Jewish heritage and musical evolution, the film builds to his triumphant residency at Madison Square Garden.

Great White Reign of Terror (8/7c, Discovery): Where will Shark Week go next? Try South Africa, where shark experts investigate recent fatal shark attacks reminiscent of the notorious “Black December” of 1957 when six people were killed. Followed by Florida’s Death Beach (9/8c), a report on how New Smyrna Beach became known as the “Shark Attack Capital of the World,” and Bull Shark Showdown (10/9c), which attempts to prove whether Australian or American bull sharks are the toughest of the species.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• Malcolm-Jamal Warner Tribute (6/5c, TV One): A marathon of vintage episodes of The Cosby Show, focusing on Theo Huxtable over the years, honors the actor who died of drowning earlier this week in Costa Rica. Another marathon begins Sunday at noon/ET.
• Big Brother: Unlocked (8/7c, CBS): Fan-favorite Big Brother winners Taylor Hale (Season 24) and Derrick Levasseur (Season 16) host a biweekly recap “after show” featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the claustrophobic reality contest and segments titled “Big Move/Bad Move” and “Binge Worthy or Cringe Worthy.” They’ll be joined by fellow Big Brother alums and mystery celebrity guests to break down the action.
• Resident Alien (10/9c, Syfy): After taking down his alien father last week, who will Harry (Alan Tudyk) enlist to help save the town of Paradise?
• Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross (streaming on The Roku Channel): The black-ish star offers tips on how best to enjoy traveling alone with excursions to Morocco, Mexico and Spain.
• Death of a Unicorn (streaming on HBO Max): The fantasy/horror comedy makes its streaming debut, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn, with harrowing consequences. The movie premieres on HBO Saturday at 8/7c.
• The Phoenician Scheme (streaming on Peacock): Also making its streaming debut: Wes Anderson‘s stylized dark comedy starring Benecio del Toro.
• Monster Island (streaming on Shudder): All Creatures Great and Small‘s Callum Woodhouse costars with Dean Fujioka in a WWII-era horror thriller about a British POW and Japanese soldier stranded on a deserted island, overcoming their mutual suspicions to face the wrath of a mythical creature (styled after The Creature from the Black Lagoon) known as the Orang Ikan.