Return of ‘Double Dare,’ Dating in ‘Dietland,’ ‘Salvation’ on CBS, HBO’s ‘Believer’
A selective critical checklist of notable Monday TV:
Double Dare (8/7c, Nickelodeon): The show that made slime cool gets another comeback, this time with YouTube personality Liza Koshy presiding over the sloppy shenanigans and gameplay. Original host Marc Summers is also on hand to provide color commentary, but the fun of Double Dare, as it was for a generation of kids in the 1980s and ’90s, is watching teams perform messy stunts in hopes of making it to the final slapstick obstacle course. Last one to the giant runny nose is a loser.
Dietland (9/8c, AMC): A pivotal episode of this fierce social satire sends Plum (the terrific Joy Nash) on an important phase of her New Baptist Plan makeover: dating. (You’re the Worst‘s Desmin Borges is among her awkward suitors.) While Plum’s mom (Debra Monk) debates Verena (Robin Weigert) over what’s best for her daughter, boss lady Kitty (Julianna Margulies) makes a fateful decision about how the Austen magazines will handle the manifesto from the Jennifer terrorists. Little do they suspect how the radical activist group’s latest target will rock both Kitty’s and Plum’s worlds.
Salvation (9/8c, CBS): The apocalyptic cat is out of the bag when the entire world becomes aware of the asteroid threat in the second season of the summer sci-fi thriller. With fear and civil unrest the new norm, the race to avert extinction-event catastrophe is further complicated by the hacktivist group Re/Syst and the machinations of treasonous former temporary president Monroe Bennett (Sasha Roiz).
Believer (8/7c, HBO): Music as a bridge to acceptance is the theme of this documentary, featuring Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, who challenges his Mormon church to open its heart to LGBTQ members. Alarmed at the teen suicide rate in Utah, Reynolds organizes a LoveLoud Festival to promote tolerance and inclusivity, even as church leadership doubles down on anti-queer rhetoric.
Inside Monday TV: A&E’s Cultureshock examines modern pop-culture icons in a five-part series, starting with “Michael Jackson’s Final Curtain Call” (9/8c), from director Thom Zimny (Elvis Presley: The Searcher), who focuses on the King of Pop’s tragic last days… We know he can dance, but World of Dance‘s Derek Hough shows he can fast-step with nature on NBC’s Running Wild With Bear Grylls (8/7c) when he accompanies the naturalist on a trek through the mountains of Bulgaria… Anthony Andrews hosts TNT’s second annual presentation of the 2018 NBA Awards (9/8c) from L.A.’s Barker Hangar, where top players from the NBA’s 2017-18 season will be celebrated. Travis Scott performs.
