‘Rainmaker’ Revisited, Stand Up to Cancer, the Skinny on ‘Biggest Loser,’ ‘Smoke’ Finale

The Rainmaker

John Grisham’s 1995 novel, which led to a 1997 hit movie starring Matt Damon, is now a TV series, starring British actor Milo Callaghan as South Carolina underdog Rudy Baylor, a recent law school grad who goes up against some of Charleston’s top lawyers in a solid if familiar legal melodrama. After being rejected by the town’s top law firm, whose ruthless managing partner Leo Drummond (Mad Men‘s John Slattery) introduces himself by announcing, “I am the punishment of God” — subtlety isn’t The Rainmaker‘s strong suit — Rudy finds work with a bottom-feeding operation (based in an abandoned taco joint) led by the brash Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Once Upon a Time‘s Lana Parrilla having a blast). Complicating matters: Rudy’s girlfriend Sarah (Madison Iseman) is a new protégé of Leo’s, and they’ve assigned her to the uphill wrongful-death case Rudy is taking to court. This is already clicking on more cylinders than the misbegotten Suits LA spinoff ever did.

Stand Up to Cancer

More than 30 broadcast, cable and streaming platforms are donating an hour of prime time for the ninth biennial event raising awareness and funds for cancer research. Originating from Nashville, the special is hosted by Sheryl Crow, with remarks by SU2C co-founder Katie Couric. Crow leads a performing roster including Jonas Brothers, Jelly Roll, Gavin DeGraw, Dan + Shay and CeCe Winans joined by Nashville Community Gospel Choir. With taped messages from the likes of Kevin Bacon, Jamie Foxx, Zoe Saldaña and Reese Witherspoon, the hour features reports from researchers funded by the SU2C organization on new advances in fighting the disease.

Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser

Before Ozempic and its ilk altered the weight-loss landscape, NBC’s The Biggest Loser provided a popular showcase for severely overweight contestants to shed pounds (34,033 in all) in a boot-camp setting that came under scrutiny for its potentially unsafe methods and criticism for stereotyping its participants. A three-part docuseries digs into the show’s controversies, life-altering achievements and mixed legacy, with longtime trainer and eventual host Bob Harper describing the producers’ mandate: “We want the madness of it all!”

Smoke

Well, that happened. The arson crime drama became overheated in its rush to this week’s finale, and that trend continues in the fiery climax. Michelle Calderone’s (Jurnee Smolett) cover-up of a bizarre accidental death, and her clumsy attempt to frame Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton) for the one fire he didn’t set, ignites the most incendiary showdown to date. And to think for the first half of the series, we were complaining what a slow burn it all was.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood

With all of the action now firmly grounded in the early 1700s, most of the action in the Outlander prequel this week involves divisions within the MacKenzie clan, with brothers Colum (Séamus McLean Ross) and Dougal (Sam Retford) debating which of them should be their next laird. Leave it to resourceful sister Ellen (Harriet Slater), whose secret forbidden affair with Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) continues to heat up, to straighten out her family’s mess. Back at the Fraser abode, 20^th-century transplant Julia (Hermione Corfield), trapped in servitude as a housekeeper for the vile Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), takes desperate measures to protect her pregnancy.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• Dora the Explorer (11:30 am/10:30c, Nickelodeon): The popular children’s cartoon marks its 25^th anniversary with “Dora’s Birthday Surprise.”
• The Great American Recipe (9/8c, PBS): Food influencer and TV chef Jake Cohen (Jake Makes It Easy) joins the culinary competition as guest judge for the Season 4 finale, with the top three contestants cooking their hearts out for the win.
• Magic City: An American Fantasy (10/9c, Starz): Following the Season 4 finale of BMF (9/8c), a five-part docuseries explores the cultural impact and four-decade history of Atlanta’s fabled strip club, Magic City, regarded as the “Black Studio 54.”

ON THE STREAM:

• Limitless with Chris Hemsworth (streaming on Disney+ and Hulu): The Thor actor continues his quest to push himself to get the most out of life in a second season of the world-spanning docuseries. Hemsworth tests his memory and cognitive function by playing drums onstage with Ed Sheeran, confronts his chronic pain in South Korea by engaging in Special Forces training, and takes a risk by scaling a nearly 600-foot climbing wall in the Swiss Alps. The episodes air Aug. 25 on National Geographic.
• Dexter: Resurrection (streaming on Paramount+ With Showtime): After learning his two-faced secret, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) has a risky and fateful showdown with Gemini Killer Gareth (David Dastmalchian) during a lavish retreat hosted by serial-killer fanboy Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage). Back on the mainland, Dexter’s son Harrison (Jack Alcott) shows an interest in criminology while Angel (David Zayas) continues poking into Dexter’s life. The episode airs Sunday on Showtime.
• Betty la Fea: La Historia Continúa (streaming on Prime Video): The popular Columbian telenovela (whose original series inspired ABC‘s Ugly Betty) returns for a second season.
• Night Always Comes (streaming on Netflix): The Crown‘s Vanessa Kirby walks on the dark side in a drama about a woman who takes increasingly desperate measures to secure $25,000 in one night to hold on to a house that could keep her family together.
• Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical (streaming on Apple TV+): Originally announced for July, the first new musical Peanuts special in 35 years features music from composer Jeff Morrow and singer-songwriter Ben Folds as the gang heads back to summer camp.