There’s no shortage of island getaways
Every time I wonder how anybody in their right mind would watch three hours of “The Bachelorette,” I remind myself of the untold hours I have squandered watching my beloved Mets lose another game.
Reality television and its similarity to sports comes to mind as several brazen imitations arrive, along with an annual preseason football fixture.
“Bachelor in Paradise” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) enters its fifth season. The title pretty much sums things up, as the contrived mating ritual between camera-savvy exhibitionists is relocated from a fake mansion to palmy shores.
“Paradise” is followed by the premiere of “Castaways” ( 10 p. m., TV- PG), which shadows a dozen regular Joes and Janes dropped down on remote locations off the coast of Indonesia. ABC tells us that the accent here is on survival itself, as opposed to outwitting, outlasting and all the other trademarked hallmarks of “Survivor.”
Three dozen seasons of “Survivor” since 2000 have inspired any number of parodies, imitations, spinoffs and homages. Yet “Survivor” has no monopoly on a narrative dating back to “Robinson Crusoe” by way of “Gilligan’s Island.”
The CBS reality competition series debuted the very same year as the Tom Hanks film “Cast Away” hit theaters. That Robert Zemeckis drama in turn inspired the ABC head-scratcher “Lost,” then in turn inspired the spoof series “Wrecked” (10 p.m., TBS, TV-MA), now entering its third season. Look for aspiring comedians spouting over- the- top dialogue drenched in pop culture references. Don’t expect subtlety to survive when you send up this seemingly inexhaustible genre.
NEW DOCUMENTARIES
The sports documentary series “Hard Knocks” ( 10 p. m., HBO, TV- MA) enters its 13th NFL preseason, following the preparations of the Cleveland Browns under coach Hue Jackson, who juggles a roster combining fresh new faces and veterans.
“Frontline” ( 10 p. m., PBS, check local listings) examines the neo- Nazi groups that organized the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and their subsequent ability to foment racial hatred and violence relatively unmolested by law enforcement.
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CANADIAN CRIME
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WGN imports the Canadian police crime drama “Carter” ( 10 p. m., TV- 14). Jerry O’Connell stars as the scandalplagued star of a U. S. police show who retreats to his Ontario town to escape the limelight, only to be embroiled in a murder mystery.
The notion of a TV star involved in real legal work invites comparisons to Fox’s “The Grinder,” which starred Rob Lowe, as well as ABC’s current series “Take Two,” starring Rachel Bilson and Eddie Cibrian. Noting its glaring lack of originality, critics north of the border were unkind to “Carter.”
DISCONNECTED REALITY
Sutton attends fashion week in Paris on the second season finale of “The Bold Type” ( 8 p. m., Freeform, TV-14). Airing just days after publisher Conde Nast announced the sale of three glossy magazines, and New York tabloid The Daily News laid off half its staff, this series’ disconnect with the reality of publishing borders on the obscene.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
A battle for survival ensues on the season finale of “The 100” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).
“10 Towns That Changed America” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings) visits localities that pioneered new approaches to planning and suburban design.
Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman host an episode of “Making It” ( 10 p. m., NBC, TV-14) focusing on children’s toys and games.
Yasir worries about his son’s home environment on “Love Is …” ( 10 p.m., OWN, TV-MA). This multigenerational media melodrama has been renewed for a second season.
Evidence implicates a marine on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-PG).