VMAs signal summer’s waning days
Nothing says the end of summer like the arrival of the VMAs. Except when they arrive too darned early. Normally scheduled around Labor Day, the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards (9 p.m.) descend in the thick of the back-to-school shopping season. Also different this year is the notable silence about the identity of the show’s host. As of this filing date, mum’s the word from MTV.
Nominees include Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Drake, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Camila Cabello and Ariana Grande. The ceremonies will be held at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and can also be seen on CMT, MTV2, MTV Classic, and Paramount, as well as streamed on the MTV app.
KARAOKE WITH SIR PAUL
Music fans of a slightly more distinguished vintage might enjoy a prime-time edition of “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool” (8 p.m., CBS). “Late, Late Show” host James Corden joins the former Beatle in his hometown for a magical mystery tour of sites associated with John, Paul, George and Ringo, a few locations mentioned in the song “Penny Lane” and an impromptu performance in a pub.
SKYNYRD’S LEGACY
For Southern rock fans, Showtime’s Showcase channel offers the 2018 documentary “If I Leave Here Tomorrow” (8:35 p.m.), a detailed look at the first, classic incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, including band members’ shared boyhoods, meteoric rise and tragic end.
OUTBACK MYSTERY
Acorn imports the six-part Australian series “Mystery Road,” about the disappearance of young farmhands in the desolate Outback.
Best known for her roles in biographical epics (“The Reagans” and “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows”) and arthouse comedies (“Deconstructing Harry”), Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Judy Davis plays a mere policewoman speaking in her native accent.
Is Judy Davis “too big” for a police role? Ask Helen Mirren about a show called “Prime Suspect.”
NAZI ESPIONAGE
The espionage thriller “X Company” (10 p.m., Ovation, TV-14) enters its third season. Set during World War II, this Canadian-Hungarian period costume drama follows five highly trained and fetching recruits dropped in the field to frustrate Nazi occupation, aid resistance and punish collaborators. Ovation is available on DirecTV and a number of cable systems.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Venerable action stars (Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger) headline the 2013 thriller “Escape Plan” (7:30 p.m., Syfy).
› “The Hinge” is introduced on “American Ninja Warrior” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› The audience votes as another departs on a live episode of “So You Think You Can Dance” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
› A grim new secret emerges on “Salvation” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› Nacho becomes a target on “Better Call Saul” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
› “Ghost Adventures” (9 p.m., Travel, TV-PG) checks in to a Texas hotel associated with Satan-worshipping rituals. Is there a continental breakfast?
› A frisky zoologist breathes his last on “Elementary” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› Women face 10-to-1 odds on “The Proposal” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› Liz and Dud honor their father on “Lodge 49” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
› TLC continues its “little” franchise with “Little Life on the Prairie” (10 p.m., TLC, TV-PG).
› The trial reveals explosive secrets on the true-crime documentary series “Pamela Smart: An American Murder Mystery” (10 p.m., ID, TV-14).
› Familiar faces frolic on “Bachelor in Paradise” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› Illusionists audition on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
› On two helpings of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (CW, TV-14), Jeff Davis (9 p.m.), Jonathan Mangum (9:30 p.m., repeat).
› Seven acts move forward on “America’s Got Talent (10 p.m., NBC, repeat, TV-PG).
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin. tvguy@gmail.com.