What's on TV this week—Sunny and Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer
Plus, a groundbreaking Japanese dating show, a doc on Melissa Etheridge, and more
Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, July 7 to Thursday, July 11. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
The biggies
Sunny (Apple TV+, Wednesday, 12:01 a.m.)
Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi adventure is set in futuristic Japan and follows Suzie Sakamoto (Rashida Jones), whose life is upended when her husband (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and son vanish after a plane crash. She digs into the mystery of their disappearance with the help of an unexpected source: Sunny, a robot designed by her other half specifically for her. The show premieres with two episodes on July 10, with the remaining eight airing weekly. Look out for The A.V. Club’s review on Monday.
Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer (Hulu, Thursday, 12:01 a.m.)
Mindhunter fans, this one’s for us. Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer explores Dr. Ann Burgess’ fascinating career. The inspiration for Anna Torv’s character on the show, Wendy Carr. Dr. Burgess is known for profiling serial killers by digging into their psyche and conducting interviews with them (including Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy, among others). Mastermind features insights into her personal life and how her work has helped unmask several murderers over the years. The A.V. Club’s review publishes Tuesday.
Hidden gems
The Boyfriend (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Netflix adds a seminal dating reality series to its lineup with Japan’s The Boyfriend. In the same-sex series, nine men live together in a beach house for a month to try and find love and forge unexpected friendships while facing a slew of challenges. The 10 episodes air from July 9 to 30.
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken (Paramount+, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
The two-part docuseries I’m Not Broken looks at Grammy-winner Melissa Etheridge’s communication with incarcerated women in her Kansas hometown, which inspired her to write several songs. Etheridge, who lost her son to the opioid crisis, discusses topics of grief, substance abuse, female incarceration, and generation trauma, as well as how music can act as a conduit.
More good stuff
Hannah Berner: We Ride At Dawn (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Comedian and podcast host Hannah Berner—you’ve definitely seen her on your TikTok FYP—levels up to Netflix with her first stand-up special, We Ride At Dawn. Filmed in Philadelphia, the hour-long act sees her talking about mental health, dating, pop culture, and politics.
Sasha Reid And The Midnight Order (Freeform, Tuesday, 10 p.m.)
What a week to be a fan of true-crime documentaries and female investigators. In Sasha Reid And The Midnight Order, the titular psychologist and a group of six women come together to study the minds of serial killers and look at long-forgotten cases.
Can’t miss recaps
The Bear (Hulu)
House Of The Dragon (HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m.)
The Boys (Prime Video, Thursday, 12:01 a.m.)
Arriving now
The Bachelorette (ABC, Monday, 8 p.m., season 21 premiere)
All American: Homecoming (The CW, Monday, 9 p.m., season 3 premiere)
The Ark (SYFY, Wednesday 11 p.m., season two premiere)
The Responder (Britbox, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season two premiere)
Ending soon
Reginald The Vampire (SYFY, Wednesday, 10 p.m., season two finale)
[An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that The Ark finale is on July 17. It is the season 2 premiere.]