‘Vampire’ Finale, Swimming with SharkFest, ‘Grantchester’ Welcomes a New Vicar, BET Awards

Season Finale

9/8c

SUNDAY: The succulent second season of the supernatural melodrama ends with an operatic flourish in keeping with the grand passions of its undead characters. In the wake of the devastating trial and execution at the Théâtre des Vampires, Louis (Jacob Anderson) reveals the extent of his fiery rage, madness and murderous retribution. “That’s the end of it,” he tells his interviewer, Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogasian). But it really isn’t. The best news of all is that the story will continue in a third season, based on Rice’s sequel The Vampire Lestat.

Special

9/8c

SUNDAY: The annual summer feeding frenzy for shark-related documentaries kicks off with the 12^th annual SharkFest, opening with a special in which Marvel star Anthony Mackie heads to his New Orleans hometown to learn about a troubling local trend of sharks swallowing up a fisherman’s catch before it can be retrieved. Followed by Shark vs. Ross Edgley (10/9c), where the British marathon swimmer pushes his body’s limits by attempting to match the speed, strength, agility and even the digestive ability of sharks in a series of challenges. Specials continue through the week, with new offerings and enhanced repeats airing across platforms including Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo, ESPN2 and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

9/8c

SUNDAY: The new vicar in town is turning heads, and not just because he goes shirtless by the lake the first chance he gets. Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair) stands out because he’s Grantchester’s first vicar of color, the son of Indian parents, and when he arrives at the vicarage in his sporty red Triumph convertible, he’s mistaken for a burglar. Cue the meet-not-so-cute between Alphy and Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green), which ends in fisticuffs. But as DC Larry Peters (Bradley Hall) later tells the reverend, “Geordie’s got a thing for vicars,” and sure enough, the murder of a local landowner spurs Geordie to ask for Alphy’s help. This despite Alphy’s antipathy for the police, whom he considers “morally bankrupt, power-hungry, violent thugs.” Is this any way to start a friendship? Longtime fans of the period mystery will likely say yes, and they’ll be right.

8/7c

SUNDAY: Usher takes home a lifetime achievement award at the annual celebration of Black excellence in film, TV, music and sports. Taraji P. Henson hosts for the third time at L.A.’s Peacock Theater, with Megan Thee Stallion as the opening act and performances from Will Smith, Lauryn Hill & YG Marley, GloRilla, Victoria Monét and more.

9/8c

SUNDAY: Following the latest assassination attempt, with both sides of the Targaryen civil war in disarray and dissension, we hear this dire warning: “There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, and no war so bloody as a war between dragons.” And yet that’s where this gloomy fantasy saga appears to be headed, unless Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) of the Blacks and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) of the Greens can find some common ground. Unlikely, you say?

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Falling Like Snowflakes (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): Hallmark gets an early start with its Christmas in July programming with the romantic tale of a photographer (The Good Witch’s Rebecca Dalton) who enlists her childhood pal (Marcus Rosner) in her quest to capture the rare image of a 12-sided snowflake. Brrr.
• The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Teri Hatcher stars in a fact-based psychological mystery as a Wichita woman whose paranoia during the reign of the BTK killer hits unusually close to home.
• CBS News Sunday Morning (Sunday, 9 am/ET, check local listings): Segments include Paul McCartney sharing rare personal photos and a remembrance of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who died with husband John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash 25 years ago.
• Pride Across America (Sunday, 11 am/ET, streaming on Hulu): ABC News Live presents coverage of pride marches and parades in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco.
• The Great Food Truck Race: Games on the Gulf (Sunday, 8/7c, Food Network): Tyler Florence accompanies nine teams and their food trucks on a road trip along the Gulf Coast from Houston to Miami, awarding bronze, silver and gold medals to top teams at each stop. The competition begins at Houston’s NASA Johnson Space Center.
• Summer Olympic Trials (Sunday, 8:30/7:30c, NBC): The members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team will be set following the sport’s final trial events.
• Biography (Sunday, 9/8c, A&E): The series’ focus on rock stars continues with profiles of Sammy Hagar and (at 10/9c) Sebastian Bach.
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Sunday, 9/8c, Bravo): The campy host celebrates his 15^th anniversary of spilling the tea in late night with a prime-time retrospective.
• Admissions Granted (Sunday, 9/8c, MSNBC): A year after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education, a documentary examines the fallout.