New ‘Real Housewives,’ Shift Change at ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Manifest’ Reunion on ‘Hunting Party,’ ‘Matlock’s In-House Client

The Real Housewives of Rhode Island

Just this week, The Boston Globe wondered why their fair city had been overlooked, or perhaps spared, in the Real Housewives sweepstakes. (According to a local casting agent, Beantown’s wealthiest women are too private, and “are just not going to put themselves out there like that.”) The same can’t be said for the ladies of Rhode Island, who cavort and kvetch in such storied locales as Newport and Block Island in the franchise’s latest iteration. The cast includes local TV news anchor Rosie, cannabis queen Liz, Bachelor in Paradise alum Ashley, wealth manager Rulla, former Miss Rhode Island Kelsey, and town gossip Jo-Ellen, who in the opener hosts a July 4 party that has everybody buzzing.

The Pitt

It’s still July 4 on the riveting Emmy-winning medical drama, and while the day shift is officially off the clock in the 7 p.m. hour and making room for the overnight workers (including Emmy winner Shawn Hatosy as Dr. Abbot), the fallout from the computer downtime has many of the weary docs staying put, scanning files. One of my favorite TV character actors, Mary McCormack (The West Wing, In Plain Sight), drops by the Emergency Department as the hospital’s chief of neurosurgery, handling a tough case and walking Dr. Javadi (Shabana Azeez), whom she’s known since the young med student was a fetus, though a delicate procedure. Among the patients, Charles Barker has been a Season 2 standout as the unhoused and overwhelmed Digby, who breaks the heart as he submits to the kind treatment by nurses Dana (Katherine LaNasa) and rookie Emma (Laëtitia Hollard) during quieter moments. Geoffrey Owens also guest stars.

The Hunting Party

They once played siblings on the network’s sci-fi drama Manifest, but Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas are now on opposite sides of the law in the latest episode of the serial-killer-of-the-week thriller. FBI profiler Bex (Roxburgh) and her team are now on the lookout for Elliot Carr (Dallas), aka the “Connecticut Cobbler,” a shoemaker whose one-of-a-kind creations feature exotic materials like alligator, rhino, and, yuck, human skin. Back in business after escaping the Pit, where he was exposed to a fiendish form of psychological torture, Carr has found a new method to collect his specimens. If that weren’t enough, Bex is also acting on suspicions that the task force’s new boss, Lazarus (Kari Matchett), recently revealed to be Shane’s (Josh McKenzie) mother, may not be the reformed killer she professes to be.

Matlock

Matty (Kathy Bates) has always tried to keep her distance from jury consultant and “human lie detector” Shae Banfield (Yael Grobglas) for obvious reasons. But that won’t be possible when she’s assigned to represent Shae after Jacobson Moore’s in-house expert is charged with bribery and jury tampering in their latest case. It’s an unwelcome distraction from Matty and Edwin’s (Sam Anderson) 50th-anniversary celebrations. Elsewhere, Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) and Julian (Jason Ritter) team up to find a scientist who could shed light on the never-ending Wellbrexa situation.

Law & Order

Reid Scott, now in his third season as senior detective Vincent Riley, steps into the spotlight when Riley is involved in an on-duty car accident while obsessing over a troubling case involving a body discovered in a suitcase. The episode also introduces Riley’s wife, Tara (Cadden Jones), for the first time. Followed by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (9/8c), where the SVU crew responds when a woman recovers a buried memory of assault while undergoing psychedelic therapy.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (8/7c, CBS): Young Sheldon‘s Zoe Perry (Mary) and Raegan Revord (Missy) guest-star when Mandy (Emily Osment) gets in hot water with her mother-in-law after giving Missy advice about boys.
• 9-1-1 (8/7c, ABC): The 118 crew comes under scrutiny after a fire call, asked to account for possible mistakes. Followed by 9-1-1: Nashville (9/8c), where dispatcher Cammie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) butts into a murder investigation, while the 113 arrives at a fertility clinic that has lost power.
• Next Level Chef (8/7c, Fox): The multi-level kitchen becomes a pub, where chefs play beer pong to win more ingredients.
• Ghosts (8:30/7:30c, CBS): Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) uses a water-heater upgrade as a campaign issue with the basement ghosts, while Kyle (Ben Feldman) pretends to be dating Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) in hopes of making Bela (Punam Patel) jealous.
• Animal Control (8/7c, Fox): Frank (Joel McHale) competes with nemesis Templeton (Gerry Dee) for Animal Control officer of the year. Followed by Going Dutch (9:30/8:30c), with the base hosting its first international peace talks.
• Elsbeth (10/9c, CBS): “Everyone we’re meeting lately is the worst,” complains Elsbeth (Carrie Preston), who tangles with the snooty organizer of a posh debutante ball (Succession‘s J. Smith-Cameron, sporting Anna Wintour‘s hairstyle) who the sleuth suspects may be responsible for the stabbed-by-sword murder of a rich benefactor.
• Grey’s Anatomy (10/9c, ABC): There’s mommy drama at Grey Sloan when Jo (Camilla Luddington) reports back to work after her maternity leave, and Owen (Kevin McKidd) is alarmed when his mother Evelyn (Everwood‘s Debra Mooney) is admitted as a patient.
• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (11:35/10:35c, CBS): The legendary Paul Simon drops in for an interview and performance, with Ramy Youssef the other scheduled guest.

 ON THE STREAM:

• XO, Kitty (streaming on Netflix): It’s senior year at KISS (the Korean Independent School of Seoul) in the YA romantic dramedy, and Kitty’s (Anna Cathcart) “Senior Sunset List” includes defining her relationship with Min-ho (Sang Heon Lee) before it’s too late.
• Revival With Lawrence Jones (streaming on Fox Nation): The Fox & Friends co-host leads a five-part series exploring a spiritual resurgence among the Gen Z faithful.
• Hope Valley: 1874 (streaming on Hallmark+): Rebecca (Bethany Joy Lenz) opens a mess tent to raise money for boardinghouse repairs in the When Calls the Heart prequel.