What's On Tonight (Sunday): Free Little Birds

Little Birds

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Here's what's on television for tonight, Sunday, July 11!

The Top Pick is courtesy Starz, yet again. Tonight it is the series finale of Little Birds, a British import. Set in 1950s Tangier and inspired by Anaïs Nin's erotic short stories, the show follows American debutante Lucy Savage (Juno Temple) and her gay, closeted husband Hugh Skinner, who is in love with an Egyptian. Lucy falls to Tangier and its culture shock of delightful degenerates, aided by her new dominatrix friend Yumna Marwan. All the while, Lucy's arms-dealing dad is using her husband to force his way into a new market. The show is above average, and the aesthetic is great.

Elsewhere, sharks take over Discovery Channel, Unforgotten refreshes our memories, the Paranormal dare to defy, Run the World wraps its freshman season, the Legends visit a sitcom, CNN starts is long profile of the sitcom, Animal Kingdom is back, a genius Professor detective with OCD is on the case, and HBO takes us to a tropical resort.

DAYSIDE ON THE SITE

🎶 Totally Tunes (What's On Tonight & Pop Culture, 12:30 p.m.): Our weekly discussion about a particular type of music. This week: summer.

STREAMING & EARLY PRIMETIME

The Chosen (BYUtv, 6 p.m.): "After learning of Jesus' whereabouts, Quintus sends Gaius to arrest him. The disciples lose control as they argue about how to respond. While seeking information about where Jesus has been taken, Andrew and Philip encounter old friends."

Evil (Paramount+, 3 a.m.): "The team is sent to investigate the disappearance of a teenage boy, Wyatt."

Kevin Can F**k Himself (AMC+, 3 a.m.): "Chaos Theory"

🎥📺 Mid-Year-in-Review (What's On Tonight & Pop Culture, 6 p.m.): We have hit the year's halfway point, so here is the chance to reflect on the best movies and TV shows you've seen in 2021, so far. (And anything else you wanna highlight).✔️

Shark Academy (Discovery+, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Teenage sharks go to prep school.

NOTICE:

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night guest hosted by Anthony Anderson (ABC, 7 p.m.): Johnny Knoxville

BRIEFLY: 9 Months with Courteney Cox (Facebook, 5 p.m.); Florida Man Murders (Oxygen, 7 p.m., season finale); Sharkbait with David Dobrik (Discovery+, 3 a.m., special); Song of the Shark (Discovery+, 3 a.m.); Wicked Tuna (National Geographic, 7:30 p.m., season finale)

The best TV of 2021? You decide at the "Mid-Year-in-Review"

🕗 8 P.M. EASTERN / 🕖 7 P.M. CENTRAL

🎥 College Professor Obsession (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): A university student finds herself in grave danger after she refuses to sleep with her professor to get good grades.

Crikey! It's Shark Week (Discovery Channel, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. Robert Irwin comes face to face with a great white shark for the first time with shark conservationists Paul de Gelder and Madison Stewart. Following in his father's footsteps, he will get as close as possible to these incredible creatures.

A Discovery of Witches (AMC, 8 p.m.): Marcus tracks down evidence of Matthew and Diana's journey to 1590 and is charmed in the process. Sophie goes into labor. Em secretly continues higher magic in spite of Sarah's worries.

Legends of Tomorrow (The CW, 8 p.m.): Behrad is disappointed because the Legends have forgotten his birthday, so when they track an alien pod to 2024 and wind up at his favorite TV sitcom, he thinks it's really a surprise for himself. This sounds like a great lead-in to CNN's History of the Sitcom at 9.

Run the World (Starz, 8:30 p.m.): SEASON FINALE. Ella, Renee, Sondi and Hope get wild and crazy at Whitney's bachelorette party, but the bride is nowhere to be found.

NOTICES:

2021 NBA Finals, Game 3 (ABC): Phoenix at Milwaukee

Autopsy: The Last Hours Of... (Reelz): Luke Perry

A Year in Music (AXS TV, 8:30 p.m.): 1992

BRIEFLY: 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? (TLC); Big Brother (CBS); Mighty Trains (Smithsonian Channel, season premiere); The Real Housewives of Potomac (Bravo, season finale); Renovation Island (HGTV)

🕘 9:00 EASTERN / 🕗 8:00 CENTRAL

Animal Kingdom (TNT, 9 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. The Codys are forced to tie up some loose ends with the cousins and figure out what the family looks like without Smurf.

Battle on the Beach (HGTV, 9 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.

The Chi (Showtime, 9 p.m.): Emmett and Tiff explore new things as a couple. Trig tries to counsel Jamal when he reaches his breaking point; Imani takes care of the trap house for good; Kevin journeys to the West Side with a new friend; Papa teaches Jake how to woo his lady.

