What’s on TV this week—House Of The Dragon and Federer: Twelve Final Days
Plus, Top Chef's season finale, the story behind Black Barbie, and more
TV Lists House of the Dragon
Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, June 16 to Thursday, June 20. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
The biggies
House Of The Dragon (HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m.)
Who’s ready to fly back into Westeros with House Of The Dragon season two? HBO’s sweeping epic returns with eight episodes that pick up mere days after the season-one finale, in which Queen Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) second-born son loses his life in a battle with Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and his dragon. This will definitely spur an all-out war between Team Black and Team Green. (Alicent Hightower [Olivia Cooke] and her clan better watch out.) Here’s your detailed season-one refresher, if you need it. The A.V. Club will recap the show each week.
Federer: Twelve Final Days (Prime Video, Thursday, 12:01 a.m.)
Directed by Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia, Federer: Twelve Final Days follows the famed tennis star in the last two weeks of his professional career, which ended with the 2022 Laver Cup in England. It’s no Challengers, but the doc does offer heartfelt insight into the life of this legend.
Hidden gems
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
In the documentary Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, director Page Hurwitz explores how LGBTQ+ artists and comedians have evolved the genre over decades by challenging cultural norms. Expect interviews with Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, and Trixie Mattel, among others.
Power Of The Dream (Prime Video, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
The documentary Power Of The Dream, which boasts Tracee Ellis Ross as a producer, tells the empowering story of a professional women’s basketball team that rallied behind Senator Raphael Warnock to change the landscape of U.S. sports and politics.
Black Barbie (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
It’s another Barbie summer, huh? Lagueria Davis directs this new doc about three Black women at Mattel who were responsible for bringing Black Barbie to the market in the ’80s. Through insider interviews and retellings, the film looks at the impact of the dolls on our culture.
More good stuff
Cult Massacre: One Day In Jonestown (Hulu, Monday, 12:01 a.m.)
The horrifying story of Jonestown has been told many times, so why not once again? This three-part docuseries from director Marian Mohamed unpacks the cult religious organization led by Jim Jones and how it resulted in the deaths of 918 people.
Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance Of Sherri Papini (Hulu, Thursday, 12:01 a.m.)
On November 2, 2016, Sherri Papini disappeared while on a run in California and it launched a nationwide hunt. When she reappeared three weeks later, it led only to confusion about her alleged kidnapping. Perfect Wife, from director Michael Beach Nichols, dives into her vanishing act, return, and the subsequent trial that captivated the media and true-crime podcasts.
Can’t miss recaps
Interview With The Vampire (AMC, Sunday, 9 p.m.)
Top Chef (Bravo, Wednesday, 9 p.m., season 21 finale)
The Boys (Prime Video, Thursday, 12:01 a.m.)
Arriving now
My Life Is Murder (Acorn TV, Monday, 3:01 a.m., season four premiere)
Hart To Hart (Peacock, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season four premiere)
Ending soon
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season two finale)
Insomnia (Paramount+, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season one finale)