5 things to watch on TV this weekend

The 2024 Summer Olympics kick off in Paris, Megan Thee Stallion presents a new reality show, and more

By Saloni Gajjar  |  July 26, 2024 | 8:00am
Simone Biles (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for USOPC); Megan Thee Stallion (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
TV Features What to Watch
5 things to watch on TV this weekend

Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening on TV from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekly edition of What’s On publishes on Sundays.]

1. The 2024 Summer Olympics are here

NBC, Friday, 1:30 p.m.: The Summer Olympic Games start in style with an opening ceremony along the Seine. Mike Tirico hosts the official broadcast for NBC and Peacock in Paris alongside Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning. Expect notable appearances by the likes of President Emmanuel Macron, a boat parade, light shows, “La Vie En Rose” performed by Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, and lots and lots of fit athletes.

2. Let, erm, Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson be your guides to the games

Peacock, Friday, 6:01 p.m.: You didn’t think NBC would secure Olympics-coverage rights and not keep Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson employed, right? The duo leads an eight-part series on Peacock to provide commentary and recap some of the Games’ highlights. (Hart previously hosted a similar show with Snoop Dogg in 2021.) This new series rolls out two to three episodes per week.

3. Megan Thee Stallion hits the Playground

Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Megan Thee Stallion has a pretty strong (and electric) TV presence, with cameos in shows ranging from Good Girls and P-Valley to Marvel’s She-Hulk. Now, she switches to reality TV by executive producing (and infrequently appearing in) Playground, which centers on an L.A. dance studio and chronicles its dancers and instructors as they navigate competitions and more hurdles.

4. Bid farewell to the steamy Spanish teen drama Elite

Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: The YA series, which follows students at the posh private school Las Encinas, closes out with its eighth and final season. Prepare for a new mystery, mischievous classmates, teen romances, partying, several deaths, and a few returning familiar faces, like Mina el Hammani’s Nadia. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club‘s review:

“This is a well-oiled machine that knows just how fun it can be to see spoiled rich kids be put through the wringer. And, truth be told, this final season is fun. But it’s fun in the predictable way a good game of Clue can be.”

5. Stomach Humane on Shudder if you dare

Shudder, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: In Caitlin Cronenberg’s timely Humane, an environmental collapse forces world leaders to make some truly drastic decisions. Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Enrico Colantoni, and Peter Gallagher lead the climate-crisis horror film. Check out The A.V. Club‘s review.

 
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