TV best bets with season finales of ‘Mr. Robot,’ ‘Scream,’ ‘Rookie Blue,’ ‘The Last Ship’

Melissa Rivers (right) is taking over for her late mom as chief host of “Fashion Police” on E!

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Sunday, August 30, 2015

This week is packed with summer series ending their seasons as Labor Day approaches.

Among those: “The Whispers” on ABC Monday, TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles,” FX’s “Tyrant” and MTV’s “Scream” on Tuesday, USA’s “Mr. Robot” and ABC’s “Celebrity Wife Swap” on Wednesday, ABC’s “Rookie Blue” and “Mistresses” Thursday and TNT’s “The Last Ship.”

And what’s back? E!’s “Fashion Police” on Monday, rebooting a second time after Kathy Griffin didn’t work out. This time, Joan Rivers’ daughter Melissa takes her mom’s seat.

MONDAY

“American Ninja Warrior” 8 p.m. NBC — he finalists head to Las Vegas.

“Fashion Police” 8 p.m. E! (back from hiatus) — Melissa Rivers takes over for her mom.

“Eight-Limbed Baby” 8 p.m. TLC — Keeping it classy as always, TLC.

“Bachelor in Paradise” 8 p.m. ABC — Chelsie asks Nick out and they enjoy an ocean cruise on a luxurious yacht and go snorkeling.

“So You Think You Can Dance” 8 p.m. Fox — The top 6 perform.

“The Boy With Giant Hands” 9 p.m. TLC — See 8 p.m. description.

“Awkward” 9 p.m. MTV  (fifth season debut) — Senior pranks cause chaos.

“Faking It” 9:30 p.m. MTV (second season summer debut) — Shane leads a revolt after a new principal cracks down on Hester.

“Running Wild With Bear Grylls” 10:01 p.m. NBC — Michael B. Jordan joins Bear in Wales.

“The Whispers” 10:01 p.m. ABC (first season finale) — Drill revs up the end game.

TUESDAY

“America’s Got Talent” 8 p.m. NBC — The Craig Lewis Band from Atlanta is among the 11 performing in the semifinals.

“Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” 8 p.m. Fox — A paleontologist and a real-estate agent answer elementary school questions for the chance to win $1 million.

“Rizzoli & Isles” 9 p.m. TNT (sixth season summer finale) — An old watch is discovered inside a balloon of cocaine in a dead woman’s stomach.

“Zoo” 9 p.m. CBS — The team are on the run as fugitives when they fly to Zambia to gather leopard DNA in order to manufacture a cure for the abnormal behavior that’s affecting animals worldwide.

“Playing House” 10 p.m. USA — An unexpected visitor interrupts Maggie and Emma’s weekend at Lake Kimmewah.

“Real Husbands of Hollywood” 10 p.m. BET — Kevin accidentally ingests drug-laced candy while in the company of an annoying rapper.

“Public Morals” 10 p.m. TNT — Muldoon investigates his uncle’s murder.

“Scream” 10 p.m. MTV (first season finale) — Emma tries to save a loved one and also learns the identity of the killer.

“Tyrant” 10 p.m. FX (second season finale) — Jamal’s fate is uncertain as Abbudin prepares to enter a new phase.

“Hollywood Game Night” 10:01 p.m. NBC — The party-game stars are Joe Jonas, Jeff Dye, Cheryl Burke, Jenna Elfman, Seth Green and Michelle Trachtenberg.

“Drunk History” 10:30 p.m. Comedy (third season debut) — Rival paleontologists Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh clash over fossil discoveries.

WEDNESDAY

“America’s Got Talent” 8 p.m. NBC — The first finalists are named.

“Masterchef” 8 p.m. Fox — The Top 5 cooks compete in a mystery-box challenge that includes pear, tomato, portobello mushroom and chocolate.

“The Carmichael Show” 9 p.m. NBC  — Jerrod encourages his parents to lead healthier lifestyles, but his efforts backfire and cause a family debate about health, aging and death.

