Told in a series of flashbacks, the smart teen melodrama "Cruel Summer" (10 p.m., Freeform, TV-14) recalls Jeanette’s (Chiara Aurelia) metamorphosis from 1993 to 1995, growing from an awkward nerd to a popular "it" girl. Her transformation coincides with the disappearance of Kate (Olivia Holt), a popular blond.
When Kate returns, she accuses Jeannette of stealing her friends and "her life." Tabloids and TV media all but accuse Jeannette of cooperating in Kate’s gruesome kidnapping.
"Summer" plays with time-shifting narratives and keeps viewers guessing about distinctions between victim and aggressor while exploring media obsessions about missing pretty teenage white girls.
Executive producer Jessica Biel presented audiences with similar questions on her USA series "The Sinner." It’s hard to watch "Cruel Summer" and not wonder whether Biel’s own story informed the plot, or at least the atmosphere, of "Cruel Summer" as well.
From 1996 to 2006, Biel played Mary Camden on "7th Heaven," the popular family-friendly WB series and Aaron Spelling production. She was very much in the public eye as she grew from adolescence to adulthood. That exposure was not without minor scandal and media exploitation.
Not to give too much away, but central to "Cruel Summer" is the story of a trusted young middle-school principal who turns out to be a predator and Kate’s abductor.
In 2014, some years after the conclusion of "7th Heaven," Stephen Collins, who played the show’s wholesome patriarch, Eric Camden, confessed to multiple incidents of sexual misconduct with young girls. It’s a theme of betrayed trust and resulting disorientation that runs through "Cruel Summer," a disturbing and compelling series.
— If "Cruel Summer" showcases the media’s obsession with young girls, the new Netflix thriller "Fatma" explores the anonymity of middle-aged women, particularly those on the bottom of the income ladder.
Turkish actress Burcu Biricik plays the title character, a grief-stricken, recently widowed woman and housecleaner who accidentally commits homicide while searching for her late husband’s killer. Events spiral out of control, keeping Fatma in dangerous situations where murder is the only way out. Nobody notices the cleaning lady.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A bodyguard (Gerard Butler) with a blemished reputation steps up to save the president (Aaron Eckhart) in the 2016 thriller "London Has Fallen" (6:30 p.m., Syfy, TV-14) and in "Olympus Has Fallen" (8:30 p.m. Syfy, TV-MA) from 2013.
— The Mets host the Red Sox in an interleague game of MLB Baseball (7 p.m., ESPN).
— A tornado strikes on "The Resident" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
— Assistants take charge on "Pooch Perfect" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG), hosted by Rebel Wilson.
— Audra McDonald and Mandy Patinkin explore their family histories on "Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr." (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).
— An explosive parcel on "FBI" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Kevin gets misty on "This Is Us" (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
— Jessica researches her book on "Prodigal Son" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
— The murder of a detective results in calls for the death penalty on the nonfiction series "Philly D.A." (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).
— Tracking an internet vigilante on "FBI: Most Wanted" (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Max wants to expand Wi-Fi on "New Amsterdam" (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— New evidence arrives with a toe tag attached on "Big Sky" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— "Frontline" (10 p.m., PBS, check local listings) concludes its two-part series "The Virus That Shook the World."
CULT CHOICE
Billy Bob Thornton stars in the 2004 adaptation of "Friday Night Lights" (6:55 p.m., Starz Encore), based on H.G. Bissinger’s nonfiction account of the culture of high school football in Texas. This movie and the book would inspire the acclaimed 2006 TV series that ran on NBC and DirectTV over five seasons.
SERIES NOTES
Torres meets his father on "NCIS" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Recovering from a football injury on "Young Rock" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … Temperatures drop on "The Flash" (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) … Much ado about hairdos on "Kenan" (8:30 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
Dre can’t even on "black-ish" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Trapped in the Phantom Zone on "Supergirl" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Dating advice on "mixed-ish" (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Kenan Thompson is booked on "Conan" (11 p.m., TBS, r) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Michael Che, Roger Daltrey, Nicki Nicole and Lunay on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Ed Helms, Michelle Buteau and Sen. Jon Tester visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC).
