CW offers ‘I Ship It’ prime-time peek
Summer hasn’t always been about repeats. Sometimes, networks actually used the period to air something different.
The CW takes a page from that history book with “I Ship It” (9:30 p.m., TV-PG), a regular web series on the CW Seed outlet. This “pilot” combines several “Ship” webisodes that generally run around 7 minutes long.
Helen Highfield stars as Ella, who has a day job for a shipping agency but likes to write “fan fiction” about her favorite show “Superstition,” not to be confused with a certain real-life CW show. This being a musical comedy, Ella’s work takes her to a variety of locales where she and other characters often break into song.
› Speaking of breaking into songs, CBS airs “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney” (10 p.m., TV-PG). The special offers additional footage and expands upon a tuneful encounter previously presented on “The Late Late Show With James Corden.” In addition to sharing songs, Paul McCartney takes Corden on a tour of Liverpool, the birthplace of the Beatles.
Tomorrow, Aug. 20, marks the 50th anniversary of the last time the four Beatles were together in the studio, supervising the final touches of the “Abbey Road” album, released in the fall of 1969.
This summer has seen its share of 50th anniversary milestones, from the moon landing to the Chappaquiddick scandal, the Manson murders and the Woodstock phenomenon. While those made front-page news, the breakup of the Beatles remained unknown (even to its participants) for months. All the same, it marked the end of an era of youthful exuberance, optimism and experiment.
At the same time, the fact that the four “lads” disbanded at a relatively young age (McCartney became an ex-Beatle at 28) has forever defined their music. We haven’t seen 50 years of comebacks and reunion tours. That might explain the appeal of their music to generations of younger listeners.
› The Denver Broncos
host the San Francisco 49ers in preseason NFL football (8 p.m., ESPN). Next year, “Monday Night Football” turns 50.
› The “POV” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) documentary “Do Not Resist” explores how police forces have used military hardware and tactics to redefine civilian behavior, with dramatic impacts on what the First Amendment defines as “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Cincinnati action on “American Ninja Warrior” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› Jamie Foxx hosts the season finale of “Beat Shazam” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
› A crestfallen contender leaves teardrops in the sand on “Bachelor in Paradise” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› After Pearl Harbor, residents of the island are rounded up on “The Terror” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin .tvguy@gmail.com.