It’s been 13 years since the Discovery Channel first carved out what has become an annual week dedicated to sharks. The reasons why aren’t clear — unless you count the popularity of the event. Last year, more than 26 million viewers watched documentaries on the intricacies of one of nature’s most misunderstood killing machines.
From Sunday through Aug. 20, Discovery presents “Shark Week Uncaged,” so named partly because of host Nigel Marven, who in Sunday’s “Giants: Sharks” swims with several toothy creatures, including a great white in South Africa.
“I can’t wait to get down there!” the British filmmaker and naturalist beams as he’s about to dive at night. An expert says that is when a shark’s eyesight is at its poorest — luckily for him.
Wearing a chain mail sleeve to feed Caribbean reef sharks wasn’t a bad idea, either.
Its strength is the beautiful underwater photography. There are lovely images of Marven trailing a whale shark; poking around under ice floes in the Arctic Ocean while swimming with a Greenland shark; and frolicking with sea lions in Australia, which, for a great white, is like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
“Giants: Sharks” premieres at 9 p.m. It is preceded at 8 p.m. by “Sharks 3-D,” so get those funny-looking glasses ready.
Documentaries air nightly at 8 p.m. through Friday, as part of a channelwide initiative that includes contests, online coverage, and Discovery Kids programming Sunday, Saturday and Aug. 20.
Saturday’s special for kids at 10:30 a.m. is the informational comedy “Who Killed Kenny?” hosted by 7-year-old Spencer Breslin, who plays Bruce Willis’ younger self in Disney’s “The Kid,” and featuring Discovery Kids’ recurring character Kenny the Shark.
Sunday
“The PRISM Awards 2000,” given out by the Entertainment Industries Council for the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and abuse in film, TV and other mediums, airs on WGN-Ch. 9 at 5 p.m. and features appearances by Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Leeza Gibbons, Kathy Baker and others.
“Spin and Marty,” the popular serial about two action-seeking boys that ran as part of “The Mickey Mouse Club” during the 1950s, gets updated in “The New Adventures of Spin and Marty: Suspect Behavior” on ABC’s “Wonderful World of Disney” at 6 p.m. on WLS-Ch. 7. David Gallagher (“7th Heaven”) is Marty, Jeremy Foley (“Caitlin’s Way”) is Spin, and the original Spin and Marty, Tim Considine and David Stollery, have a cameo.
As much about the inner workings of investigative journalism as it is about its sensational subject matter, “The Thin Blue Lie” is a crackling true story of two reporters (Rob Morrow, Randy Quaid) who uncover police brutality and racism in 1976 Philadelphia. It airs at 7 p.m. on Showtime.
Just in time for this week’s Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, TNT’s “Running Mates” is at its heart an old-fashioned screwball comedy on politics’ strange bedfellows. Premiering at 7 p.m., it features seriocomic turns by Tom Selleck as a presidential hopeful, Laura Linney as his aggressive campaign manager, and Nancy Travis as his wife. Teri Hatcher and Faye Dunaway also star.
A well-written two-hour A&E “Biography” on Bob Dylan at 7 p.m. — as extensive as the folk legend is an enigma, and especially good in showing the singer’s contentious relationship with his fans — kicks off “Rock Legends Week,” where profiles of David Crosby, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and others are set.
Grammy-winner Carols Santana performs on WTTW-Ch. 11 at 9 p.m. in a 1993 concert filmed in Mexico.
Monday
Remember the stuff we wrote in TV Week a few weeks ago about the Republican National Convention — how the networks aren’t covering it as much as in the past, how cable outlets MSNBC, CNN, Fox News and C-SPAN will provide gavel-to-gavel coverage, how PBS will be in prime time for it while Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” has specials originating from the site?
Hope you didn’t throw that issue away: The same programming holds true for the Democratic convention, which is Monday through Thursday in Los Angeles.
“Dora the Explorer,” a new animated series about a 7-year-old Latina girl, makes its debut on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. preschool lineup at 10 a.m. (another episode runs on the regular Nickelodeon schedule at 7 p.m.) It’s a cute interactive series requiring little ones to help Dora when she asks them to help her carry out various adventures.
A&E’s “Live by Request” presents Willie Nelson in concert at 8 p.m. A&E will offer a special number where viewers can ask Nelson to play their favorite hits.
Tuesday
“(That) man’s into some very weird stuff,” Jeff Obold (Aidan Gillen) tells his wife, Marla (Nina Siemaszko), of the wealthy, mysterious Bruno Rubin (F. Murray Abraham) in “The Darkling,” an alleged thriller from USA at 8 p.m. More odd than scary, it’s a poorly done “be careful what you wish for” rant that becomes a little depressing.
The good news is “Bull,” TNT’s new series surrounding Wall Street investors, comes at a time when more people are savvier about the stock market than ever. But broader jeopardy needs to happen to the characters if this series is to rise above simple boardroom machinations. Featuring an appealing cast (George Newbern, Malik Yoba, Elisabeth Rohm, Alicia Coppola, and in a recurring role, Stanley Tucci), the series premieres at 7 p.m.
Another new series picks up where the MTV movie left off: “2gether,” a comedy of boy bands that features a fictional group of pretty dudes singing R&B kiddie pop spoofs, premieres at 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday
VH1’s “At Any Cost” (8 p.m.) is a drama about two brothers and their best friend’s attempts at success through rock, and the pitfalls they hit along the way.
“Queer as Folk,” a 10-part drama about three gay men in England that Showtime is Americanizing, airs on AT&T cable channel 53 at 9 p.m. as part of C1TV, an entertainment cable outlet for gay viewers.
Thursday
Recording legend Roy Orbison is profiled, featuring tributes by Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Bono and others, in a Bravo two-hour presentation at 7 p.m.
A new season of “Conversations in World Cinema,” the interview series with filmmakers from around the world, kicks off with Ismail Merchant, who with partner James Ivory made such films as “A Room with a View,” “The Remains of the Day” and others. Catch it at 8 p.m.
Friday
Former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson talks to Whoopi Goldberg in a special edition of Lifetime’s “Intimate Portrait” at 6 p.m.
A 13-year-old’s (Kimberly J. Brown) carefree existence as an only child changes dramatically when her parents have “Quints,” a new Disney Channel movie at 6 p.m.
“The Hot Corner” examines how last year’s historic matches between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban National Team affected those involved. The documentary airs on the Sundance Channel at 8 p.m.
“Lexx” is an acquired taste. Launching its second season on the Sci-Fi Channel at 9 p.m., the space-faring action series is either edgy fare with its story line of antiheroes flying around in a giant bug, or silly soft-core porn without the nudity and explicit sexual situations.
Edge of a craftier kind can be found on HBO’s “The Chris Rock Show,” with the aggressive and insightful comedian launching a fifth season at 11 p.m.
Saturday
“The 1900 House,” the reality series featuring a modern family living as if it were the turn of the century, repeats in its entirety on WTTW-Ch. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
AMC’s “Backstory” at 7 p.m. follows the making of 1979’s “Norma Rae,” including an interview with the film’s Oscar-winner, Sally “You Really Like Me!” Field.
