ENTERTAINMENT

Weekend TV: Discovery Channel’s‘Shark Week’ thrives

MIKE HUGHES

WEEKEND’S MUST-SEE: “Shark Week” start, 8 p.m. Sunday, Discovery.

Back in 1988, Michigan State University grad Clark Bunting, a Discovery executive, launched a summer week of shark programs. Bunting would stay with Discovery for another 25 years; the week has thrived for 27.

Its 28th week starts with tagging sharks in Cape Cod and following their route to Florida. A 9 p.m. film visits the island of Guadalupe; at 10 p.m. one studies the fastest sharks, the “monster mako.” New hours will continue through next Sunday. New hours will continue through next Sunday. And now there’s a copy: NatGeo launches the third year of its “Shark Fest” at 8 p.m. Sunday, continuing it through Thursday.

WEEKEND’S MUST-SEE II: Fourth-of-July concerts, 8 p.m. today, NBC and PBS.

This may be what TV does best – big crowds, big music and (of course) fireworks. NBC is in New York, repeating highlights at 10 p.m.; PBS is in Washington, repeating at 9:30.

NBC has Meaghan Trainor (three days before she reaches town for Common Ground) plus Kelly Clarkson, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and Flo Rida. PBS has pop (Nicole Scherzinger, Barry Manilow), country (Alabama, Hunter Hayes, Meghan Linsey) and classical (Lang Lang, Ronan Tynan).

ALSO TODAY:

• “The Millers” (8 and 8:30 p.m.) and “The McCarthys” (9 and 9:30 p.m.) return, CBS. By CBS’ Thursday standards,these comedies failed; by Saturday standards, they’re gems. Now their final new episodes will be shown this month.

• “Sons of Liberty,” noon to 6 p.m., History; repeats from 6 p.m. to midnight. This mini-series rerun reminds us how the July 4 thing started. Sam Adams and John Hancock start a rag-tag army in Massachusetts, while Ben Franklin tries to get other colonies involved.

• “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Amy Adams hosts this rerun, with music from One Direction.

ALSO SUNDAY:

• “Masterpiece: Poldark,” 9 p.m., PBS (check local listings). Ross Poldark has pivotal moments – re-opening the minE ... changing the relationship with the waif who became his maid ... and confronting a cruel judge – played by Robin Ellis, who was the original Poldark, back in 1975.

• Soccer, 7 p.m., Fox. For the second straight time, the Women’s World Cup finale has the U.S. and Japan. The Americans lost that last one, but now they’re riding a streak of five straight shut-outs.

• “Zoo” and “Extant,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. Here are quick reruns of this week’s episodes – the debut of “Zoo” on Tuesday and season-opener of “Extant” on Wednesday.

• Masterpiece: “Poldark,” 9 p.m., PBS. Ross Poldark has pivotal moments – re-opening the mine ... changing the relationship with the waif who became his maid ... and confronting a cruel judge – played by Robin Ellis, who was the original Poldark, back in 1975.

• “The Crimson Field,” 10 p.m., PBS. Next Thursday (on the debut of “Dates” on CW), viewers will see a remarkable performance by Oona Chaplin (Charlie’s granddaughter, Eugene O’Neill’s great-granddaughter). First, we can catch her starring here as Kitty, a World War I nurse.