“Extant” 9 p.m. CBS — Molly tracks down John’s former colleague with JD and Ethan in hopes of stopping the Humanich threat.

“Home Free” 9:01 p.m. Fox —The competition continues as the couples put their all into the renovation.

“The Jim Gaffigan Show” 10 p.m. TV Land —Jim is featured on a magazine cover, but Jeannie becomes upset when the accompanying article doesn’t mention her.

“Last Comic Standing” 10 p.m. NBC — The Top 10 comics compete in head-to-head showdowns, and five winners advance to the finale.

“Mr. Robot” 10 p.m. USA (first season finale) — This was supposed to air last week but the Roanoke shootings hewed too closely with what happens tonight.

“Celebrity Wife Swap” 10 p.m. ABC (fourth season finale)  — The ladies with Robert Carradine and Terrell Owens swap places.

THURSDAY

“Beyond Scared Straight” 9 p.m. A&E (series finale) — The series finale features highlights from all nine seasons.

“Big Brother” 9 p.m. CBS — Will Johnny Mac go home – again?

“Mistresses” 9 p.m. ABC (third season finale) — Joss is granted her freedom

“Project Runway” 9 p.m. Lifetime — The designers battle for their fabric via a paintball competition, then they try to create a six-piece collection.

“Documentary Now” 10 p.m. IFC — A satire of groundbreaking documentaries done by Vice.

“Rookie Blue” 10 p.m. ABC (sixth season finale) — Not everything goes perfectly on Andy’s wedding day.

“Graceland” 10 p.m. USA — Johnny goes undercover to stop a gang war.

“Under the Dome” 10 p.m. CBS — The Dome’s calcification accelerates, leaving 24 hours before everyone suffocates from the barrier’s breakdown.

FRIDAY

“Hand of God” 12:01 a.m. Amazon (new series, episodes 2 to 10) — Ron Perlman plays justice Pernell Harris, a hard-living, law-bending married man with a high-end call girl on the side.

“Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church” 9 p.m. Showtime — A chronicle of Jimi Hendrix’s largest U.S. performance at the massive Atlanta Pop Music Festival in July 1970.

“Kendra on Top” 9 p.m. WE — Kendra returns home from her solo trip to the U.K.

“Cold Justice: Sex Crimes” 9 p.m. TNT— Casey and Alicia build a case against an uncooperative suspect.

“Atlanta Plastic” 10 p.m. Lifetime — Dr. Jones meets with a Michael Jackson impersonator who just can’t get beyond the man in the mirror.

WEEKEND

“Cedar Cove” 8 p.m. Saturday Hallmark — Will overstays his welcome at Olivia’s home.

“Blunt Talk” 9 p.m. Saturday Starz — The court orders Walter to attend AA meetings while his staff entertain themselves in peculiar ways during the weekend.

“Survivor’s Remorse” 9:30 p.m. Saturday Starz — Cassie gets a little action, much to her son’s chagrin.

“Ray Donovan” 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime — An attempt to draw Mickey out of hiding jeopardizes Bunchy’s wedding.

“The Last Ship” 9 p.m. Sunday TNT (second season finale) — The crew sends out a call to civilians to receive the cure at pre-selected ports.

“Masters of Sex” 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime — Masters continues his surrogacy program, which is now under Johnson’s critical eye.

“The Strain” 10 p.m. Sunday FX — Justine goes to extremes to thwart a surprise invasion.

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TV best bets with ‘Zoo,’ ‘Scream,’ ‘Extant,’ fireworks

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, June 29, 2015

On Wednesday, Halle Berry returns on CBS for a second season of “Extant,” which has taken a different turn.