Good Witch (Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m.): Cassie and Sam are disagreeing about Sam's return to work after his injury. Flower Universe is trying to undercut Abigail's business, which is probably called Flower Galaxy, but she won't go down without a fight. The witch unleashes... Poison Ivy!

History of the Sitcom (CNN, 9 & 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. "Examines how sitcoms have evolved to reflect the changing face of American families." I've seen several promotions, and this docuseries looks like it is simply yanking on your nostalgia strings. The first episode covers the family sitcom and the second episode is about sex in sitcoms.✔️

Kevin Can F**k Himself (AMC, 9 p.m.): Allison pushes the limits to see what she is capable of. Kevin, Neil and Pete attempt to replace Patty after kicking her out of the group. An ominous Nick shows up at Patty's salon, and a new job opportunity opens up for Allison at Bev's Diner.

⭐Little Birds (Starz, 9:30 p.m.): SERIES FINALE. "Lucy collaborates with the CIA to entrap her father."

Unforgotten (PBS, 9 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. After parts of a body are found, the team concludes they have been stored for a long time. Cassie wants to retire but to get her full pension she must complete 30 years of service.

War of the Worlds (Epix, 9 p.m.): Catherine makes new discoveries about the aliens as she, Nathan and Sophia continue their search for Bill in London. Bill explains his plan to infect the aliens with a virus.

Wellington Paranormal (The CW, 9 & 9:30 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. In this mockumentary import from the land of Middle-earth, "Sergeant Maaka and Officers Minogue and O'Leary are members of the Wellington, New Zealand, police. Their job is to investigate paranormal phenomena."✔️

The White Lotus (HBO, 9 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. "Set in a tropical resort, it follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week."✔️

NOTICES:

Autopsy: The Last Hours Of... (Reelz): Kate Spade

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic): Iceland

Searching for Secrets (Smithsonian Channel): Paris

BRIEFLY: 60 Minutes+ (Paramount+); The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network, season finale); Love Island (CBS); Shahs of Sunset (Bravo, 9:15 p.m.); Tiffany Haddish Does Shark Week (Discovery Channel, special)

🕙 10 P.M. EASTERN / 🕘 9 P.M. CENTRAL

Black Monday (Showtime, 10 p.m.): Mo and Dawn work through some differences as Nomi's star rises. Meanwhile, Blair and Tiff schmooze a VIP, and Keith tries to rekindle things with Mike.

Domina (Epix, 10 p.m.): Gaius' sudden illness provokes a political crisis and reveals the true weakness of Livia's position without him. It's up to Livia to resolve the situation, and keep Gaius safe.

Flatbush Misdemeanors (Showtime, 10:30 p.m.): When the school goes on lockdown due to a bomb threat, Dan moves to help Jess defuse the situation while Zayna learns a shocking secret about her family through Dami.

Professor T (PBS, 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Professor Jasper Tempest, a genius Cambridge University criminologist with OCD and an overbearing mother, advises the police. So kinda like Monk, but not a comedy? This British show is based on a Belgian show.✔️

Vaxxed Nation (Smithsonian Channel, 10 p.m.): SPECIAL. "An inside look at how Israel, in spite of conflicts and divisiveness, became the world leader in vaccinating its population against COVID-19."

BRIEFLY: Dog: Impossible (Nat Geo Wild, season premiere); Forensic Files II (HLN, season premiere); Jackass Shark Week (Discovery Channel, special); Married to Medicine (Bravo, 10:15 p.m.); Snackmasters (Cooking Channel)

💤💤😴💤💤

📺 Mission: Impossible (MeTV, 3 a.m.): With an Eastern Bloc nation perfecting a mind-controlling drug, the IMF devises a scheme to foment hostility within the ranks of the scientists responsible.

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim, 11 p.m.): "There's no shame, everybody does it."

Tuca & Bertie (Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.): "Bertie's vibrator is giving her intrusive-yet-titillating thoughts. Tuca wonders if her new friendship could be something more. Speckle is into his new video game."

NOTICES:

Desus & Mero (Showtime, 11 p.m.): Vince Staples

Josh Gates Tonight (Discovery Channel, 11 p.m.): Steve-O, Dickie Chivell

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo, 11:15 p.m.): Mercedes Javid, Karen Huger

BRIEFLY: 90 Day Pillow Talk: Happily Ever After (TLC, 11 p.m.); Josh Gates Tonight (Discovery Channel, 11 p.m.); Mediterranean Life (HGTV)

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Note: All times are Eastern.
More TV Listings: The Futon Critic; Zap2it
Key Sources: The Futon Critic; IMDb; J-Archive; TV Passport; Zap2it
⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback

✔️: Video/gif/photo included

Happy watching, everyone!