Rueben's Ramblings

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

On August 11, the first two episodes of the six-part murder mystery series Irish Blood will debut online on Acorn TV. Alicia Silverstone stars as Fiona, whose path in life is earmarked by her father, Declan (Jason O’Mara from The Man In The High Castle and The Good Wife), who seemingly abandoned her and her mother on her tenth birthday. After years of channeling anger toward him, to the benefit of her litigious clients, a message from her father sends her to Ireland. There she learns key truths about her father as well as a family that doesn’t know she exists, and, moreover, that the story of abandonment that has shaped her entire life – was a lie. A lie intended to protect her and her mother from her father’s shady business dealings. Fiona resolves to uncover the full truth about her father and reconnect with the parent she only thought she knew. Wendy Crewson also stars.

The new sci-fi thriller Alien: Earth will debut its first two episodes on FX on Hulu as well as on linear TV via FX at 8 PM on August 12. When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, “Wendy” (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat. In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named “Wendy” marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, “Wendy” and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined. The cast includes Timothy Olyphant, Kit Young, Babou Ceesay and Essie Davis [among others].

On August 13, the new action-adventure series Butterfly will debut online on Amazon Prime. The character-driven spy thriller explores complex family dynamics within the treacherous world of global espionage, centering on David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), an enigmatic, highly unpredictable former US intelligence operative living in South Korea, whose life is blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him, and he finds himself pursued by Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), a deadly, sociopathic young agent assigned to kill him, and Caddis, the sinister spy organization she works for. The cast includes Piper Perabo and Charles Parnell [among others]

On August 14, the Syfy thriller Revival will air its finale at 10 PM; while on that same day, the finale of And Just Like That… will air on HBO MAX online.

The new series The Rainmaker, based on the best-selling John Grisham novel, will debut on the USA Network on August 15 at 10 PM. Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan from The Spanish Princess and Rivals), fresh out of law school, goes head-to-head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond (John Slattery from Mad Men) as well as his law school girlfriend, Sarah (Madison Iseman from the new Jumanji film reboots). Rudy, along with his boss, Bruiser, and her disheveled paralegal, Deck, uncover two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of their client’s son. The show also stars P.J. Byrne, Dan Fogler, Wade Briggs and Robyn Cara.

Also on August 15, the finale of Smoke will air online on Apple TV+ while that same night the annual Stand Up to Cancer special presentation will air at 8 PM on ABC, CBS, Disney+, FOX, Hulu, HBO MAX and NBC [among others – check your local listings].

The third and final movie in the franchise Providence Falls: Thief of Fate will debut on the Hallmark Channel on August 16 at 8 PM. Detectives Cora and Liam close in on solving their murder case and rebel against the angels, choosing to take fate into their own hands. The movie stars Katie Stevens (The Bold Type), Lachlan Quarmby (The Watchful Eye), Evan Roderick (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries), Paul McGillion (Stargate: Atlantis) and Matty Finochio (Sight Unseen and Riverdale).

On August 17, the Hallmark Channel movie Mystery Island: Play for Keeps will debut at 8 PM. Mystery Island hosts a corporate retreat with a guest being Emilia’s ex-fiancé. Old feelings become complicated, tensions run high, and allegations arise when a guest is found dead. The movie franchise stars Elizabeth Henstridge and Charlie Weber. N0OTE: The movie was delayed from June 5.

Lastly, the final two episodes of the drama Nautilus will air online on AMC+ and on AMC on August 17 at 9 PM.

Mark your calendars!