‘Fantasy Island’
The magical island serves as the backdrop for an unofficial ‘Melrose Place” reunion as three co-stars of that steamy Fox nighttime soap from the 1990s guest star in a new episode called “The Big Five-Oh.”
8 PM ^ Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths & Secrets In the last of three new episodes, “The Romanovs & The Russian Revolution,” historian Lucy Worsley examines how a group of female workers, not Lenin and the Bolsheviks, actually started that revolution in February 1917. Forced to abdicate, Czar Nicholas subsequently was betrayed by King Charles V, who opposed his government’s offer of asylum, in effect signing the death warrants of Nicholas and his family.
8 PM _ The Masked Singer & Alter Ego Sneak Peek This half-hour preview special includes an exclusive look behind the scenes of Fox’s blockbuster game show “The Masked Singer,” in which celebrity panelists try to guess the identity of performers in elaborate costumes and masks. Some of the final costumes for all-new Season 6 characters are also revealed. Then, host Nick Lachey takes viewers on a backstage tour of his new high-tech series “Alter Ego,” in which singers from all walks of life perform in the computer-generated form of a favorite avatar.
8 PM * Celebrity Family Feud “Oh, Miss Fine!” Host Steve Harvey welcomes Fran Drescher and Charles Shaughnessy, longtime colleagues on the hit sitcom “The Nanny,” who appear to raise money for their favorite charities. This time around, though, they’re playing for opposite teams, with each leading members of their family to try guessing the most popular responses to survey questions. The second round of this episode finds country singer Jessie James Decker and her husband, former pro football star Eric Decker, competing against a team led by former basketball star Chris Bosh.
8 PM G ( BET) (COM) (MTV) (PARMT) (TVL) (VH1) (NICK) 2021 MTV Video Music Awards (CMT) This annual celebration of excellence in the music video medium returns as an in-person celebration from the Barclays Center in New York. Carried live in most U.S. markets, the special honors the victims of the 9/11 terror attack, airing the day after the 20th anniversary of that tragedy. Justin Bieber leads the field of nominees with seven nods.
8:30 PM _ Fantasy Island The magical island serves as the backdrop for an unofficial ‘Melrose Place” reunion as three co-stars of that steamy Fox nighttime soap from the 1990s guest star in a new episode called “The Big Five-Oh.” The story finds old friends Nettie, Camille and Margot (Laura Leighton, Josie Bissett, Daphne Zuniga) arriving on the island to celebrate their milestone birthdays together. Roselyn Sanchez and Kiara Barnes also star.
9 PM ^ Guilt on Masterpiece This gripping black comedy concludes with the final two hours, as Jake (Jamie Sives) — egged on by Angie (Ruth Bradley) — scrutinizes how older brother Max’s (Mark Bonnar) keeps a tight control on Jake’s finances. Meanwhile, Roy (Bill Paterson) tightens the screws on Max by threatening Jake.
9 PM ( The Real Housewives of BRV) Salt Lake City New housewife Jennie Nguyen, a successful businesswoman and mother of three, joins the mix as this “Real Housewives” edition opens its sophomore season. Among the returning cast members, working mom Lisa Barlow is startled to find herself at the center of some drama when some of her friends suspect she may have some hidden motives. Elsewhere, the pandemic has forced Mary Cosby to close the doors of her church and start a faith-based podcast. Heather Gay, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose and Jen Shah also return.
9 PM ( HBO) Scenes From a Marriage Oscar Isaac (“Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker”) and Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”) star in this new character-driven five-part limited series, a modern adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s classic Swedish drama series. Chastain stars as Mira, an ambitious tech executive feeling unfulfilled by her marriage to Jonathan (Isaac), a cerebral philosophy professor desperate to save their marriage. In the premiere, “Innocence and Panic,” an already tense day takes on additional urgency because of an unexpected event.
10 PM ( American Rust Emmy SHO) winner Jeff Daniels (“The Newsroom”) stars in this new series adaptation of an acclaimed novel by Philipp Meyer, which is set in the forlorn Rust Belt town of Buell, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh. Iraq War veteran Del Harris (Daniels) tries to keep order in his community as the chief of police, relying on a cocktail of opioids to keep his own PTSD in check. The story opens with Del investigating a dead body found in an abandoned steel mill. Maura Tierney and Bill Camp also star.