The folks who did USA’s “Necessary Roughness” in Atlanta for three seasons took over as showrunners this year. According to EW:

This season, the action on the Amblin Entertainment drama picks up six months later when Molly, who has been confined to a psychiatric facility after the events of season 1, finds out about a new series of deaths that seem awfully similar to what she experienced in space. She crosses paths with a cop (newly cast Jeffrey Dean Morgan), whom she enlists to help track down her space baby. That means less screen time for Molly’s hubby (Goran Visnjic) as well as her bestie Sam (Camryn Manheim).

Two new shows may seem familiar. If you read James Patterson, you’ll be familiar with “Zoo,” which features animals turning on humans. Turned into a pulpy fun thriller on CBS starting Tuesday, reviews have been positive. (Sample the LA Times review here.)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pkJo_0Vv8A&w=560&h=315]

Then there’s MTV’s effort to turn the “Scream” series from the 1990s into a TV series, also on Tuesday. And the show itself addresses that issue upfront. Can a slasher film be stretched out for TV and work?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqzgSjZQlLo&w=560&h=315]

This covers Monday, June 29 through Sunday, July 5, 2015

MONDAY

“American Ninja Warrior” 8 p.m. NBC — A qualifying round in Pittsburgh features the Snake Crossing and Wind Chimes obstacles.

“The Bachelorette” 8 p.m. ABC — Kaitlyn and nine bachelors continue their quest to find love in Dublin, Ireland

“So You Think You Can Dance” 8 p.m. Fox — Vegas callbacks.

“Devious Maids” 9 p.m. Lifetime — Zoila discovers a secret from Genevieve’s past.

“Major Crimes” 9 p.m. TNT — Buzz Watson discovers a body during his first drive-along as a reserve officer.

“Larry Kramer in Love and Anger” 9 p.m. HBO — A profile of Larry Kramer, a dedicated activist and controversial writer who helped raise awareness of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

“Unreal” 10 p.m. Lifetime — The crew heads to Mississippi for Faith’s hometown date with Adam.

“Murder in the First” 10 p.m. TNT — Raffi has fears that Hildy’s continuing murder probe will impact her own case.

“Teen Wolf” 10 p.m. MTV (fifth season debut)— Scott and his pack deal with the arrival of a new enemy and the return of an old friend.

“The Whispers” 10 p.m. ABC — Claire tries to jog Sean’s memory about their past life together.

TUESDAY

“America’s Got Talent” 8 p.m. NBC — Howard Stern said he likely won’t be back next year as a judge.

“Deadliest Catch” 9 p.m. Discovery — The Cape Caution is hit by a giant wave during a storm.

“Chrisley Knows Best” 9 p.m. USA — Todd and Julie put the kids through a boot camp in order to prepare them for college.

“Beat the Champions” 9 p.m. Fox — Atlanta native Finesse Mitchell hosts a game show featuring amateur athletes competing against pros.

“Rizzoli & Isles” 9 p.m. TNT — A murder victim is discovered in a shallow grave at an academic research facility dedicated to studying human decomposition.

“Ink Master” 9 p.m. Spike — Oliver’s mentor guest-judges when the artists take on his specialty.

“Zoo” 9 p.m. CBS (new series) — Animals turn on humans.

“Inside Amy Schumer” 10 p.m. Comedy — Amy journeys through time; listens to awful stories; and gives a whole town an STD.

“Royal Pains” 10 p.m. USA — Hank accompanies Olympia to Manhattan.

“Proof” 10 p.m. TNT — The team investigates the case of an Iraq War veteran who claims to have post-traumatic stress disorder from a past-life experience during the Korean War.

“Scream” 10 p.m. MTV (new series) — The murder of a high-school student in the small town of Lakewood conjures memories of a similar murder that occurred 20 years earlier in the community.

“Tyrant” 10 p.m. FX — Barry finds refuge with a Bedouin family who have no choice but to take him in.

“I Can Do That” 10:01 p.m. NBC (first season finale) — The celebrities perform with Snoop Dogg.

