By Chuck Barney, East Bay Times
DON’T MISS: “Stranger Things” — If the thought of watching Fourth of July fireworks at a jam-packed park doesn’t light your fuse, you might want to just stay home, hunker down and binge out on Season 3 of the retro sci-fi phenomenon. As new episodes drop, it’s 1985 in Hawkins, Ind., and summer is heating up. School’s out, there’s a brand new mall in town, and our kid heroes are on the cusp of adulthood. Of course, it wouldn’t be Hawkins if some kind of ominous danger didn’t loom. As usual, expect the series to mix humor and horror, along with some nostalgic, Reagan-era vibes. (Thursday, Netflix).
Other bets
SUNDAY: “The Rook,” a new supernatural spy thriller, tells the story of Myfanwy Thomas (Emma Greenwell), a woman who wakes up beside London’s Millennium Bridge with no memory and no way to explain why she is surrounded by a circle of latex-gloved dead bodies. Plenty of international intrigue ensues. (8 p.m., Starz).
SUNDAY: Russell Crowe plays blustery Fox News founder Roger Ailes in “The Loudest Voice.” It’s a provocative, seven-part miniseries about the man who built the cable news network into a powerful partisan force before being cut down by multiple sexual harassment allegations. Naomi Watts stars as former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson. (10 p.m., Showtime).
MONDAY: Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church return for new episodes of “Divorce.” In Season 3 of the dark comedy, the former spouses encounter several “bombshell surprises” that have spun their post-breakup lives in completely unexpected directions. (10 p.m., HBO).
TUESDAY: You might want to down an antacid before watching the latest “30 for 30” documentary — “The Good, The Bad, The Hungry.” It recalls the outrageous and gluttonous rivalry between Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi and San Jose, Calif.’s Joey Chestnut, competitive eaters who routinely faced off in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, held every Fourth of July on Coney Island. (8 p.m., ESPN).
WEDNESDAY: On a new episode of “Grown-ish,” Zoey and her girls head to the Johnson family home in Sherman Oaks for a weekend of self-care and detoxing. Meanwhile, Aaron reconnects with his passion for activism and hosts a fundraiser for his community. (8 p.m., Freeform).
THURSDAY: The “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” special lights up the sky over New York City and delivers performances by Luke Bryan, Ciara, Hough, Khalid, Maren Morris, Brad Paisley and more. (8 p.m., NBC, with an hourlong encore airing at 10 p.m.).
THURSDAY: John Stamos returns as the host of “A Capitol Fourth.” The festivities in Washington, D.C., include plenty of pyrotechnics and performances by Vanessa Williams, Yolanda Adams, Lee Brice and Gone West featuring Colbie Caillat. (8 p.m., PBS).
FRIDAY: On “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” the team on Earth faces off with The Galaxy-Hopping Hate-Beast That Eats Planets. That can’t end up well, can it? (8 p.m., ABC).
SATURDAY: Oscar-winner Rami Malek will definitely rock you with his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The 2018 film chronicles the rise of the band Queen and its iconic frontman. (8 p.m., HBO).
Email Chuck Barney at cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com.
