‘Insecure’ and ‘Ballers’ on HBO, ‘Get Shorty’ and ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Return
A critical checklist of notable weekend TV:
Insecure (Sunday, 10:30/9:30c, HBO): With a well-deserved Emmy nomination as lead comedy actress for the second season of this winningly raunchy comedy, Issa Rae is on a career high — so it’s only fitting that her fictional character of Issa Dee has never been less secure, or more appealing, as the third season gets underway. Money, work, sex: The worse things get for Issa, the richer the humor. As we rejoin Issa, she’s in the awkward situation of being kept awake at night by the noisy lovemaking of her ex, Daniel (Y’lan Noel), while sleeping on his couch. To make ends meet, in hopes of saving enough for her own place, she begins driving at night, and you haven’t lived until you’re taken a ride in Issa’s “party Lyft,” which inevitably descends into comic chaos.
Also returning to HBO, Ballers (Sunday, 10/9c) launches its fourth season with Spencer (Dwayne Johnson) and Joe (Rob Corddry) looking to expand their business by acquiring an extreme-sport agency.
Get Shorty (Sunday, 9/8c, Epix): Hollywood has never seemed more cutthroat than in the rollicking second season of this savage satire, a dark-comedy crime caper inspired by Elmore Leonard. Irish charmer Chris O’Dowd and hilariously frazzled Ray Romano star as movie producers under the thumb of a lethal Nevada crime family. As they nervously await a look at the finished version of their first joint project, a vapid period piece titled The Admiral’s Mistress, a setback raises the stakes for the movie’s financial future. And Rick (Romano) is sweating bullets now that the feds (including new cast member Felicity Huffman) are forcing him to wear a wire.
Fear the Walking Dead (Sunday, 9/8c, AMC): It’s literally raining zombies as a creatively resurgent fourth season of the zombie-apocalypse spinoff resumes, at the moment more compelling and intriguing than the original. While a storm rages, sending the undead flying through the air, Morgan (Lennie James) urges his new cohorts to join him on a road trip, but John (Garret Dillahunt), June (Jenna Elfman), Strand (Colman Domingo) and especially a grieving Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey), still reeling from the loss of her mother, are busy trying to figure out their own purpose in this bleak world.
Inside Weekend TV: Paramount Network’s I Am Paul Walker (Saturday, 9/8c) celebrates the career and humanitarian activities of the popular The Fast and the Furious movie star who died in 2013 in a tragic car accident. His family shares memories and never-before-seen footage in this biographical portrait… DIY Network’s The Vanilla Ice Project (Saturday, 10/9c) returns with the pop star (aka Rob VanWinkle) leading his “construction ninjas” on a 10-episode renovation of a 1970s Palm Beach property into a state-of-the-art show-stopper. Highlights include a 30-person hot tub, a five-car garage, an airport hanger and gym… Nick Cannon hosts Fox’s live broadcast of Teen Choice 2018 (Sunday, 8/7c), with Lele Pons as cohost and featuring performances by Meghan Trainor, Bebe Rexha, Khalid and The Four‘s Season 1 winner Evvie McKinney… The Claws are out in the second-season finale of TNT’s over-the-top melodrama (Sunday, 9/8c), as Desna (Niecy Nash) prepares for her wedding while a hurricane approaches Palmetto and opposing forces clash at a golf resort.
Conversation11 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
R
Sunday...DELIGHTED that Get Shorty returns (one of the MOST engaging/compelling shows on TV)...GLAD that FearTWD returns (OK for tiding me over until TWD returns)...
Will also DVR:
Sharp Objects...picking up a little speed as it goes along...
Preacher...started FULL speed...continues FULL speed...
The Affair...will, probably, continue following even though the character I MAINLY tuned in to see...committed suicide last week...
-
R
Tonight I'll watch Doctor Blake Mysteries (I think the channel is airing the series' finale, a 2-hour movie). There are also some decent things on other cable networks, so it should be entertaining enough.
As for Sunday, Elementary is moved to Sundays, not sure if that's just for htis weekend or for the rest of its season, but that works for me.
BTW, is anyone thinking of getting (or already have) BritBox? It's a streaming service, like Netflix or Hulu, but specializes in British shows from BBC, both new and old. Doctor Who, East Enders, Inspector Morse. Ooh, and even the "perfect" Sherlock Holmes series, with Jeremy Brett.
-
C
I think Acorn is even better than BritBox, it has some great series not just from Britain but other European countries as well.
I'm considering getting it but the lack of money and time is unforgiving.
-
C
I agree about Acorn. I've been tempted to try it out before, but I don't have enough time to watch it enough to make it worth the cost. Last week, we were talking about shows I'd like to see on Hulu, and sometimes there are shows that interest me on Netflix.
I already pay nearly $100.00 a month for rather basic cable. I can't justify paying for other services just for a show or two.
1
-
-
C
Fear the Walking Dead! Then, Preacher! Then, Talking Dead! It's like a party on AMC on Sundays for me! Also, the return of Worst Cooks for some comic relief!
-
C
Same three Sunday shows for me! I'm enjoying "Fear" more than that other Dead show.
I'm glad Chris Hardwick is staying put on "Talking Dead".
-
R
Animal Planet is rerunning episodes of The Zoo for the first part of the day today.
-
C
Even though I still watch it, I haven't really liked Walking Dead since the Negan storyline began especially since they've had so many chances to kill him and didn't do it!
I never liked Madison (the character not the actress that plays her) on Fear, so I'm glad she's gone. I like the new characters much better.
-
C
They're not on now. They played them all a week or two ago, and I saw most of them then...for the second or third time. This morning, they had that swimming pool show on for hours. What's that (or treehouses) got to do with animals?
-
R
Yeah, I think THe Zoo was on from about 10-2. Not exactly a marathon, I guess. 🙂 And I agree about some of the other shows on Animal Planet. The treehouse one is crazy, and I think that even the fish-tank show is stretching it a bit. I don't like 98% of non-scripted shows... I hated it when History Channel started doing this about 20 years ago. Now, I think today's programming on various channels is proof that someone will make a show about ANYTHING. With apologies to anyone who likes them, I have to say I think most of those shows are STUPID.
-
C
Yeah, the fish tank show is about 40 minutes of those guys and the women acting like a bunch of idiots and maybe 5 minutes about the fish...if that.
-
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services