TV Top Picks This Week
DON’T MISS: “Coastal Elites” _ This socially distanced comedy from playwright and satirist Paul Rudnick brings a group of disparate characters together via Zoom to vent their rage and fear about the state of politics, culture and the pandemic during highly polarized times. Told in monologue form and directed by Jay Roach (“Recount,” “Game Change”), the show features a stellar cast including Bette Midler, Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson and Issa Rae. Originally conceived for the Public Theater in New York, “Coastal Elites” jumped from the stage to the screen at the beginning of the pandemic and was filmed earlier this summer under quarantine guidelines. (8 p.m., Saturday, HBO).
Other bets:
SUNDAY: Fasten your seat belts, another season of “Top Gear” is set to deliver more wild rides and crazy stunts. In the opener, Paddy, Freddie and Chris head on a summer holiday in super-cheap, secondhand convertibles. Also, Freddie attempts to bungee jump a vehicle off a dam in Switzerland. (8 p.m., BBC America).
MONDAY: “American Ninja Warrior” returns for an abridged, eight-episode 12th season filmed entirely in St. Louis. Eight finalists will eventually square off on the Tower Power _ in a bracket-style format _ with the winner earning $100,000. (8 p.m., NBC).
TUESDAY: We’re getting closer to crowning a new champion on “America’s Got Talent.” Tonight, the semifinals begin as 10 of the remaining 20 acts take a shot at winning over the voters. (8 p.m., NBC).
WEDNESDAY: In the new season of “Brother vs. Brother,” Drew and Jonathan Scott take their long-running sibling rivalry to Hancock Park, a Los Angeles neighborhood filled with old-Hollywood glamor. Two mansions serve as the battleground for their six-week renovation competition. (9 p.m., HGTV).
THURSDAY: “Bin Laden’s Hard Drive” is a documentary that pieces together and analyzes thousands of newly declassified digital files recovered from the compound where terrorist Osama bin Laden was killed. The team behind the film claims it provides “a roadmap into the mind of a mass murderer.” (9 p.m., National Geographic Channel)
FRIDAY: Marking the anniversary of that tragic day in 2001, “9/11: The Final Minutes of Flight 93” relies on previously classified secret service documents, air traffic control transmissions, voicemails and more to piece together what happened just before United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in rural Pennsylvania. (8 p.m., History Channel).
SATURDAY: Sometimes just the title of a TV movie is enough to suck you in. “Deranged Granny” follows a psychotic woman (Wendie Malick) who goes to murderous lengths to protect her relationship with her new grandchildren. Josh Ventura and Amanda Righetti join the fun. (8 p.m., Lifetime).