What Surprises Lay in Store at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards?

MTV hasn't shown music videos in years, but that hasn't stopped them from recognizing some of the music industry's biggest names in an annual awards show that even in its 35th year remains one of the most unpredictable, exciting, and frequently outrageous events of the year. Whatever happens, whoever wins, there's a good chance people will be talking about it tomorrow.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco hosts the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, which are scheduled to open with a live performance from Taylor Swift. Swift and Ariana Grande lead the list of nominees, with both nominated in ten categories. Other performers include Jonas Brothers, Shawn Mendes, A$AP, and Missy Elliott (who will receive the still controversially-named Video Vanguard award). 8:00 PM ET on MTV

STANDUP COMEDY SPECIAL: The latest front in the comedy battle between Amazon and Netflix appears to be Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones. The creator and star of Comedy's Central's The Chappelle Show has earned several Grammy and Emmy Awards for his previous Netflix specials, so he's set the bar pretty high for himself with this return engagement. Watch the preview. Streaming on Netflix

SERIES FINALE: The Emmy-winning documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath will finish its three year run tonight with a two-hour finale. Since it's debut, the show has garnered headlines, awards, and strong pushback from The Church of Scientology, and tonight's episode, an exposé of sexual allegations against actor Danny Masterson (That 70s Show and The Ranch) promises to end the series with a final shocking revelation. 9:00 PM ET on A&E

NEW EPISODE: Tayshia wants to play the field a little longer on tonight's Bachelor in Paradise, telling John Paul Jones that it's time the two of them moved on, and it seems she already had another relationship in mind. 8:00 PM ET on ABC

NEW EPISODE: Simon and his team narrow the scope of their investigation on Our Boys, focusing on Dvora and Yosef's family. Meanwhile, Hussein attempts to recover Mohammad's body as tensions soar regarding his son's death. 9:00 PM ET on HBO

PRIMETIME SPORTS: While hoping to avoid some of last year's controversy, the U.S. Open is back another year, where competition has entered the first round. The annual tennis tournament will run through September 8th. 12:00 PM ET on ESPN

ALSO TONIGHT

• I Ship It continues, with Ella working on her beloved show "Superstition," while superfan Winnie presses her for series spoilers, only to surprise her with how she handles the scoop. 9:30 PM ET on The CW
• American Ninja Warrior hits night one of the National Finals as the competition moves to Las Vegas. 8:00PM ET on NBC
• The Terror: Infamy finds Henry struggling with imprisonment, as Chester seeks to keep trouble at bay while working to support his family. 9:00 PM ET on AMC

Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.