For those who still enjoy a cable subscription, here is a selection of cable and network TV shows, movies and specials that broadcast this week, July 1 – 6. Details and times are subject to change.
Monday
BASKETBALL WIVES 8 p.m. on VH1. This show about the wives (and ex-wives and girlfriends) of N.B.A. players, is back for the second half of Season 11. In this world, the success of your partner dictates your power within the group and that continues to play out as the show goes on. Thankfully, these ladies are around to stir up drama because with most “Real Housewives” franchises in between seasons, it has been a little too quiet.
Tuesday
DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). This three-part documentary series uses different songs from the disco era to highlight the impact the musical genre had on its listeners. In the first episode, the focus is on “Stayin’ Alive” with conversations about how Middle America reacted to the genre’s queer and hedonistic themes.
HARD KNOCKS: OFFSEASON 9 p.m. on HBO. Since 2001, this series has shown us behind the scenes moments from over 20 teams in the N.F.L. season. This new version will instead follow a single team — this year it’s the New York Giants, as the team prepares for its 100th season.
Wednesday
HOPE IN THE WATER 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Documentaries like “Seaspiracy” and “A Plastic Ocean” have warned us about the dangers of the fishing industry and the consequences of ignoring climate change. This documentary series is bit more hopeful since it outlines a solution: sustainable aquaculture, a method of fostering and harvesting seafood for people to eat, while protecting fragile ocean ecosystems.
Thursday
CONMEBOL COPA AMÉRICA: QUARTERFINALS 8 p.m. on Fox. Have you seen people proudly wearing soccer jerseys around the city? That is because Copa América, an annual tournament organized by South America’s ruling football body, Conmebol, is being held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Currently, Argentina is the defending champion, and if their recent win against Chile is any indication, they could be victorious again.
MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS 8 p.m. on NBC. The most fun parts of Independence Day are the massive firework shows (unless you’re a pet parent). For the first time in years, Macy’s is hosting a display from barges on the Hudson River so the show can be seen on the west side of Manhattan, and thanks to NBC, all over the world. Lainey Wilson, Luis Fonsi and The War and Treaty are a few of the artists set to perform alongside the show.
Friday
DOWN IN THE VALLEY 9 p.m. on Starz. This new documentary series inspired by the Starz show “P-Valley” takes viewers in and around the Deep South. Nicco Annan from “P-Valley” hosts and acts as an audience surrogate as he experiences rap workshops, strip clubs, spiritual rituals and more.
Saturday
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) 8 p.m. on TCM. In Steven Spielberg’s film, Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), an Indiana man, has an encounter with an unidentified flying object and decides to dedicate his whole life to getting answers. “If, indeed, we are not alone, it would be fun to believe that the creatures who may one day visit us are of the order that Mr. Spielberg has conceived — with, I should add, a certain amount of courage and an entirely straight face,” Vincent Canby wrote in his review for The New York Times.
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) 10:30 p.m. on TCM. The fun doesn’t stop there! Let’s go back in time again, to this 1950s film where Klaatu (Michael Rennie), an alien, comes to Earth to tell humans — including the President of the United States — that everyone needs to live peacefully, and if they don’t they are at risk of having their planet destroyed. “It is comforting, of course, to have it made plain that our planetary neighbors are much wiser and more peaceful than are we,” Bosley Crowther wrote in his Times review.
Sunday
SHARK WEEK starting at 8 p.m. on Discovery. If aliens aren’t threatening enough for you, it has been a scary month in the news for all things shark-related. A 20-year-old tourist in Hawaii was potentially bitten by a shark while swimming and the surfer and actor Tamayo Perry was killed by a shark while surfing. If the fear motivates you to learn more about the ocean, then Discovery’s annual shark week is happening at the perfect time. The actor John Cena is set to host, and each day of the week features around three different shark-related programs.
