— Who speaks for nature? Animals can’t put things into words, so we’ve come to tell stories about them, endowing them with human traits and cultural characteristics. Over the years, such tales as Tarzan among the apes and "The Jungle Book" reveal more about human storytellers than the creatures they celebrate.
The new six-part series "Serengeti" (7:59 p.m. Sunday, Discovery, TV-PG) invites viewers to spend time in the untouched plains of Tanzania, where creatures endure cycles of rain and abundance, drought and famine.
Narrated by Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o ("12 Years a Slave") and filled with soaring music, "Serengeti" is closer to the epic nature of "The Lion King" than the nature films of David Attenborough. While the latter, rather matter-of-factly describes the wonders and cruelty of nature, "Serengeti" creates characters and invites us to grow emotionally invested in their narrative.
We meet Kali, a lioness who broke a taboo. She sired cubs outside the ranks of her protective pride. And when she tried to return, she was violently exiled, losing the protection of their collaborative force. Can she and her young ones survive?
When we first meet Tembo, a young male elephant, he’s a bit of a crazy, mixed-up kid, not yet an adult and a bit jealous of the attention received by his baby brother. Will Tembo "man up"?
Bakari the Baboon carries a torch for a female who has been chosen by their leader. How can he show his affection without upsetting the social order?
The hardest part about "rooting" for any of these beasts is the conflict in their motivation. And I’m not talking about acting theory here. Kali and her cubs see zebra as a meal and their murder as a means to survival. But we soon encounter other anthropomorphized zebra with needs and "dreams" of their own. Throw some hyena in the mix and you’ve got a regular menagerie of competing interests.
I’m not saying this isn’t entertaining and involving in its own way. "Meerkat Manor" fans should pounce (so to speak) on "Serengeti." That Animal Planet series turned rival rodent packs into a "Sopranos"-like tale of violence, revenge, rivalry and loyalty.
And as any "Meerkat" fan surely remembers, it’s hard to give your heart away to an anthropomorphized creature when you know it’s sure to be broken. It’s a jungle out there!
— NFL greats join the pantheon at the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN), live from Canton, Ohio.
Preseason pro football is upon us, much to the joy of NBC, which broadcasts the generally well-rated games. HBO’s preseason series "Hard Knocks" premieres this Tuesday. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, it has received 18 Sports Emmy Awards since premiering in 2001. This year, "Hard Knocks" will follow the Oakland Raiders’ training camp.
— As it has for many years, TCM devotes August to its "Summer Under the Stars" film series, showcasing the films of a single actor over a 24-hour period. Saturday’s "star" belongs to Marlon Brando, arguably one of the most influential actors of the 20th century. Look for "A Streetcar Named Desire" (5:45 p.m., TV-PG) and "On the Waterfront" (8 p.m., TV-PG), two celebrated masterpieces directed by Elia Kazan.
At the height of his fame as a dramatic star, Brando took a chance on a musical and appears (and sings!) as Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls" (11:30 p.m., TV-G).
Brando’s mumbling performance and offscreen antics during the production of the 1962 remake of "Mutiny on the Bounty" (2:30 p.m., TV-PG) had him branded as a difficult star. He would have to audition to land his comeback role in the 1972 blockbuster "The Godfather," a part he parodied in the 1990 comedy "The Freshman" (4:15 a.m., TV-14).
Note: "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II" are no longer streaming on Netflix. "Part III" is also gone, if anyone cares.
— Speaking of Oscar winners and Netflix, HBO airs "The Favourite" (8 p.m. Saturday, TV-MA), a dark comedy and costume period piece about the intrigue in Queen Anne’s court. Look for Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman, who took home the Best Actress Oscar at the most recent Academy Awards. She will return, fully sceptered, as the middle-aged Queen Elizabeth II, taking over from Claire Foy in Netflix’s period drama "The Crown," returning this fall.
Colman can also be seen, in a very different light, as the nightmare stepmother figure in "Fleabag," streaming two seasons on Amazon Prime.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Tim Tebow hosts the two-hour season finale of "Million Dollar Mile" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-G).
— A dark force must be challenged on repeat helpings of the 2019 sequel "Descendants 3" (8 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday, Disney, TV-G).
— A woman caring for her ex’s military service dog finds her life changed in the 2019 romance "Love & Sunshine" (9 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— Heaven moves into a disturbing family mansion in the 2019 shocker "V.C. Andrews’ Dark Angel" (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).
— David Attenborough profiles the creatures who have acclimated to urban rooftops and drainage systems on "Wild Singapore" (9 p.m., BBC America, TV-G).
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Scheduled on "60 Minutes" (7 p.m., CBS): The secret life of mobster Whitey Bulger and his girlfriend; digging for gold in the deepest mines on Earth; the factory of the future.
— Country music’s biggest names gather at the CMA Fest (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
— Street art can be murder on "Instinct" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— "The Movies" (9 p.m., CNN) recalls the films of the 1960s.
— Will’s background surprises Geordie on "Grantchester" on "Masterpiece" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings).
— The comic book series "Preacher" (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA) enters its fourth season.
— Jackie’s professional and personal lives diverge on "City on a Hill" (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA)
— A controversial client puts the firm in jeopardy on "The Good Fight" (10 p.m., CBS, TV-MA).
— A trusted employee hires a lawyer on "The Loudest Voice" (10 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
— "The Weekly" (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) looks at efforts by activists to push the Democratic Party to the left.
CULT CHOICE
— A precocious teen (Shirley Temple) upstages her older sister (Myrna Loy) and flirts with a local artist (Cary Grant) in the 1947 comedy "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" (6 p.m. Sunday, TCM, TV-G). The film’s Oscar-winning screenplay was written by Sidney Sheldon, who would create TV’s "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Hart to Hart," before writing torrid best-sellers like "The Other Side of Midnight" in the 1970s.
SATURDAY SERIES
Open mike night concludes on "Bring the Funny" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14) … Professional boxing (8 p.m., Fox) … Feline secrets revealed on "Shark Tank" (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG ) … "Press Your Luck" (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14) … "48 Hours" (10 p.m., CBS, r) … "Card Sharks" (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
SUNDAY SERIES
Julie Chen Moonves hosts "Big Brother" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … Auditions continue on "America’s Got Talent" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … Lisa’s college fund vanishes on "The Simpsons" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … Tina’s mood turns fowl on "Bob’s Burgers" (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … Stewie cobbles together a robot on "Family Guy" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … A fateful revelation on "Pandora" (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) … Fred’s wife feels ignored on "What Just Happened?!" (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … "Bring the Funny" (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
