Disney Celebrates America

Matt Roush says...

Happy birthday, America! This isn’t an ordinary 4th of July, as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding. Wherever you look, including on the 24-hour news channels, TV will be joining the patriotic party with historical perspective, great music, and oh so many fireworks. Some selected Saturday highlights:

• Disney Celebrates America: With programming on ABC and simulcast on other Disney-owned platforms including National Geographic, FX, Freeform, ABC News Live, Hulu and Disney+, a 24-hour blowout that began Friday night continues with a special edition of Good Morning America (7 am/ET), followed by a nationwide report on Hometowns & Heroes (10 am/ET) anchored by David Muir, ESPN’s coverage of the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest (12 pm/ET, ESPN2) from Coney Island, a survey of 7 Wonders of America (1 pm/ET, ABC) from the Grand Canyon and the Everglades to Niagara Falls, a salute to Dreamers & Innovators (3 pm/ET, ABC) and a special two-hour edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter (5 pm/ET). The evening concludes with Nashville’s Star-Spangled Bash (8/7c), hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with a country-music lineup featuring Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, and many more.
• Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks (8/7c, NBC, also streaming on Peacock): One of the longest-running TV traditions marks its 50th anniversary, with America’s Got Talent‘s Terry Crews hosting talent including Blake Shelton, Post Malone, Salt-N-Pepa, Noah Kahan, Bebe Rexha, Shaboozey, and The Voice winner Alexia Jayy in anticipation of a fireworks spectacular over New York’s Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower East and Hudson Rivers.
• The Great American Block Party (8 pm/ET, CBS, also streaming on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7): Anchoring live from Washington, D.C. and featuring celebrations across the country, including at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota, CBS Evening News‘ Tony Dokoupil and Entertainment Tonight‘s Nischelle Turner welcome performers including Jon Batiste, Zac Brown Band, Goo Goo Dolls, and The War and Treaty.
• America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together (8/7c, PBS): Colonial Williamsburg is the historic setting for a two-hour tapestry that includes a dramatic reading from the Declaration of Independence, narration by Richard Thomas, a greeting from PBS icon Ken Burns, and performances by Judy Collins, Michael Feinstein, Tony winners Kelli O’Hara and Adrienne Warren, and opera’s Ryan Speedo Green.
• The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250 (6 pm/ET, CNN): Day-long coverage culminates with an exclusive broadcast of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, anchored by Anderson Cooper and Pamela Brown, with conductor Keith Lockhart and performances by Lainey Wilson, Chance the Rapper, and Trombone Shorty.

What's Worth Watching (Jul 4)