What to Watch on TV this Weekend: Jenn's Guide

June 10 – 16, 2016

It’s 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, and I’m just getting around to watching the first installment of Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars. And, by “watch,” I mean let play in the background, while I check emails and do some housekeeping on the ole' laptop.

What is it about celebrity sleaze that is so appealing? Whether you’re the type of person who is knee deep in the drama of the famous and infamous alike, or you’re more highbrow, only wondering which designer Cate Blanchett wore on the Red Carpet – most people do have some curiosity about the lives of celebrities.

Lucky for us, modern-day television has made reality TV the norm. We can learn as little or as much as we want about practically any celebrity. Good or bad, the information is there in full, crisp color for our “infotainment.”

I often think about celebrities of the past, and wonder how they’d have fared in a world of instantaneous publicity, their lives – and, especially, their secrets – splashed on every social media platform imaginable. Liberace comes to mind, as do Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. They had it better than they knew: Today’s celebrity had better not lose or gain a pound, lest a nationwide conversation and analyzation ensue. As we say in the South, “Bless their hearts.”

Here are a few suggestions for the upcoming week of June 10 – 16.

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight

Friday, June 10 – HBOW – 8 p.m.

Muhammad Ali has moved on to that boxing ring in the sky. Although he was well known for his “butterfly and bee” talk, plenty of folks aren’t aware of the history he made outside of the ring. This film offers an education on Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. Based on a 2000 book and first released in 2013, the made-for-TV drama focuses on the United States Supreme Court’s decision to rule in Ali's favor in the 1971 case of Clay v. United States, when the late boxer refused to report for induction into the United States military during the war. Actors portray justices and others from the event, while actual footage of Ali plays documentary-style. Ali was a man who truly stood for that in which he believed – and probably did it better than anyone ever has or ever will.

Wynonna Earp

Friday, June 10 – Syfy – 10 p.m.

Dust off your saddle and prepare to be entertained by the more feminine side of the Wild Wild West. Wynonna Earp is the heir to her great-grandfather, Wyatt Earp, and is up against those criminal souls whom he once eliminated. Among other points of interest, Wynonna teams up with Doc Holliday, who, amazingly, is still around. The two must stop the Revenants – the aforementioned angry souls – from taking over the city of Purgatory and causing trouble on elsewhere. Adapted from a graphic novel, it’s sorta real, sorta not, but certainly entertaining.

O.J.: Made in America

Saturday, June 11 – ABC – 9 p.m.

Can we ever get enough of this ex-football player turned “alleged” murderer? Apparently no, we cannot. Although throngs of people still are obsessed with the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman – and the subsequent “not guilty” verdict that sent O.J. Simpson back to the golf course – what’s even more fascinating is the man himself. Simpson is a study in psychology that has lasted for years. The ESPN’s five-part documentary special is said to be some of the best documentary work the network has done – ever. Catch the first part on ABC, with following episodes to air on ESPN throughout June.

Barbarians Rising

Saturday, June 11 – HIST – 9 p.m.

Get in on this four-part series that promises to make the rise and fall of the Roman Empire a digestible viewing pleasure. The stories from the 700-year battle are of interest to normal, everyday people, because many normal, everyday people fought it. And, if you love a good battle scene, you won’t be disappointed as these scenes are plentiful. Bonus points to the History Channel for presenting programming that is based on, well, history.

So You Think You Can Dance

Monday, June 13 – FOX – 8 p.m.

Who among us doesn’t believe he or she is an excellent dancer, particularly after a couple of cocktails? Whether you come off looking like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever – dancing that set the bar for smooth moves – or Seinfeld’s Elaine Benes, who appears to be suffering a seizure – you most likely do think you can dance. Well, so do the contestants entering this dance competition as either stage dancers or street dancers. (What? No tiny dancers?) The dancers face off each week until the winner is left to nab the prize, such as $250,000 or a role on Broadway – not too shabby.

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