Your TV GPS, Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert’s look at the week ahead in television, appears every Monday morning on BostonGlobe.com. Today’s column covers July 10-16.
Aaaaand here we go. On Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., Yvette Nicole Brown and Television Academy chairman Frank Scherma will announce the nominees for the 75th Emmy Awards (streamed live on Emmys.com). Some thoughts:
- THE BIG KAHUNA: Expect to see a lot of “Succession” in the list of nominees. There wasn’t a bum performance in the cast, and they deserve all the nominations — especially Kieran Culkin, who is my favorite for best actor in a drama based on his funeral scene alone. I’m disappointed that Brian Cox has decided to compete in the best actor category, which could potentially pit him against others in the cast; he was in only three episodes.
- DEFINITES: Some shows and actors are almost definitely going to appear on the list, including Paul Walter Hauser for “Black Bird.” Harrison Ford has to get a nod for his dry, amusing supporting work on “Shrinking.” I’m expecting big love for “The Bear,” which is up for its first season while its second season is currently eliciting kudos. Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are likely nominees, and the show, too. “The Last of Us,” “The White Lotus” (no longer a limited series), “The Crown,” and “Better Call Saul” are certainly going to fill up the drama categories, while “Ted Lasso,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Only Murders in the Building,” and “Barry” are likely to join “The Bear” in crowding the comedy categories.
- MAYBES: It will be interesting to see what shows up alongside the definites. The limited series “Beef” is a twisted beauty that deserves Academy affirmation, particularly leads Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, each of whom brings unexpected humanity to their respective road rager. Will the old-fashioned but self-aware “Poker Face” get some love along with its star, Natasha Lyonne? I hope so. Ditto for Bel Powley and the potent Holocaust drama “A Small Light.” I’m also thinking that “The Great” and its two leads, Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, may well be recognized again. And I have my fingers crossed that there will be room for some “Bad Sisters” love, for best drama and its strong cast.
- WISH LIST: I have a list of shows and actors I’d love to see named on Wednesday — but I also have a reality check in my brain reminding me that they are only distant possibilities. Bridget Everett and “Somebody Somewhere,” Gary Oldman and “Slow Horses,” Helene Yorke, Drew Tarver, Molly Shannon, and “The Other Two,” and Ally Sheedy and “Single Drunk Female.”
WHAT I’M WATCHING THIS WEEK
1. “Full Circle,” which premieres Thursday on Max, is a tense six-episode thriller miniseries directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon. It’s ambitious, as it pulls together different plot strands involving a Guyanese crime boss (CCH Pounder), a wealthy New York couple (Claire Danes and Timothy Olyphant), and a few of the boss’s goons (including Jharrel Jerome). It takes a while for the story threads, which involve a kidnapping, to tie together, but they do, and the acting is strong. Here’s the trailer.
2. A pair of goodies return this week. Apple TV+’s “The Afterparty” is back for season two (trailer) on Wednesday, with another crime to be solved, this time at a wedding. The inventive series gives us the events of the night from different perspectives and in different narrative styles (including one episode that’s like a Wes Anderson movie). The comedy stars Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zach Woods, Elizabeth Perkins, and, in a very funny turn, Anna Konkle. And FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” a favorite, is back for season five on Thursday at 10 p.m., with more brilliant vampire insanity (trailer).
3. In the wake of the revolt led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, PBS’s “Frontline” is premiering a new documentary called “Putin’s Crisis” on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on GBH 2. From the team behind “Putin and the Presidents” (2023), “Putin’s Road to War” (2022), and “Putin’s Revenge” (2017) — yes, they know a lot about Vladimir — the new doc looks at the Russian leader and how his war on Ukraine led to new challenges to his power.
4. Showtime’s new three-part documentary about the life and career of Wilt Chamberlain will be available to stream on Friday for “Paramount+ With Showtime” subscribers. Called “Goliath” — which is a better title than “Wilt the Stilt” — it will then premiere on the linear Showtime channel on Sunday at 10 p.m. As the release puts it, “Chamberlain changed the way the game is played, broke records and racial barriers and challenged the unwritten rules for all athletes, especially black basketball players.” By the way, directors Rob Ford and Christopher Dillon are going to use artificial intelligence to re-create Chamberlain’s voice, so that “he” will narrate some of his own story. (Here’s the preview.)
CHANNEL SURFING
“Miracle Workers: End Times” The fourth season of TBS’s last scripted series. TBS, Monday, 10 p.m.
“Myth of the Zodiac Killer” Another new take on the serial killer, in two parts. Peacock, Tuesday
RECENTLY REVIEWED
“Full Circle” A dynamic thriller from Steven Soderbergh. Max
“The Bear” The show returns with a strong second season. Hulu
“The Full Monty” A warm return to the struggling community of Sheffield. Hulu
“The Crowded Room” A portrait of mental illness starring Tom Holland. Apple TV+
“Never Have I Ever” Devi’s high school career ends in the final season. Netflix
“A Small Light” Anne Frank’s story through the eyes of those who helped her. Disney+, Hulu
“The Great” A strong third season of the smart, irreverent, and bawdy period series. Hulu
“Class of ‘09″ An overly complex FBI thriller. Hulu
“Somebody Somewhere” Season two is a warm, low-key paean to friendship. HBO
“Tom Jones” A breezy Henry Fielding four-part adaptation on PBS’s “Masterpiece.” GBH 2
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at matthew.gilbert@globe.com. Follow him @MatthewGilbert.