The Mercury News

Get out of the water and savor Shark Week

- Chuck Barney Around the remote Email Chuck Barney at cbarney@ bayareanew­sgroup.com.

DON’T MISS >> Shark Week — It’s again time to sink our teeth into the fintastic summer programmin­g event that brings us faceto-face with those fearsome creatures of the deep. The schedule will run for eight nights with host Eli Roth capping off each evening with his late-night talk show, “Shark After Dark.” But the real, over-the-top draw figures to be “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.” It’s a special that pits Olympic swimming champ Michael Phelps in a race against the ocean’s most efficient predator. Really. No joke. Here’s hoping Phelps doesn’t become chum. 8 p.m. today, Discovery Channel.

Other bets

TODAY >> Dwayne Johnson returns as sports agent Spencer Strasmore in the Season 3 opener of “Ballers.” After seeing his life spiral out of control last season, he’s got a fresh, new outlook — hoping to bond with new players while improving his relationsh­ip with existing clients. 10 p.m., HBO.

TODAY >> In its freshman season, “Insecure” establishe­d itself as one of prime time’s best comedies. As Season 2 begins, Issa (Issa Rae) is trying her best to embrace the post-breakup single life, but, of course, there are bumps along the way. 10:30 p.m., HBO.

MONDAY >> “Somewhere Between” is a new suspense thriller that follows a San Francisco TV news producer (Paula Patton) helping police hunt down a serial killer. After the suspect strikes close to home, a twist of fate allows her to go back in time one week before the murder. Can she prevent the tragedy from happening? 10 p.m., ABC.

MONDAY >> “Midnight, Texas” whisks viewers off to one very creepy town — one plagued by supernatur­al beings, violent biker gangs and more. This new drama is based on the book series by Charlaine Harris, author of the novels that inspired “True Blood.” 10 p.m., NBC.

MONDAY >> “People of Earth,” the twisted comedy about a group of alien abductees, returns for its second season. We have no idea what’s about to go down in the little town of Beacon, N.Y., but we expect it to make us laugh. 10:30 p.m., TBS.

TUESDAY >> Things are getting pretty brutal on “World of Dance,” where The Cut round continues. Ballerina Misty Copeland drops by to serve as a guest judge. 10 p.m., NBC.

WEDNESDAY >> Will we be able to stomach tonight’s edition of “MasterChef”? The Top 15 participat­e in a mystery-box challenge in which they randomly select a different body part of a cow and use it as the main ingredient of a dish. 8 p.m., Fox. THURSDAY >> Things get crazier by the week on “Zoo.” Tonight, Jamie manipulate­s Mitch and Logan into helping her hunt “shepherds” — members of a secretive group responsibl­e for sterilizin­g humans. 10 p.m., CBS.

FRIDAY >> “Room 104” is a new scripted anthology series from brothers Mark and Jay Duplass that tells the tales of the offbeat characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel. Let’s just hope Norman Bates isn’t involved. 11:30 p.m., HBO.

SATURDAY >> In the finale of “Still Star-Crossed,” a “shocking discovery” is revealed. But it’s probably not shocking enough to win this low-rated sequel to “Romeo and Juliet” another season. 10 p.m., ABC.

 ?? COURTESY PHOTO ?? Shark Week programs will be offered for eight evenings starting tonight on Discovery.
COURTESY PHOTO Shark Week programs will be offered for eight evenings starting tonight on Discovery.
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