Week of July 25 – 31
This week is Shark Week. That’s pretty much all you need to know. What’s that? You need to know more? OK, well, there’s a new animated feature from the world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” documentaries on climate change (“Time and Water” on National Geographic) and the University of Idaho murders (“The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare”), plus a “Rick and Morty” spinoff (“President Curtis” on Cartoon Network), a new season of the Dark Knight (“Batman: Caped Crusader” on Prime Video) and a serial killer thriller that sounds anything but routine (“Furious” on Hulu). But sharks. We’re mostly here for the sharks.
On with the television!
All week, Discovery Channel
Source: Discovery
It’s that time again – the sharks are swimming to the Discovery Channel all week for a mixture of new specials, documentaries and – wait for it! – deep dives. Things kick off on Sunday, July 26 with “Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach,” “Invasion of the Mega Sharks” and “K-Pop Shark Heroes.” (We’re unsure of what that last one is but we kind of want it to remain a mystery and just happen upon it and be delighted.) All week long, there is new Shark Week programming, including “Biggest Mako on Earth,” “House of Sharks,” “Chum Island: Catching a Killer,” “Jurassic Shark” and, crucially, “Shark vs. Orca,” the showdown that we’ve all been waiting for. Head into mystery with “Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets,” “Expedition X: Atomic Sharks” and “Alien Sharks: Untamed America” and learn “How to Train a Great White” (can you imagine?) There’s also the “Ultimate Shark Dive” and a provocative question getting posed with “What Shark Attacked?” (We’re pretty sure it was Bob. Something squirrelly about that guy.) This year there’s even a Shark Week theme song, courtesy of Ken Jeong. It’s called “Om-A-Nom” in case you were curious. Shark Week is more than a once-a-year event, it’s a state of mind. [TRAILER]
The Chi
Sunday, July 26 at 9 p.m., Showtime
Source: Showtime
The long-running drama series, which has run for eight seasons and 87 episodes, is coming to an end. “The Chi,” created by Lena Waithe and set in a neighborhood in the South Side of Chicago, is wrapping up its eighth season with an episode co-written by Waithe (with Justin Hillian) called “The Last Dance.” Sounds like an appropriate end to a series that has long been heralded for its emotionality and texture. It’s the end of a Showtime institution. But here’s hoping something just as exciting will take its place. [TRAILER]
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
Saturday, July 25, Paramount+
Source: Paramount
Poor “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender.” This feature spinoff of the long-running (and hugely beloved) “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was announced in 2021 as a theatrical feature, along with the formation of Avatar Studios, a new division run by original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. (Famously, they had been involved in the live-action Netflix series but left after creative disagreements.) But after having its theatrical release bumped from 2025 to 2026, it was announced that “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” would instead debut exclusively on Paramount+, with the new regime feeling that all “Last Airbender”-related content should land on the company’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform. If having its theatrical release canceled wasn’t enough, a few months later the film was leaked online, where it quickly spread like wildfire.
But if you – like us – have resisted the movie so far, having an “Avatar: The Last Airbender” animated feature arriving on Saturday is very much cause for celebration. Dave Bautista, Taika Waititi and Geraldine Viswanathan are among the new cast members, under the watchful eye of director Lauren Montgomery and a nifty new animation style (from studios Studio Mir and Flying Bark) that cannily combines traditional animation with 3D animation. Considering this is the first project from Avatar Studios, the sky is the limit when it comes to animated “Avatar: The Last Airbender” material. Think of this new feature as not only as a huge event but as the first step to a much larger universe. Hey, it survived this long. [TRAILER]
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare
Wednesday, July 29, Netflix
Source: Netflix
The horrifying 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students (Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle) and the frantic race to find the killer, has already inspired countless hours of true-crime TV. So how is this new three-part documentary series different? According to Netflix “The Idaho Muders: College Nightmare” “definitively chronicles one of the most chilling murder cases in recent memory — honoring the four young lives that were taken while tracing every step from the night of the killings to the eventual arrest of a suspect.”
Another thing that sets it apart from the Hulu doc and “Dateline” episodes is the pedigree of the filmmakers behind it. The series was directed by Skye Borgman, who made “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” (remember that?) and “My Father, the BTK Killer,” and was produced by Joe Berlinger, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind “Paradise Lost” and more recently “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey.” Will you gain any more insight into this senseless crime? Or will it just take on a startling new dimension? Either way, it’ll probably be better than that “20/20” episode you half-watched. [TRAILER]
Batman: Caped Crusader
Prime Video
Source: Prime Video
This week, season 2 of “Batman: Caped Crusader” arrives on Prime Video. This season is perhaps even better (and far darker) than the previous batch of episodes, picking up where the first season left off and bringing it to bold new places. And it’s our duty to remind you that, if you haven’t watched the previous batch of episodes, you should definitely catch up on “Batman: Caped Crusader.” Think of it as a follow-up to “Batman: The Animated Series,” the classic 1990s cartoon that synthesized the Tim Burton “Batman” movies with decades of comic book lore, while also charting its own path.
This new show, overseen by “Batman: The Animated Series” stalwart Bruce Timm, this time joined by J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, has said that the new show is “more ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ than ‘Batman: The Animated Series’” and it sure feels like it. The emotions are more complicated, action more engaging and designs even more gorgeous. This new show is essential Bat-media. Don’t miss out. [WATCH]