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TV This Weekend

Is Jordan Peele's Lovecraft Country Prestige TV's Next Big Thing?

ALSO: The Circus returns, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver marks a milestone, and more.
  • Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett in Lovecraft Country. (HBO)
    Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett in Lovecraft Country. (HBO)

    Between his Oscar-winning turn as writer/director of Get Out, and his work as the producer/host of the rebooted Twilight Zone, Jordan Peele has become synonymous with prestige horror in recent years, making him a perfect fit for Sunday nights on HBO. Blending historical fiction with the supernatural, Peele's Lovecraft Country tells the story of a black man traveling through 1950s Jim Crow-era America in order to find his missing father.. Also this weekend: The Circus is back to recap everything that's happened over the last week (and the past 5 years... er, months), Big Brother is ready for the next round of eviction nominations, and John Oliver marks a milestone. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this weekend:

    SATURDAY AUGUST 15

    SHARK WEEK: After a series of shark attacks and shipwrecks, locals long ago abandoned a small island on the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. In Sharks of Ghost Island, Dr. Craig O'Connell leads a team back to the island to discover why nature's killers are so fond of the place. 8:00 PM ET on Discovery

    CABLE PREMIERE: HBO's big Saturday night movie premiere this week is Birds of Prey. The 2019 Suicide Squad sequel follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as she joins forces with Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to rescue a young girl from the clutches of a criminal kingpin. Watch the trailer. 8:00 PM ET on HBO

    MADE FOR TV MOVIE: Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell — the stars of A Godwink Christmas — reunite in Wedding Every Weekend, where they play Brooke and Nate, two perennial lonely hearts who pair up for a series of friends weddings in the hopes of avoiding seats at the singles table. Will the next wedding be their own? Watch the trailer. 8:00 PM ET on Hallmark

    SHARK WEEK: Cape Cod is under attack by a rising number of Wicked Sharks. Great white shark guru Greg Skomal is using the latest technology to find out why. 9:00 PM ET on Discovery

    CABLE PREMIERE: Teenager Kylie is initially intrigued by a new friend's permissive parental figure, but as Beware of Mom quickly makes clear, this lady is one bad mother, and she may be trying to steal Kylie away. 8:00 PM ET on Lifetime

    SHARK WEEK: Throw caution to the wind and check out Sharks Gone Wild 3, a special which compiles news reports and terrifying viral video clips to show some of the most horrifying shark behavior ever. 10:00 PM ET on Discovery

    SUNDAY AUGUST 16

    SERIES PREMIERE: Jordan Peele collaborates with Misha Green, JJ Abrams and a well-pedigreed cast in HBO's Lovecraft Country. Based on the book of the same name, the new series follows Atticus Black (Jonathan Majors), his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), and friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) as they journey through Jim Crow America in the 1950s, encountering racial and supernatural horrors along the way. Watch the trailer. 9:00 PM ET on HBO

    SERIES RETURN: After five long months, The Circus is back in town. The real-time poltical docuseries hosted by John Heilemann, Alex Wagner, and Mark McKinnon is scheduled to air episodes up to (and past, if necessary) election day in November. Watch the trailer. 8:00 PM ET on Showtime

    NEW EPISODE: Between this season's new Safety Suite competition and eviction nominations, Sunday nights are particularly packed on Big Brother this year, prompting Primetimer's Joe Reid to suggest we could use a fourth night. Are you listening, CBS? 8:00 PM ET on CBS

    SHARK WEEK: Joining in the excitement of Shark Week, Naked & Afraid ventures to the edge of the Bermuda Triangle, where returning adventurers Matt Wright, Jeff Zausch, and Amber and Serena Shine test their courage in "shark alley." 8:00 PM ET on Discovery

    SPECIAL PRESENTATION: From Queen Victoria to Princess Diana, the royal family has fashioned their image through a torrent of shapshots and official portraits. Lucy Worsley's Royal Photo Album takes an in depth look at the royals as viewed through the camera's lens. Watch the trailer. 8:00 PM ET on PBS

    SERIES PREMIERE: The 90 Day Fiance spinoff Darcey & Stacey follows the twin sisters as one moves on from a failed relationship, while the other awaits the arrival of her Albanian fiance. Watch the trailer. 10:00 PM ET on TLC

    NEW EPISODE: Six years after its debut, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs its 200th episode tonight. We're hoping for cake. 11:20 PM ET on HBO

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

    TOPICS: Lovecraft Country, HBO, Jordan Peele