What's On Tonight (Friday): For Better of Worse Here Comes Your 2020 Olympics...

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TOP PICK

⭐ 🥇 2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC, 6:55 AM and 7:30 PM) 'The Games of the XXXII Olympiad open in Tokyo with coverage of the lighting of the cauldron and the parade of nations from National Stadium.'

I haven't actually watched the Olympics in earnest since 1984, and I don't plan to start now, but I recognize that a lot of other people do and there isn't much else on broadcast and cable at the moment so what else could I pick?  If it were up to me I'd probably be going with the new Masters of the Universe series that is a continuation of the original 80's toy commercial cartoon.  Or possibly the film with Kate Beckinsale as a sexy yet extremely violent bouncer who uses electric shocks to control her murderous urges until her boyfriend dies and now she's out for revenge in what I can only assume is an unofficial Crank sequel.  I might have even gone with the second season of Emmy fave Ted Lasso or the probably-not-so-Emmy-fave Netflix original Vampires on a Plane Blood Red Sky.  But my hands are tied and as typing with my nose is tedious I don't want to spend any more time on this than I already have so I'm going with the Olympics.

TOP OLYM-PICKS*

⚽ Men's Soccer: Argentina vs. Australia (NBCSN, 1:15 AM)

⚽ Men's Soccer: Mexico vs. France (NBCSN, 2:00 AM)

⚽ Men's Soccer: Japan vs. South Africa (NBCSN, 4:00 AM)

⚽ Men's Soccer: Brazil vs. Germany (NBCSN, 6:00 AM)

⚾ Softball: Italy vs. U.S. (NBCSN, 8:00 AM)

⚾ Softball: U.S. vs. Canada (NBCSN, 10:00 AM)

🚣‍♀️ Rowing (NBCSN, 12:00 PM)

⚽ Women's Soccer: Sweden vs. U.S. (NBCSN, 1:30 PM)

⚽ Women's Soccer: Japan vs. Canada (NBCSN, 3:30 PM)

⚽ Women's Soccer: Australia vs. New Zealand (NBCSN, 5:30 PM)

🚣‍♀️ Rowing (USA, 7:30 PM)

🚴‍♀️ Cycling (USA, 10:00 PM)

🎾 Tennis (Olympic Channel, 10:00 PM)

🏀 3x3 Basketball, Pool Play (NBCSN, 12:00 AM)

🎯 Archery (NBCSN, 12:30 AM)

🤽‍♂️ Women's Water Polo: Japan vs. U.S. (NBCSN, 1:00 AM)

⚾ Softball: U.S. vs. Mexico (NBCSN, 2:10 AM)

*Sporting Events Are Subject To COVID-Related Postponements.

Jesse Owens via Giphy

PREMIERES

🎥 Jolt (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'A bouncer with a slightly murderous anger-management problem that she controls with the help of an electrode-lined vest she uses to shock herself back to normalcy whenever she gets homicidal.  After the first guy she's ever fallen for is murdered, she goes on a revenge-fueled rampage to find the killer while the cops pursue her as their chief subject.'

🔔 Hostel Daze (Amazon Prime, 12:01 AM) 2nd SEASON PREMIERE.  '6 friends enter their second year of college and dig deeper into the notorious universe of an Indian hostel. Hostel Daze Season 2 incorporates the second chapter of hostel-life in the lives of Ankit, Jaat, Chirag, Jhantoo, Akanksha and Nabomita. The problems, the hurdles and the unlimited quirks have now doubled.'

🔔 Ted Lasso (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) 2nd SEASON PREMIERE.  "Golden Globe® winner Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team—despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination…and biscuits."

🔔 Mind for Design (Discovery+, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'Interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn creates spaces with an eclectic-yet-distinctive style. Along with a team of skilled designers, Brian tackles decorating projects on any budget or within any scope.'

🦈 Playing With Sharks (Disney+, 3:01 AM) 'This documentary tells the story of Valerie Taylor, who is one of the original pioneers of underwater filmmaking and shark research.  The film takes a look at her life’s work, from when she started taking part in spearfishing competitions and, through her love of the ocean, got involved in filming sea life, including sharks.  Being one of the few people in the world to do so and setting the basis for what we are used to seeing in documentaries today.  We also get to hear from her today, talking about her life and love of sharks.'

Simone Biles via Giphy

🎥 Stuntman (Disney+, 3:01 AM) 'This documentary follows professional Hollywood Stuntman Eddie Braun as he prepares and attempts the most dangerous stunt of his career. Contemplating retirement and having survived over three decades of hellacious car crashes, explosions, high falls, and death-defying leaps, Eddie Braun decides to finish out his career by recreating the infamous Snake River Canyon rocket jump, an audacious televised event that almost killed the man who inspired Eddie to become a professional stuntman: Evel Knievel. With new music from rock icon Slash (featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators) and a mesmerizing score by Jeremy Zuckerman ("Avatar: The Last Airbender"), “Stuntman” straddles the line between documentary and non-fiction action film, offering a rare look into the entertainment industry’s most dangerous and anonymous profession through the eyes of one of its renowned veterans as he risks his life for some of the biggest action stars in the world.'

