Simone Biles Competes in Women’s All-Around, Father-Son Lowes in ‘Unstable,’ ‘Criminal Minds’ Finale, Embrace ‘The Change’

Following their gold-medal Olympic triumph this week, Team USA gymnastics stars Simone Biles and Suni Lee, each a past winner of the all-around competition (in 2016 and 2021, respectively), vie for gold again. That contest airs live on NBC at 12:15 pm/ET, followed by live coverage of men’s and women’s swimming finals at 2:30 pm/ET and U.S. women’s beach volleyball vs. China at 4:05 pm/ET. Recaps of gymnastics and swimming dominate NBC’s “Primetime in Paris” show (8/7c). Other highlights include U.S. women’s basketball vs. Belgium on USA Network (3 pm/ET), the first round of men’s golf starting early on Golf Channel (3 am to noon/ET) and U.S. women’s 3×3 basketball vs. Spain on E! (3:40 pm/ET). All events can be livestreamed, with many replayed on Peacock. For a full schedule, see nbcolympics.com.

Here’s the Lowe-down: The second season of this snappy, marvelously silly comedy magnifies the chemistry of its real-life father-son leads: Rob Lowe (9-1-1: Lone Star) in top form as the celebrated Ellis Dragon, a willfully bizarre and narcissistic tech genius, and John Owen Lowe as Jackson, his chronically embarrassed son who only wishes to escape Ellis’ considerable shadow. Easier said than done. Ellis begins training his obsessive energy on a mission to prepare Jackson to be the next leader of his wacky science-lab workplace, even as a talented and charismatic rival (New Girl and Fargo’s Larmorne Morris) threatens to upstage them both. It’s always fun watching the deadpan John Owen try to keep a straight face when confronted with twisted-logic Ellis-isms like, “Stop trying to be like me and just be like me.”

There’s one more sinister shoe to drop in the season finale of the crime drama, when the BAU discovers the identity of the last member of Gold Star, a perverted covert program that indoctrinated troubled youth to become killers. The realization may come too late, with Prentiss (Paget Brewster) held captive by Jade (Liana Liberato) and her secret accomplice. When her colleagues come to her rescue, will they be walking into a trap? And what’s up with the FBI director Ray Madison (Clark Gregg) cutting a sweetheart deal with the notorious Elias Voit (Zach Gilford)?

A low-key six-episode gem, the sort of gently twisted character-based comedy that seems to be a specialty of British TV, The Change refers to menopause — which triggers the exhausted Linda (creator/star Bridget Christie) at 50 to put herself first for once and embark on a quixotic journey of discovery. Leaving behind her family, and ledgers detailing the endless hours of domestic labor that left her unfulfilled, Linda and her motorbike land in the wilds of the Forest of Dean, where she once hid a childhood time capsule in a tree. Moving into a past-its-prime caravan, Linda becomes transfixed (as do we) by locals including two intense sisters (sublime character actors Susan Lynch and Monica Dolan) who serve up eel-and-mash concoctions and a wry gentleman woodsman (Game of Thrones’ Jerome Flynn) who makes great coffee in his converted cave home.

Each day in August in what has become an annual tradition, TCM salutes a different cinema legend with a 24-hour tribute. Some are receiving the honor for the first time — including, and it’s about time, Julie Andrews (August 4), Meryl Streep (August 10), Jerry Lewis (August 17) and Grace Kelly (August 24) — but the month begins with a longtime favorite, the debonair William Powell. Highlights include 1934’s The Thin Man (4 pm/3c), 1947’s Life with Father (5:45 pm/4:45c), and in prime time, the 1948 fantasy-comedy Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (8/7c) and the 1936 screwball classic My Man Godfrey (9:45/8:45c).

The supernatural drama loses none of its oomph in the first of the bonus episodes that conclude (too soon!) Evil’s final season. In the wake of a family tragedy, Kristen (Katja Herbers) receives a few more bombshells: one personal, one professional. But the fun’s far from over, with the evil Leland (Michael Emerson) facing charges in court, unimpressed with his seemingly bumbling lawyer (John Carroll Lynch). Veep’s Anna Chlumsky joins the ranks of Evil’s memorable guest stars.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• ESPN8: The Ocho (ESPN2, 7 pm/ET): The annual showcase for under-the-radar sports competition expands to four days (through Sunday), starting with Banana Ball from Louisville. Following a screening of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (9 pm/ET), enjoy National Havoc Robot League fighting (11 pm/ET) and the Ultimate Overall Championship of Juggling (11:30 pm/ET). Events air through the weekend on ESPN and ESPN2.
• 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (8 pm/ET, ABC and ESPN): The Houston Texans take on the Chicago Bears in the preseason opener from Canton, Ohio, but the Bears’ No. 1 draft pick, quarterback Caleb Williams, will sit out the game, along with other starters.
• Miss Teen USA 2024 (8/7c, The CW): In advance of Sunday’s Miss USA pageant, the teen version plays out at L.A.’s Peacock Theater.

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