TV picks for July 24: 'Sex. Scandals. Crime,' 'The Planets,' 'South Side'

July 24, 2019 at 5:31AM
Picture Shows: 4 billion years ago, Mars had a global magnetic field. Electric blue aurorae danced above its poles. CG illustration.
BBC Studios
Four billion years ago, Mars had a global magnetic field. Aurorae danced above its poles. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Martian chronicles

If looking back on our travels to the moon left you less than inspired, you may want to set course for an even more mysterious destination. The second episode of "The Planets" sets its sights on the Red Planet, which many scientists believe hosted life forms before its waters dried up. The episode provides a rich history lesson and plenty of reasons to root for more missions to Mars.

9 p.m., TPT, Ch. 2

Bad behavior

"Entertainment Tonight" anchor Nancy O'Dell hosts "Sex. Scandals. Crime," a recap of Hollywood's salacious examples of sexual misconduct during the past five years. There are no new revelations in the special, but seeing one sordid example of inappropriate behavior after another will still make you cringe.

8 p.m., Reelz Channel

Second city

"South Side" takes stereotypes about urban life in a big city and turns them on their heads. That means the "hustlers" are trying to make an extra buck peddling flavored popcorn on the street and a science whiz gets ignored by a mom who only cares about the son who can dribble a basketball. Everything in this new sitcom pops, including the catchy theme song.

9:30 p.m., Comedy Central

Neal Justin

Nancy O'Dell arrives at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Nancy O’Dell hosts “Sex. Scandals. Crime.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Chandra Russell as Sergeant Turner, Bashir Salahuddin as Officer Goodnight Photo Credit: Comedy Central
Chandra Russell and Bashir Salahuddin on “South Side.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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