“Bel-Air,” a reboot of the 1990s favorite and the series that helped launch Will Smith’s career, returns for a third season on Peacock.
The original was very much a network sitcom of its time, and showcased Smith as a breezy troublemaker. Peacock’s version is decidedly darker, embroiling viewers in stories steeped in the class struggles within the Black community that the original pretty much played for laughs. While few actors can equal Smith’s early effervescence, the lead here (Jabari Banks) is frequently harder to like.
— “Emily in Paris” returns for a fourth season on Netflix, one that will be ladled out in two segments, with the second half arriving on Sept. 12.
Created by Darren Starr (“Sex and the City”), “Emily” is a ludicrously stereotypical look at French culture. Lily Collins stars in the title role, a young naive assistant who jumps at the chance to be transferred to the Paris office of her marketing firm. There she finds the berets fashionable, the bidets curious, the baguettes crunchy and the locals frosty — at least the ones in her office.
“Emily” may be the perfect tonic for viewers who have spent the last two weeks watching the Paris Summer Games. Starr has created a vision of the city as deep as a brochure.
— Directed by Takashi Sano, “Rick and Morty: The Anime” (midnight, Cartoon Network) blends the cartoon’s familiar anarchy with the tropes of the popular Japanese cartoon genre. Heavily promoted at Comic-Con, “The Anime” will be broadcast in Japanese (with subtitles) during the Toonami block starting at midnight on Saturday, Aug. 17.
“The Anime” can also be streamed on Max. Warner Bros. Discovery, the megacorporation that owns Max, has recently shut down the website for Adult Swim, much to the consternation of its fans. Those looking for it have been instructed to sign up for a Max subscription.
Cost-cutting and tin can-rattling are apparently in order at Warner Bros. Discovery. The company just announced that it lost (or somehow misplaced) some $9 billion. In just the last quarter. That’s three months! Yikes. Skydance, the company that just gobbled up Paramount, had a better time of it. They lost only $6 billion dollars in the last quarter.
These are the folks in charge of our entertainment. Enjoy it while it lasts.
— Directed by Paul Feig, the 2024 action comedy “Jackpot!” starring John Cena and Awkwafina, will skip theaters to stream directly on Amazon Prime. It’s almost as if MGM (owned by Amazon) doesn’t want people to go to the movies anymore.
— The original version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) premiered 25 years ago tonight, in 1999. Except for Regis Philbin’s salary, the show cost very little and proved once again that people would watch game shows in prime time.
— Disney+ streams the new K-Pop showcase “Are You Sure?!”
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Real estate can be murder on “Law & Order” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
— Sykes observes a painful anniversary on “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
— A conflagration keeps the squad guessing on “Fire Country” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— A pollinator-friendly operation disguised as a drug dealer’s nest inspires a sting operation on “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
It slowly dawns on a naive California girl (Teresa Wright) that her beloved uncle and namesake (Joseph Cotten) is a wanted serial killer in the 1943 thriller “Shadow of a Doubt” (12:15 a.m., TCM, TV-PG). Director Alfred Hitchcock singled this film out as his favorite work. Part of an all-day salute to Cotten that includes “Citizen Kane” (4 p.m., TV-PG).
SERIES NOTES
“Big Brother” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “Name That Tune” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … “Press Your Luck” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Meemaw’s probation officer cracks the whip on “Young Sheldon” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … “Lucky 13” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … “The Quiz With Balls” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … Passing into eternity on “Ghosts” (9:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Sean Hayes, Billie Eilish, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Halle Berry, Ben Schwartz and Yseult on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Jeff Goldblum, Awkwafina, Paul W. Downs and Remi Wolf appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (11:35 p.m., ABC).
Jean Smart and Jonathan Bailey visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Taylor Tomlinson hosts James Davis, Ashley Nicole Black and Laurie Kilmartin on “After Midnight” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
