Women’s Gymnastic Trials, Romcom ‘Family Affair,’ Lily Gladstone in ‘Fancy Dance,’ ‘The Mole’ Returns

Summer Olympics

Coming off a record ninth national title, with seven Olympic medals (four gold) and 30 World Championship medals (23 gold) already in her collection, Simone Biles once again promises to dominate the competition for the women’s U.S. gymnastics team, with trials beginning at Target Center in Minneapolis. Also aiming for a repeat: Tokyo’s all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee, playing to a home crowd. Highlights of track and field competition start at 10/9c.

A Family Affair

Mama mia, this is one fraught romcom situation when Zara (Joey King), formerly a personal assistant to self-centered movie star Chris (Zac Efron), discovers her one-time boss cavorting in the sheets with her widowed mom, Brooke (Nicole Kidman). And this is not a one-night stand, much to Zara’s chagrin. Is this romance the real deal? And if it is, can Zara get over herself and be happy for them as she figures out her own life?

Fancy Dance

Lily Gladstone, launched into stardom with her Oscar-nominated performance in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, stars in Native American filmmaker Erica Tremblay’s feature directorial debut. Tackling an equally challenging and emotional role, Gladstone plays Jax Goodiron, who’s been caring for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) since her sister disappeared from Oklahoma’s Seneca-Cayuga reservation. Stymied by the justice system’s seeming indifference, and with the bonding ritual of a powwow looming, Jax falls further afoul of the law when she runs off with Roki after the young girl is awarded custody to Jax’s father, Frank (Shea Whigham).

The Mole

Long before The Traitors, there was this mystery-competition series that aired from 2001-08 on ABC. In its second streaming season, National Public Radio’s Ari Shapiro becomes the latest journalist to act as host, adding a touch of wry realism to the shenanigans. Airing over three weeks, the series pits 12 contestants as they tackle a series of missions while attempting to root out the saboteur in their midst who’s trying to derail their efforts and drain the bank. After the first five episodes, three more drop on July 5 and the final two on July 12.

The Chi

Thanksgiving gatherings can be thankless occasions for settling scores, and so it is on the Season 6 finale of the drama set in Chicago’s South Side. With uninvited guests and loyalties tested regarding the lethal Douda (Curtiss Cook), this promises to be an eventful dinner. And fans can give thanks that the show has already been renewed for a seventh season.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• Family Empire: Houston (8/uc, OWN): A real-life family Dynasty unfolds in a reality series featuring Houston’s wealthy Braden family, whose matriarch Oscarene built a real-estate empire and risks pushback from her granddaughters when she considers selling off her company’s assets to provide for her own five children.
• Zombies: The Re-Animated Series (8/7c, Disney Channel): The campy live-action fantasy-musical series gets animated in a reboot in which zombie Zed (voiced by Milo Manheim) and his human cheerleader girlfriend Addison (Meg Donnelly) repeat senior year with the rest of their crew thanks to an alien tech time warp. The entire season can be streamed on Disney+ starting Saturday.
• 20/20 (9/8c, ABC): An updated report features Matt Gutman’s new interview with Keith Papini, discussing the case of his ex-wife Sherri, who served 10 months in prison after fabricating a kidnapping hoax.
• SportsCenter (midnight/11c, ESPN): Longtime anchor John Anderson is retiring after 25 years on the air. Though this is his farewell show, he’ll still appear in track and field and marathon coverage.

ON THE STREAM:

• WondLa (streaming on Apple TV+): A lavish animated family-friendly fantasy, based on Tony DiTerlizzi’s book series, sends teenage Eva (voiced by Jeanine Mason) out of the underground bunker where she was raised into an unrecognizable Earth now populated by colorful aliens.
• Disney Jr.’s Ariel (streaming on Disney+): Also for the family audience, the full first season of an animated series inspired by The Little Mermaid, with Ariel (voiced by Mykal-Michelle Harris) embarking on new adventures of exploration.
• Owning Manhattan (streaming on Netflix): Manhattan real estate is no joke, and this reality series that goes inside luxury broker Ryan Serhant’s high-end firm means serious business.