I'm filling in for Margaret all muggy week. While midsummer in this part of the world lacks for pagan death cults, it still includes mosquitoes, sunburn, lousy air quality, crippling humidity and the particular perfume that only uncollected garbage can bestow. Touch some grass? Overrated. Grass allergies are the worst. |
Better to just enjoy some TV instead. Happy Watching! |
 | | Paris Hilton in a scene from her new Netflix series "Cooking With Paris."Kit Karzen/Netflix |
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When to watch: Aug. 4, on Netflix. |
Paris Hilton, the ur-celebutante, returns to television. The six-episode series "Cooking with Paris" joins recent shows like "Amy Schumer Learns to Cook" and "Selena + Chef," in which famous people who don't really know how their way around a kitchen navigate one anyway. And yet, Hilton takes culinary dilettantism to a new and bedazzled place. In the first episode, which co-stars Hilton's childhood friend Kim Kardashian, Hilton asks, "What's a tong?" In the second, her utter inability to pronounce cotija, a taco night staple, becomes a running gag. Cereal, she says, is her favorite food group. |
Hilton, one of the pre-eminent interpreters of the sexy baby voice, pioneered reality TV with "The Simple Life." The kind of person who makes a word like "reality" wobble Jell-O-like, she dusts most dishes with edible glitter, feeds caviar to her dogs, leans over the deep-fryer in feathered cuffs. ("This is not the best outfit to cook in," she says, as the fringe from her jacket skims flan.) The show exists mostly to trademark a new catchphrase — "sliving," a portmanteau of "slaying" and "living" and the heir to "that's hot" — and bring back gloves as an essential fashion accessory. It's doubtful that either will catch on. |
Throughout, the boundary between what's authentic and what's performative is as porous as a paper towel. Anyone expecting a more dimensionalized woman, like the one Hilton revealed in the last year's documentary "This Is Paris" should probably just click on an early season of "The Great British Baking Show" instead. But Hilton remains a genius in giving the camera what it wants. Which apparently includes Frosted Flakes French toast. |
 | | Guy Pearce in a scene from the final season of "Jack Irish."Easy Tiger Productions/Acorn TV |
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- In "Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump," which debuts on HBO Monday at 9 p.m., a privately owned station tries to make it big. See it before the inevitable sitcom adaptation.
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- In "Mare of Easttown" withdrawal? Try a sunbaked alternative, which has the good sense to share Guy Pearce. The series finale of "Jack Irish," the superb Australian noir, dropped on AcornTV Monday morning.
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- At 9 p.m. on Tuesday, HBO premieres the three-part documentary "Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union," which examines American life through the lens of Barack Obama's own. The subsequent episodes air on Wednesday and Thursday.
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- The comedian Kevin Hart practices his listening skills in this new, wine-enabled interview show, "Hart to Heart." The first three episodes arrive on Peacock Thursday
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I want to watch some Olympics. |
 | | Simone Biles, who has sat out during much of the Tokyo Games, plans to compete on Tuesday.Doug Mills/The New York Times |
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The Tokyo Games are into their second week and with swimming concluded, NBC's prime time offerings will be dominated by track and field. But there are other big events coming up. |
- Simone Biles, who withdrew from most of her events, has said she will compete in the gymnastics balance beam final on Tuesday. The women's all-around champion Suni Lee will also compete in the event.
- The teen-dominated women's street skateboarding final was one of the more compelling events of these Olympics so far. Park skateboarding will make its Olympic debut on Tuesday.
- Tired of the contact-free nature of most Olympic competition? Wednesday brings finals in wrestling and boxing.
- The United States women's soccer team, who had their gold-medal dreams dashed by Canada, play for bronze on Thursday.
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