CRITIC’S CORNER
SUMMER OLYMPICS NBC, 8 ET/PT
Thursday, NBC’s prime time broadcast offers live coverage of track and field and of the men’s beach volleyball final. If patterns hold, it also will offer some sexist or otherwise stupid comment from an analyst that will set the social media world on fire — which is why, if it does nothing else between Olympic cycles, NBC had better either enlighten its analysts or find some new ones.
THE MIDDLE HALLMARK, 9:30/10 ET/PT
If you’ve ever wondered why some of us keep insisting Eden Sher should be nominated for an Emmy, these two repeats may help you understand. In the first, her plans for a “Sue-weet” 16 party may be doomed by a broken window; in the second, her attempt to get her driver’s license leads to a very Sue-like revelation about her middle name. It’s not just that Sher’s hilariously funny in both, though that helps. It’s the innocence, truth and complete conviction she brings to even the silliest situation that makes Sue feel so touchingly, believably real — and makes me wonder what the Emmy voters have been watching.
SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL FX, 10 ET/PT
It may be a while before you can get tickets to Hamilton. In the meantime, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott and company bring you the opening night of Feast — their
Hamilton spoof about the Irish potato famine.