The weekend in TV : WWE, ‘Ted Lasso’ and ‘Men at Work: Miami’

article

Jason Sudeikis in Ted Lasso (Apple TV+); promotional art for "Men at Work: Miami" (Tubi)

CHICAGO - The TV landscape grows more crowded by the day, but never fear: We’re here to help. Here’s our rundown on the weekend in TV for Aug. 2-5, 2021.

Friday, Aug. 6: WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown feeds the feuds while Ted Lasso tries to "Do the Right-est Thing"

Jason Sudeikis in "Ted Lasso" (Photo: Apple TV+)

"WWE’s Friday Night Smackdown" (FOX, 8 p.m./7 p.m. CST): With the 2021 SummerSlam fast approaching (Aug. 21, mark your calendars!) it’s safe to assume that tonight’s SmackDown will continue to fan the feuding flames. We’re not predicting another John Cena appearance this weekend — the groundwork has already been laid for SummerSlam’s anticipated Cena/Roman Reigns confrontation, and besides, Cena’s a little busy saving the world with "The Suicide Squad." But it should be plenty eventful all the same.

"Ted Lasso" (Apple TV+, 12:01 a.m. EST): Ashley Nicole Black, who’ll be competing against herself for an Emmy this year, pens today’s "Lasso," winningly titled "Do the Right-est Thing." Expect this episode to continue the show’s (and Jason Sudeikis’) hot streak, but don’t count on Richmond breaking out of its ties-only rut just yet.

Also:

"Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary" (IMDb TV, 12:01 a.m. EST, complete series): The five episodes of this intimate docuseries combines interviews and Bryan’s own home videos to offer "a backstage pass experience into the life of the country music superstar."
"Star Wars: The Bad Batch" (Disney+, 3:01 a.m. EST): Today’s episode is the penultimate of the season, so if you want to get caught up before the finale, now’s your chance.
"Making the Cut" (Amazon, 12:01 a.m. EST, second-season finale): Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn’s "Project Runway" successor reaches the end of its second go-round, with the remaining designers competing for a cool $1 million to invest in their brands.
"Vivo" (Netflix, 3:01 a.m. EST): Lin-Manuel Miranda voices the titular music-loving kinkajou in a warmhearted animated film that features catchy tunes by, you guessed it, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Saturday, Aug. 7: Grab your popcorn and watch some "Men at Work"

Key art for "Men at Work: Miami," now streaming on Tubi. (Image: Tubi)

"Men at Work: Miami" (Tubi, currently streaming): Surprise is a key element in any good comedy, and "Men at Work: Miami" has more than its share. After a breakup, a charming exotic dancer (Jim Bakkum) and his best friend (Martijn Fischer) head to Miami to open a strip club, and as you might suspect, hijinks ensue. The second highest-grossing Dutch film of 2020 arrives on Tubi in two forms. There’s the original subtitled version, here making its North American premiere, but for those averse to subtitles, Tubi is also home to the world premiere of the English-language dubbed version. Either way, go ahead and fill that "Magic Mike XXL"-shaped hole in your heart with these nice Dutch lads. Tubi is owned by the FOX Corporation.

Also:

"Game of Talents" (FOX, 11 p.m.,): Revisit one of the highlights from the first season of this Wayne Brady-hosted variety show.
"The Globe" (Discovery+, 3:01 a.m. EST): If you’ve ever thought to yourself, "wow, I wish someone would mash up ‘Chopped’ and ‘The Amazing Race’," then boy oh boy does "The Globe" have good news for you.

Sunday, Aug. 8: Put your seatback and tray table in the full upright position and prepare to land on "Fantasy Island"

"Welcome to the New Fantasy Island" (FOX, 9:30 p.m.): We regret to inform you that this wish-fulfillment drama doesn’t properly premiere until Tuesday, but this behind-the-scenes special should make the wait more tolerable. Get a look at the lush Puerto Rican scenery, learn "how the iconic series was re-imagined with new characters and visitors", get an insider perspective on the filming of the pilot and of course, most importantly, start coveting the updated white suit.

If that’s not enough for you, you can also check out the original on Tubi.

Also:

"DC’s Legends of Tomorrow" (The CW, 8 p.m.): The Legends do some intergalactic bowling in the TV directorial debut of cast member Jes Macallan.
"Blindspotting" (Starz, 9 p.m., first-season finale): Make "Blindspotting" Exhibit A when someone tells you a TV spinoff of a movie can’t possibly be good, because the first season of this offshoot of Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal’s film of the same name has been pretty great.
"The White Lotus" (HBO, 9 p.m.): This Mike White HBO series has been picking up steam every week, thanks in no small part to a career-best performance from the iconic Jennifer Coolidge.
"The Simpsons" (FOX, 8 p.m.): It’s just not a proper Sunday without Springfield’s favorite family. This repeat of 2020’s "Three Dreams Denied" features guest performances from the ageless Paul Rudd and "Dear Evan Hansen" star Ben Platt.
2020 Summer Olympics: The Games come to an end with today’s closing ceremonies.

About Tubi:

Tubi is available on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub, and on OTT devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Hisense TVs, Comcast X1, Cox Contour, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S. Consumers can also watch Tubi content on the web at http://www.tubi.tv/

With total view time surpassing 200 million hours of content streamed each month since April, Tubi has over 30,000 movies and television shows from over 250 content partners, including every major studio. The service gives fans of films and television programs an easy way to discover new content that is available completely free.

Tubi is owned by the FOX Corporation.

About the writer: Allison Shoemaker is a Chicago-based pop-culture critic and journalist. She is the author of "How TV Can Make You Smarter," and a member of the Television Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critics Association. She is also a producer and co-host for the Podlander Presents network of podcasts. Find her on Twitter and Instagram at @allisonshoe.