🎥 Bankrolled (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Two directionless millennial bros get high and pitch a bold new social justice app that raises millions. Then they have to come up with the app.  Starring Aldo Escalante, Ricardo Polanco and Natalia Téllez.'

🎥 Blood Red Sky (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'When a group of terrorists hijacks an overnight transatlantic flight, a mysteriously ill woman must unleash a monstrous secret to protect her young son.'

🔔 Feels Like Ishq (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'Short films follow young adults as they navigate the gamut of emotions that come with finding romantic connection in unexpected places.  Starring Radhika Madan, Amol Parashar and Rohit Saraf.'

🔔 Kingdom: Ashin of the North (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Tragedy, betrayal and a mysterious discovery fuel a woman's vengeance for the loss of her tribe and family in this special episode of "Kingdom."  Starring Gianna Jun, Park Byung-eun and Kim Si-a.'

Florence Griffith Joyner via Giphy

🎥 The Last Letter from Your Lover (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'After finding a trove of love letters from 1965, a reporter sets out to solve the mystery of a secret affair — while embarking on a romance of her own.  Starring Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones and Callum Turner.'

🔔 Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'After a calamitous battle fractures Eternia, Teela and an unlikely alliance must prevent the end of the Universe in this sequel to the ’80s classic.  Starring Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, and Chris Wood.'

🔔 Movies That Made Us (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 2nd SEASON.  'These blockbusters brought us together and gave us the time of our lives. Meet the actors, directors and industry insiders who made them happen.'

🎥 A Second Chance: Rivals! (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Crushed when she doesn't qualify for the Olympics, a now-grown Maddy Cornell finds new purpose coaching young gymnasts going up against a rival team.  Starring Emily Morris, Stella Shute and Eva Grados.'

🔔 Sky Rojo (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 2nd SEASON.  'A fatal turn of events at a brothel sends three women haunted by their pasts on a wild run from their pimp and his henchmen.  Starring Verónica Sánchez, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Asier Etxeandia.'

🔔 Dead in the Water (LMN, 8:00 PM) 'When aspiring photography vlogger Tara gets dumped by her long term boyfriend, her best friend, Amy, takes her on a weekend getaway to her family's vacation lake house, where a mysterious and effortlessly attractive man crosses their path.'

🎵 Music Box  (HBO, 9:00 PM) SERIES PREMIERE.  "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage" - 'Unfolding over three blazing hot days and nights of nonstop performances and heaving mosh pits, a July 1999 music festival promoted to echo the counterculture idealism of the 1969 original instead devolves into riots, looting and sexual assaults.'

🦈 World's Biggest Bull Shark: Thousand Pound Queen (NGC, 10:00 PM) 'Uncovering the mysteries of Florida's mega sharks.'

'92 Dream Team via Giphy

STREAMING

🔔 Making the Cut (Amazon Prime, 12:01 AM) TBA

🔔 Central Park (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "A Decent Proposal"

🔔 Home Before Dark (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "Just A Bird"

🔔 Physical (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "Let's Not and Say We Did"

🔔 Schmigadoon (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "Cross That Bridge"

💖 Love Island (UK) (Hulu, 12:01 AM) "Episode 13"

👽 Roswell: The Final Verdict (Discovery+, 3:01 AM) "Extraterrestrial Truth"

🎵 High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+, 3:01 AM) "Showtime"

🔔 The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+, 3:01 AM) TBA

🚀 Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+, 3:01 AM) "Infested"

Carl Lewis via Giphy

(NON-OLYMPIC) SPORTS TONIGHT*

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour Golf: 3M Open, Second Round (Golf, 2:30 PM) 'The 3M Open continues with the second round. Michael Thompson is the defending champion. Thompson's victory in the 2020 tournament, by two shots over Adam Long, was his second on the PGA Tour. His first was the Honda Classic in 2013 by two strokes.'

🥍 Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse: Team Benson (Orange) vs. Team Ohlmiller (Gold) (CBSSN, 5:00 PM) 'From Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.'

🏀 The Basketball Tournament: Ballinteers vs. Men of Mackey (ESPN, 7:00 PM) 'From Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.'

🥍 Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse: Team Douty (Blue) vs. Team O'Donnell (Purple) (CBSSN, 7:30 PM) 'From Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.'

🏌️‍♂️ Golf: U.S. Junior Amateur, Semifinals (Golf, 7:30 PM) 'From The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, N.C.'

🏀 The Basketball Tournament: Mid American Unity vs. Carmen's Crew (ESPN, 9:00 PM) 'From Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.'

