Disney Celebrates America, Wimbledon Begins, New ‘Adventure Time’ Quests, Black History in the Revolution

Disney Celebrates America

The Disney brand puts its own distinct stamp on this year’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday in a two-hour special hosted by 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts and correspondent Will Reeve. The broadcast uses Disney’s theme parks and their attractions as a starting point for a road trip to spotlight the nation’s greatest attributes and traditions. Segments include a retrospective of ABC News coverage of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, a profile of the Savannah Bananas baseball entertainers, a visit with musician Jon Batiste to New Orleans’ fabled J&M Recording Studio, and a survey of the most enduring American-made toys.

Wimbledon

Coverage starts early for the first round of the Grand Slam from the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. As with the French Open, superstar Carlos Alcaraz is sitting out the tournament to nurse a wrist injury, depriving fans of a rematch with World No. 1 and defending champ Jannik Sinner, with seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic still in the running. Defending women’s champ Iga Świątek faces a tough field, including No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, American star Coco Gauff, Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina, and French Open winner Mirra Andreeva.

Adventure Time: Side Quests

In a throwback to the Emmy and Peabody-winning animated adventure’s early days, the latest spinoff follows a young Finn (voiced by Sasha Knight) and his loyal magical dog Jake (John DiMaggio) on a new set of adventures in the fantasy land of Ooo. “Ready to get pulverized?” Finn asks his canine companion. “As long as it’s with you, my man,” he answers, as hand in paw, they head back into the clouds for more exhilarating exploits.

Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War

The Declaration of Independence’s assertion that “all men are created equal” didn’t extend its liberties to the enslaved and freed Black people in the colonies. An eye-opening documentary tells the stories of four Black individuals who took a stand during the Revolutionary War to fight for the ideals of democracy and their own freedom with a hopeful eye towards America’s future. Artist Hudson Campbell provides oil-based portraits of these little-known figures, including James Lafayette, who served as a double agent for the Patriots; Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, who sued a Massachusetts patriot while living in his home; Abraham Peyton Skipwith, an enslaved man who petitioned for his freedom and become one of Virginia’s first Black landowners; and Harry Washington, one of George Washington’s own slaves, who fled Mount Vernon to join the British.

Harry Wild

Private eye Harry Wild (Jane Seymour) makes a powerful new enemy in the Irish mystery series when she and sidekick Fergus (Rohan Nedd) are consulted by a pair of local cat burglars, one of whom witnessed a murder while hiding under a bed during her latest break-in. The killer: ruthless politician Nicholas Samson (Andrew Macklin), who’s covered his tracks so well that while they may know whodunit, proving it is going to be difficult for them and for Harry’s Chief Superintendent son, Charlie (Kevin Ryan).

INSIDE MONDAY TV:

• FIFA World Cup: The knockout round continues on Fox with Brazil vs. Japan in Houston (1 pm/ET), Germany vs. Paraguay in Boston (4:30 pm/ET), and Netherlands vs. Morocco in Guadelupe, Mexico (9/8c).
• World War II with Tom Hanks (8/7c, History Channel): The latest chapters of the historical docuseries depict the Allies’ military campaigns in Italy and the air battles against the German Luftwaffe in the skies above Europe.
• American Ninja Warrior (9/8c, NBC): Eastern Regional Qualifying rounds begin in Las Vegas.
• Titanic Sinks Tonight (9/8c, National Geographic): The docuseries’ final two episodes depict the mad scramble to board lifeboats and to survive the sinking of the doomed ocean liner.
• Beautiful Thing (9:30/8:30c, Turner Classic Movies): Before Heartstopper, there was this 1996 British charmer about two working-class teenage boys who fall for each other against a soundtrack of classic Mamas & the Papas and Cass Elliot tunes. The movie makes its TCM debut as part of a Pride-themed evening of independent LGBTQ+ films.
• Instant Italian with Anna Gass (10/9c, FYI): Mamma mia, those are some mouth-watering Italian dishes concocted by chef Anna Gass, reflecting her childhood visits to the Calabria region. The second season opens with a demonstration of tiramisu brownies. Yum!