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 17-23.
I’m already thinking about the lesser-known shows I’m going to dig up and recommend to readers if and when the effects of the writers’ and actors’ strikes begin to appear. Eventually, there will be a dearth of new series, and many viewers will be scrounging around for entertainment in the deep library of already released titles that is Peak TV.
The first viewers to feel the squeeze from the strikes will be those who rely solely on broadcast TV. The late-night shows are already airing reruns, which will grow tiresome if and when weeks turn into months. And in prime time, the networks, already heavily reliant on game shows and contests, will become more dependent than ever on them; the making of unscripted titles falls outside the strikes.
Later on, though, the lack of new series will reach the cable and streaming outlets. They tend to work farther ahead than the broadcast networks, so they tend to have more finished shows in their coffers, ready for release. We saw that during the pandemic, as streamers and cable channels continued to feature new series longer than the networks. But sooner or later, today’s work stoppage — which includes the next seasons of “Severance” and “Stranger Things” — will make itself known in all corners of the TV world.
Here’s hoping that the contract disputes get settled, and fairly, as soon as possible, so actors and writers can go back to the work they love.
WHAT I’M WATCHING THIS WEEK
1. On Tuesday at 10 p.m., Timothy Olyphant is back as Raylan Givens in FX’s “Justified: City Primeval,” an eight-episode revival of the one, the only “Justified.” It’s based on Elmore Leonard’s 1980 novel “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit,” which doesn’t feature Givens — but the deputy US marshal has been written into the story. (Here’s the trailer.) The cast includes Vondie Curtis-Hall, Aunjanue Ellis, Boyd Holbrook, Adelaide Clemens, and Olyphant’s real-life daughter, Vivian Olyphant, as Raylan’s daughter. This time, Raylan’s in a cat-and-mouse game with a psychopath.
2. In recent years, “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan has been very busy coming up with new shows and spinoffs. The latest, premiering Sunday on Paramount+ (trailer), is called “Special Ops: Lioness,” and its based on a real-life CIA program that trains female undercover spies. Zoe Saldana stars as a CIA chief working with a young Marine (Laysla De Oliveira) sent to befriend the daughter of a suspected terrorist. Nicole Kidman is in the cast as a CIA official, along with Morgan Freeman, Dave Annable, and Martin Donovan.
3. Steven Soderbergh’s “Full Circle” only just premiered on Max, and it’s a good, complex thriller. Starring Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, and CCH Pounder, it revolves around the kidnapping of a New York City teenager. Now the director has announced that he has another series arriving this month, called “Command Z.” Here’s the twist: The series, a sci-fi comedy starring Michael Cera as a scientist, will be available for streaming only on the site for Soderbergh’s production company, Extension 765. There’s some time and space travel via a wormhole inside a washing machine, and the cast includes Roy Wood Jr., Liev Schreiber, and Stavros Halkias. It’s all here, in the trailer.
4. PBS’s “Southern Storytellers,” which premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on GBH 2, follows a few Southern creators back home. Billy Bob Thornton, Adia Victoria, Jericho Brown, Lyle Lovett, Jason Isbell, and Mary Steenburgen are among those who talk about their bonds with the region and its impact on their lives and their work. Here’s the trailer, all y’all.
CHANNEL SURFING
“Minx” The buoyant 1970s-set comedy about an erotic magazine for women returns for season 2. Starz, Friday, 9 p.m.
“Praise Petey” An animated comedy featuring the voices of Annie Murphy, John Cho, and Stephen Root. Freeform, Friday, 10 p.m.
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
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at matthew.gilbert@globe.com. Follow him @MatthewGilbert.