Dueling stereotypes and walking dogs
Here’s another frozen entree. The latest cable series set in the 49th state, “Edge of Alaska: Return to the Range” (9 p.m., Animal Planet, TV-14) follows 42 brave souls who settle in a forgotten goldrush town called McCarthy. One presumes it was abandoned for a reason.
Moving in an opposite direction, the new series “Tiny Paradise” (9 p.m., HGTV, TV-G) follows couples who construct small-footprint homes in idyllic locales. First up, a Denver couple create their own tiny home fantasy in the jungles of Tulum, Mexico.
These two series appeal to divergent audiences. Like the dozens of series that came before it, “Edge of Alaska” extols the virtues of the austere life far from the comforts or restrictions of civilization. To desire a tiny house all but announces that the builders are “mindful” and eschew excess in proportions and consumption.
Both series celebrate stereotypes in the extreme, pitting the myth of the rugged outdoorsman against the ostentatious piety of conspicuous minimalism.
ACROSS THE POND
On the eve of the Fourth of July, the day we celebrate our independence from the British Crown, it’s interesting to think of the interdependence of American and British television. Americans and Britons like, consume and imitate each other’s television shows and always have. Norman Lear based “All in the Family” on a BBC comedy, “Till Death Do Us Part.” “Friends” was so popular in the U.K. that the Brits made the show “Coupling” to copy it.
Where would PBS be without its British imports like “Downton Abbey”? Or ABC without its American spin on “The Great British Baking Show”? Or the “Dancing With the Stars” take on Britain’s “Strictly Come Dancing”?
Despite a shared language and mutual affection, many reboots of British series get lost in translation. Failed remakes of “Fawlty Towers,” “Prime Suspect,” “Life on Mars” and “Broadchurch” come to mind.
One British series that screams out for imitation is currently streaming on Acorn.
“Walks With My Dog” is as simple as it sounds. You basically take a familiar television star and have him or her offer a meandering travelogue while walking around a scenic location with a four-legged friend.
So, in one episode, you have John Nettles (“Midsomer Murders”) walking around with his granddaughter’s dog, exploring the sights and history of the island of Jersey, the setting of “Bergerac,” a police drama from his pre-“Midsomer” days.
What’s not to like? I’d much rather watch semi-famous dog owners in pretty or interesting places than watch them pretend to get “crazy” on “Celebrity Family Feud.”
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› BBC America embarks on a “Star Trek: Voyager” (6 a.m. today-9 a.m. Tuesday, TV-PG) marathon.
› Going to Kansas City on “American Ninja Warrior” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› Auditions unfold on “So You Think You Can Dance” (8 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-14).
› Penn & Teller guest-star on “Superhuman” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
› The search for the divine leads to New Orleans on “Preacher” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).
› Syfy’s “Twilight Zone” marathon kicks off at midnight. It runs until 5 a.m. Wednesday.
› Recycling the wrong story on “Kevin Can Wait” (8 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-PG).
› Petals fall on “The Bachelorette” (8 p.m., ABC, repeat, TV-14).
› The Guardian pitches in on “Supergirl” (8 p.m., CW, repeat, TV-14).
› Botching the birds and the bees on “Man With a Plan” (8:30 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-PG).
› Baked goods on “Mom” (9 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).
› Candice Patton and Malcolm Goodwin appear on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., CW, repeat, TV-14).
› Annulment on “Life in Pieces” (9:30 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-PG).
› Counterfeit bills on “Scorpion” (10 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).
› “Battle of the Network Stars” (10 p.m., ABC, repeat, TV-PG).
› Hurdles galore on “Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).