*Sporting Events Are Subject To COVID-Related Postponements.

Hope Solo via Giphy

EARLY PRIMETIME

💲 Common Knowledge (Game Show Network, 5:30 PM) "Visionaries vs. Restaurant Jokers"

💲 America Says (Game Show Network, 7:00 PM) "Special Education Teachers vs. Baseball Bunch"

🔔 The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM) "Stair Wars; Enemies a la Mode" - 'Patrick and GrandPat try to pass each other on the stairs, leading to a ludicrous conflict; members of the Star family confront their absurd rivalries.'

🔔 Middlemost Post (Nickelodeon, 7:30 PM) "POSTBOT 3000; Boom Goes the Cloud" - 'Angus agrees to compete against Mayor Peeve's new POSTBOT in a mail-off to save the Middlemost Post; Parker's anxiety escalates over thunder.'

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🔔 Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS, 8:00 PM) "Chris Paul"

🔔 Charmed (CW, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE.  "I Dreamed a Dream…" - 'When an encounter with the Whispering Evil leaves Macy on the brink of death, Mel and Maggie cast an ancient spell, sending the Charmed Ones off on a series of epic adventures; Harry asks Jordan and Celeste to help him do the unthinkable.'

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) TBA

🐟 River Monsters: Deadliest Man-Eaters (Animal Planet, 8:00) "Killers in the Amazon" - 'Jeremy sets off to investigate a pair of Amazonian aquatic beats claiming the lives of many.'

🦈 When Sharks Attack (NGC, 8:00 PM) "Compilations: Most Shocking Spikes" - 'The most shocking string of shark attacks ever recorded may help experts prevent future attacks; a string of attacks in Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt leaves experts dumbfounded; and history may be repeating itself with a double-shark attack in New York.'

🔔 Nick Shorts Showcase (Nickelodeon, 8:30 PM) "Operation: After School Snack; Meet the Mercado!"

Greg Louganis via Giphy

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🎵 Icon: Music Through the Lens (PBS, 9:00 PM) "On the Road" - 'Photographers discuss traveling with bands to capture the magic of live music, revealing what life was like on the tour bus and in the photo pit.'

💖 Love Island (CBS, 9:00 PM) TBA

🔔 Dynasty (CW, 9:00 PM) "A Public Forum for Her Lies" - 'As Fallon prepares for her impending initial public offering, she reluctantly turns to Blake for help; Anders confronts Alexis about her machinations; Sam and Culhane hit some roadblocks in their new partnership.'

🦈 Shark Attack Files: Extra Bite (NGC, 9:00 PM) "Great Whites vs. Cage" - 'Diving into the deep to get up-close with sharks.'

👻 Ghost Adventures (Travel, 9:00 PM) "Satanic Portal" - 'Zak and the crew investigate demonic activity at a frightened family's suburban home; they visit a historic San Francisco mansion with connections to the Church of Satan and the Manson family.'

💖 Love After Lockup (WE, 9:00 PM) "The Halfway Handoff" - 'Doug risks parole when a family feud breaks out; Nicolle's shocking confession stuns Daonte; Stan begs for forgiveness, but Lisa has demands; Britney is stunned when she's not the only woman at Ray's release; Anissa gets a devastating call.'

🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) "Overboard" - 'The disappearance of a couple preparing to sell the yacht they had been living on to move closer to their new grandchild.'

Mary Lou Retton via Giphy

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

🎵 Classic Albums (PBS, 10:00 PM) "Queen - A Night at the Opera" - 'Queen's "A Night at the Opera," released in late 1975, includes a mix of hard rock, pop and opera, music hall camp and more.'

💖 Put a Ring on It (OWN, 10:00 PM) TBA

👻 Surreal Estate (Syfy, 10:00 PM) "The Harvey" - 'A little boy's "imaginary friend" interferes with his parents' plans to sell their house and move.'

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 12:35 AM) 'Actor Matt Damon; actor Jason Sudeikis; Camila Cabello performs; pop band BTS.'

🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM) TBA

Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO Binge

📺 The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 5:45 AM - 1:00 PM); ER (Pop, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); The Golden Girls (Hallmark, 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM); The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (VH1, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Living Single (TVONE, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Friends (TBS 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 3:00 AM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); House (Pop, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM); King of Queens (CMT, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Law and Order (Sundance, 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Bones (TNT, 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antenna, 8:00 & 8:30 PM); Mom (CMT, 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TV Land, 8:00 PM - 11:05 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 9:00 & 9:30 PM); Coach (Antenna, 11:30 PM) 

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor Richard Pryor; Roscoe Tanner; Floyd Jackson.'

Kerri and Kippy Strug via Giphy

More TV Listings: The Futon Critic; Zap2it

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it; Netflix; Wikipedia; Horrornews.net; Sysfy.com
⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included