Weekly Previews

1) “Planet Earth: A Celebration” (shown here), 8-9:25 p.m. ET today, BBC America and IFC, 8-9:25 p.m. ET/PT AMC and Sundance. Consider this as an end-of-summer bonus. Picking through two great series (“Planet Earth II” and “Blue Planet II”), this chose eight gorgeous segments and added new music. There are hilarious moments, as pink flamingos parade … and horrifying ones, as racer snakes chase baby iguanas. And ones that let us marvel at leaping fish, gulping whales and a camouflaging octopus. Read more…

1) Republican convention, 8-11 p.m. ET, PBS; 10 p.m., ABC, CBS and NBC; all night, news channels. For the second straight week, the fate of the nation should get our attention. Now it’s the Republicans’ turn. Donald Trump is expected to give his acceptance speech Thursday from the White House; Mike Pence is expected to talk Wednesday from Fort McHenry (shown here), where the National Anthem was born,. Other speakers this week will include Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Jodi Ernst, Kevin McCarthy and Kristi Noem. Read more…

1) Democratic convention, today through Thursday. For two weeks, this seizes attention – Democrats this week, Republicans next. The news networks are there all night, with PBS from 8-11 p.m. ET; ABC and others at 10. Main speakers (in the 9-11 p.m. ET slot) include Bernie Sanders (shown here), Andrew Cuomo and Michelle Obama on Monday; Bill Clinton and John Kerry, Tuesday; Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren, Wednesday; and Joe Biden, Cory Booker, and Tammy Duckworth on Thursday. Read more…

1) “Agents of SHIELD” series finale, 9 and 10 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. An ambitious show ends in the relative obscurity of summer. “SHIELD” began with 22-episode seasons on the main schedule; it ends with a pair of 13-episode summers. Still, it all adds up – seven seasons, 136 episodes, a story leaping across planets and time. Last week ended with double evil – Sybil in the computer system, Malik in space, guiding laser shots toward the SHIELD bases. NowDaisy (Chloe Bennett, shown here) and friends have two TV hours to save the world. Read more…

1) “Coroner” (shown here) debut, 9 p.m. Wednesday, CW. This mini-network keeps importing shows to plug holes. Some are goofy (“Killer Camp,” “Task Master”) or bland (“Fridge Wars”), but this one is surprisingly good. Based on a series of novels, it starts with a life-changing moment for Dr. Jenny Cooper; then we flash forward. She’s the new coroner in Toronto, ready to help solve cases. The first – set in in a youth detention center – is a tough, smart story. Sharply written and acted, “Coroner” is a summer surprise. Read more…

1) Basketball. Last week, baseball finally started; now basketball resumes, helping fill the shutdown void. It starts with doubleheaders, at 6:30 and 9 p.m. ET Thursday (TNT) and Friday (ESPN). Then ESPN tops that with four games Saturday, 1, 3:30, 6 and 8:30 p.m. ET. ABC takes over Sunday at 13:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The two league-leaders each reach TV twice: The Bucks ar 6:30 Friday (facing the Celtics) and 8:30 Sunday (Rockets); LeBron James (shown here) and the Lakers are 9 p.m. Thursday (Clippers) and 8:30 Saturday (Raptors). Read more…

1) Baseball, Thursday and beyond, Fox and cable. In other years, we might grumble that baseball is too old and slow for TV; this year, we need the diversion – which comes in big bunches. ESPN starts things on Thursday (Yankees, shown here, and Nationals at 7 p.m. ET, Giants-Dodgers at 10) and Friday (Braves-Mets at 4, Brewers-Cubs at 7, Angels-A’s at 10). Then Fox takes over on Saturday – Brewers-Cubs at 1:05 p.m. ET, Giants-Dodgers at 4:10 p.m., Yankees-Nationals at 7:15. There’s much more coming up. Read more…

1) “CMA Best of Fest,” 8-11 p.m. today, ABC. Some of TV’s best summer moments come when ABC has music fron Nashville’s CMA Fest. This year’s festival was canceled, but the show goes on, with Luke Bryan hosting. He’ll do new music, as will Darius Rucker; others will be shown during 16 previous years. We’ll get newer stars (Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini) and A-list veterans – Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood (shown here), Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambrt, Keith Urban, more. Read more…

1) “POV: The Vote,” 9-11 p.m. today and Tuesday, PBS. Sure, there are plenty of protests this summer; a century ago, however, was another matter. “No one had ever picketed outside the White House,” historian Tina Cassidy says here. Then women did in 1917, demanding the vote. There were arrests, sentences, hunger strikes … and (on Aug. 26, 1920) victory. It was a slow path, for a movement (shown here) that was organized in 1848. This film gets lost in the in-fighting, but then returns to a passionate story. Read more…

1) “A Capitol Fourth” (shown here in a previous year), 8 p.m. Saturday, PBS, rerunning at 9:30. For the second time, a big-deal event gets a social-distance twist. The National Memorial Day Concert skillfully mixed new music (taped in Washington and beyond) and past highlights. This has some of the same people (Trace Adkins, Kelli O’Hara, Renee Fleming), adding Patti LaBelle, John Fogerty, Yolanda Adams, Andy Grammer, Brantley Gilbert, Mandy Gonzalez, Brian Stokes Mitchell, the Temptations, tributes and fireworks. Read more…