WEDNESDAY

“Big Brother” 8 p.m. CBS — Audrey Middleton of Villa Rica looks like she could last awhile.

“Masterchef” 8 p.m. Fox (100th episode) — A two-course menu is prepared to celebrate the show’s 100th episode.

“America’s Got Talent” 8 p.m. NBC — The cutdowns begin.

“Suits” 9 p.m. USA — Harvey searches for a replacement for Donna.

“Duck Dynasty” 9 p.m. A&E — A Fourth of July barbecue features a homemade fireworks display; and Uncle Si is honored for his military service.

“Celebrity Wife Swap” 10 p.m. ABC — Margaret Cho and Holly Robinson-Peete swap places.

“Mr Robot” 10 p.m. FX — Elliot is torn between accepting a job offer from an evil corporation and joining the fsociety hacker group.

“Extant” 10 p.m. CBS (second season debut) — Molly escapes from a psychiatric hospital to investigate bizarre deaths similar to those she witnessed in space.

THURSDAY

“The Astronaut Wive’s Club” 8 p.m. ABC — The women ready themselves for Scott Carpenter’s launch and a move to Houston.

“Food Fighters” 8 p.m. NBC (second season debut) — A convention reporter from Orlando, Fla., competes against professional chefs, including Antonia Lofaso.

“Aquarius” 9 p.m. NBC —Hodiak investigates the savage murder of a Hollywood star, but he faces obstacles in the form of an all-powerful movie studio.

“Complications” 9 p.m. USA — Gretchen makes expensive arrangements to hide Antoine in order to prevent Bridget from learning that John illegally transferred him to the surgical center.

“Mistresses” 9 p.m. ABC — Joss moves too quickly in her new relationship with Harry.

“Under the Dome” 10 p.m. CBS — The citizens of Chester’s Mill try to move on with their lives after their mysterious experience in the tunnels beneath town.

“Graceland” 10 p.m. USA — Briggs tries to keep control of Ari Adamian.

“Rookie Blue” 10 p.m. ABC — Juliet is paired with Nick for her first shift at 15 Division.

“Hannibal” 10 p.m. NBC — The hunt for Hannibal heats up.

FRIDAY

“Nostradamus 21st Century Prophecies Revealed” 8 p.m. History — This 16th century seer definitely has had long-lasting impact, hasn’t he?

“Monumental Mysteries” 8 p.m. Travel (third season debut) — Don Wildman recalls the brazen heist of the Stone of Destiny in London; remembers the day Niagara Falls ran dry; and visits the prison where Mary Todd Lincoln was once confined.

“Love Thy Neighbor” 9:30 p.m. OWN — Linda and her family meet Philip’s former in-laws.

“Catching Monsters” 10 p.m. Discovery— Final day of the fishing season.

WEEKEND

“Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular” 8 p.m. Saturday NBC — Slated performers include Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Brad Paisley, Flo Rida and Meghan Trainor.

“Celebrity Family Feud” 8 p.m. ABC — Dr. Phil vs. Penny Marshall, then Kevin McHale vs. Fred Willard.

“Humans” 9 p.m. AMC  — Niska stages a brutal escape from the brothel and Leo’s secret is revealed.

“The Last Ship” 9 p.m. TNT — Chandler sees an opportunity to add another vessel to the fleet when a hospital ship is discovered at sea waiting for Dr. Scott’s cure.

“True Detective” 9 p.m. HBO — Ani lets Ray know she’s in charge after he goes rogue on the investigation.

“Food Network Star” 9 p.m. Food Network — The finalists swap favorite ingredients in the Mentor Challenge.

“Falling Skies” 10 p.m. Sunday TNT — An unexpected skitter attack leaves the 2nd Mass without food.

“Ballers” 10 p.m. Sunday HBO — pencer and Joe borrow a yacht for a lavish party to woo new clients.

“Penny Dreadful” 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime (second season finale) — Vanessa relies on her strength to defeat the demon.

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