Rueben's Ramblings

Here is a list of the programming options to expect on TV this week:

The El Rey Network drama Matador will debut on July 15 at 9 PM. This new series chronicles the unlikely rise of Antonio “Matador” Bravo (Gabriel Luna from Prison Break), a popular soccer star, who comes to be known as much for his playboy antics off the field as his dynamic moves on it. But what his fans and family don’t realize is that it’s all a cover–in truth, he is a skilled covert operative executing missions for a little known branch of the CIA. “Matador” has the kind of fame and notoriety that affords him access to powerful circles of corruption and villainy. But, in balancing the dueling roles in which he’s been cast, he will be forced to confront the question of his true identity and it is this mission which will prove to be his most dangerous. The cast includes Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) and Peter Gadiot (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland).

On, July 16 the new 8-episode drama The Divide will debut on WE TV at 9 PM. Eleven years ago, the Butler family was attacked in their Philadelphia home and all but the youngest daughter were brutally murdered. The senseless deaths of this affluent African American family, seemingly at the hands of two white construction workers, Terry Kucik (Joe Anderson from Across the Universe) and Jared Bankowski (Chris Bauer from True Blood), threatened to ignite a racial firestorm. Adam Page (Damon Gupton from The Wire and Treme), himself an affluent black man and the city’s District Attorney as well as a political rising star, made a name for himself by securing convictions for both men, leading to the death penalty ruling for Bankowski. Now, Christine Rosa (Marin Ireland from Homeland and Boss), a caseworker with the Innocence Initiative, believes Bankowski was wrongly convicted of the heinous murders and struggles to stop his impending execution, while tirelessly working to exonerate Kucik.

The new USA Network dramas Rush and Satisfaction will both debut on July 17 at 9 and 10 PM respectively. Rush examines the world of renegade physician Dr. William Rush (Tom Ellis from EastEnders and The Secrets of Crickley Hall), a “medical fixer” who privately caters to Los Angeles’ elite. The cast includes Odette Annable (House and Brothers & Sisters). Meanwhile, Satisfaction stars Matt Passmore (The Glades) as investment banker Neil Truman who confronts his relationship (and his life) with his wife Grace, facing issues by making unconventional choices.

Cedar Cove will be back for its second season on the Hallmark Channel on July 19 at 8 PM.

That same night the original Hallmark Channel movie For Better or Worse will debut at 9 PM. Wendy Hartline is finally starting to settle into the single life after struggling with the death of her husband. After a difficult season of grief, she’s taken over the family business of coordinating the town’s most beautiful and memorable weddings with the help of her friend and co-worker Roseanne. However, when the charming and incredibly irritating Marco opens a legal practice that specializes in divorces right next to her wedding chapel, Wendy is going to make sure that she stops at nothing to promote her business and the sanctity of marriage. Along the way, Wendy learns that self-discovery and moving on are the ways to finding true happiness. The cast includes Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields (both from Facts of Life) and Antonio Cupo (Bomb Girls).

On July 20, the new Lifetime drama The Lottery will debut at 10 PM. Set within a dystopian future driven by a global fertility crisis, the series reveals a world staring down the barrel of impending extinction as women have mysteriously stopped bearing children. After years of research, Dr. Alison Lennon (Marley Shelton from Eleventh Hour) and her team remarkably fertilize 100 embryos. However, her victory is short-lived when the Director of the U.S. Fertility Commission, Darius Hayes (Martin Donovan from Homeland), takes government control of the lab and informs the President (Yul Vasquez from Magic City) of the monumental scientific breakthrough. To determine which women will carry the prized embryos to term, Chief of Staff Vanessa Keller (Athena Karkanis from Low Winter Sun) convinces the President to hold a national lottery and a battle over the control of the 100 embryos begins. The cast also include Michael Graziadei (American Horror Story), David Alpay (The Vampire Diaries) and Shelly Conn (Terra Nova).

That same night over on the UP Channel original movie Rocky Road will debut at 8 PM. Harrison Castle (Mark Salling from Glee) has the corporate apartment, expense account and big office at his prestigious Wall Street firm. Harrison is a wheeler-dealer with the world at his feet. But it all comes crashing down in an instant. His firm suffers catastrophic losses and is forced to downsize and Harrison is one of the casualties. Shell-shocked, having lived on the margin the same way he trades, Harrison is suddenly broke. In fact, he’s in debt. He has fallen from Wall Street to Main Street in one bus ride. The bus pulls into a quaint New Hampshire township and Harrison’s parents are surprised and thrilled to see him. Harrison pretends that he is taking a long overdue vacation, when, in fact, he is living his worst nightmare — moving back with his parents and working his old route in his father’s ice cream truck business. The cast includes Steve Byers (Falcon Beach and Alphas), Rebecca Dalton (The L.A. Complex) and Nicholas Campbell (Haven).

Mark your calendars!