Creative recycling abounds. Over on the CW, an old remake gets a special retrospective, while a former CW favorite moves to streaming. Meanwhile, a spinoff from an ABC franchise begins a new season on Freeform.
“ET Presents: 9021OMG! The Cast Tells All” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) offers a glance at the cast of the 2008 CW spinoff that ran for five seasons and offers insights from AnnaLynne McCord, Michael Steger, Shenae Grimes, Matt Lanter, Tristan “Mack” Wilds, Trevor Donovan, Jessica Stroup and Jessica Lowndes.
There have been six iterations of the “90210” concept, at least two featuring the same cast.
Two Augusts ago, Fox tried offering a “meta” version of the original, starring Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling as themselves, each desperate for a comeback and a chance to remake the show that made them stars. Overshadowed by the then-recent death of Luke Perry, it was canceled after its summer season.
In another ZIP code, “Gossip Girl” moved the melodrama, the money and the cheekbones to the East Coast and the 21st century. Set in the tippy-top of Manhattan’s prep school set, the series ran from 2007 to 2012 on the CW. A “new” “Gossip Girl” will begin streaming on HBO Max beginning today.
Back in the day, nobody would have confused HBO with the CW.
“grown-ish” (8 p.m., Freeform, TV-14) enters its fourth season, following the exploits of Zoey (Yara Shahidi), the eldest daughter from the ABC comedy “black-ish,” as she embarks on college and independence.
One gets the sense that the world could only handle so much “ish.” “mixed-ish,” a prequel set in the 1980s, following Rainbow’s hippie(ish) upbringing, was recently canceled after two seasons. “black-ish” was renewed for an eighth and final season.
We’re just a little over a month away from Fox’s “new” version of “Fantasy Island,” premiering on Aug. 10. Kicking off a series in late summer is something Fox invented in its early years. With “Beverly Hills, 90210,” in fact.
With so much borrowing going on, you have to hand it to the recent Amazon Prime movie “The Tomorrow War” for not asking us to watch another “brand extension” of a series, movie franchise or comic book. That said, its story does sound a lot like “Terminator,” which was more than a little influenced by an old episode of “The Outer Limits.”
— Sundance Now streams the third season of “Motherland,” the U.K. comedy about middle-class parents navigating work, divorce and raising children while caring for aging parents. The cast includes Anna Maxwell Martin (“Bleak House”).
— Very different families collide after a friendship between their children leads to a sudden tragedy in the 2019 drama “Human Capital” (8 p.m., HBO, TV-MA), starring Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei and Peter Sarsgaard. The cast also includes Maya Hawke, the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Critics praised its cast and emotionally absorbing performances.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Nick and Amy announce the biggest challenge yet on “Making It” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
— “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) and “NBA Countdown” (8:30 p.m., ABC) anticipate the big game.
— Rio irks Beth on “Good Girls” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— The Phoenix Suns host Game 1 of the NBA Finals (9 p.m., ABC).
— Much to his intended’s chagrin, Bull pursues a case with political overtones on “Bull” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Predators of long standing share bites on “The Croc That Ate Jaws” (10 p.m., National Geographic, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
TCM continues its July salute to Elvis Presley with two musicals: “Viva Las Vegas” (8 p.m., TV-14) and “Speedway” (10 p.m., TV-PG) co-starring Ann-Margret and Nancy Sinatra, respectively.
SERIES NOTES
A summer job at the museum on “Young Sheldon” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … Jamie Foxx hosts “Beat Shazam” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Two helpings of “World’s Funniest Animals” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) … Matchmaking on “United States of Al” (8:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).
“Love Island” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … Will Arnett hosts “Lego Masters” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … Three women are suspected of drugging an older man and robbing him on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
Pete Buttigieg and Katja Herbers are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Graham Norton, Zosia Mamet, Brandon Taylor and Kristina Schiano visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Kal Penn and Josh Groban appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
