TV This Week, Aug. 19-25: ‘The Last Sharknado,’ the VMAs and more

SUNDAY

Keep it clean! “The History of Comedy” looks at family-friendly comedy in the season-ending episode “No Offense.” 7 and 10 p.m. CNN

The new true-crime series “Dying to Belong” details the lethal lengths some mentally unstable folks have gone to to fit in. 7 and 9 p.m. Oxygen

It’s bigamy — bigamy, I tells ya! — in the new thriller “My Husband’s Secret Wife.” With Helena Mattsson and Josh Kelly. 8 p.m. Lifetime

Our shark-slaying hero (Ian Ziering) travels back into the past to save the future in the purported franchise-closer “The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time.” With Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox and Cassie Scerbo. 8 and 10 p.m. Syfy

It’s the end of “The Affair,” for now, with the drama’s fourth-season finale. With Dominic West, Maura Tierney, Ruth Wilson and Joshua Jackson. 9 p.m. Showtime

Harlee, we hardly knew ye: After three seasons, the Jennifer Lopez cop drama “Shades of Blue” airs its final episode. Ray Liotta also stars. 10 p.m. NBC

The shocking case that inspired the Nicole Kidman movie “To Die For” is revisited in the three-part true-crime special “Pamela Smart: An American Murder Mystery.” 10 and 11 p.m. Investigation Discovery; concludes Mon., 10 p.m.

MONDAY

The new special “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool” offers an expanded look at former Beatle Paul McCartney’s magical, musical tour of his hometown with “The Late Late Show’s” James Corden in tow. 8 p.m. CBS

The aforementioned Jennifer Lopez — a.k.a. “J.Lo,” a.k.a. “Jenny from the block” — will collect the coveted Video Vanguard Award at the “2018 MTV Video Music Awards.” Performers include Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Panic! at the Disco and Nicki Minaj. 9 p.m. MTV; also BET, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, Paramount, TV Land

Men in tights: The 2017 dance-doc “Rebels on Pointe” celebrates the all-male drag ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. 9 p.m. Starz

A family of little people trades city life for wide open spaces in the new reality series “Little Life on the Prairie.” 10 p.m. TLC

TUESDAY

The new pledge-drive special “Betty White: First Lady of Television” finds Tina Fey, Carl Reiner, et al., saluting the lovable nonagenarian whose credits include “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Golden Girls” and our favorite, “Password.” 8 p.m. KOCE and KVCR

Archaeologists seek the final resting place of one of the Bible’s baddest bad guys in the new special “Uncovering Herod’s Lost Tomb.” 9 and 11 p.m. National Geographic Channel

It’s like “Jackass” for a new generation with the none-too-bright crew of “Too Stupid to Die” in this series featuring wacky but ill-advised stunts. 11 p.m. MTV

WEDNESDAY

The saucy period drama “Harlots” wraps its second season. With Samantha Morton, Jessica Brown Findlay, Lesley Manville and Liv Tyler. Any time, Hulu

The two-night special “The Story of the Royals” catches up with Britain’s William and Kate, Harry and Meghan, and… wait a minute: Didn’t we fight a war to get out from under these folks? 9 p.m. ABC; also Thu.

Ava Duvernay’s Louisiana-set drama “Queen Sugar” and Kevin Costner’s modern-day western “Yellowstone” end their respective seasons. 10 p.m. OWN; 10 p.m. Paramount Network

THURSDAY

Here’s the scoop: Reporters from the website BuzzFeed take you inside the stories they’re working on in the new docu-series “Follow This.” Any time, Netflix

Disadvantaged teens at a small North Carolina charter school leave it all on the field after they learn to play lacrosse in the inspiring 2018 sports documentary “Crossroads.” 6 p.m. ESPN

The new documentary “Quiet Heroes” salutes a Utah doctor who bucked her home state’s conservative culture to treat HIV/AIDS patients during the peak of the pandemic in the 1980s. 8 p.m. Logo

Snooki, the Situation and all the rest hit Las Vegas, then Atlantic City, on the expanded second-season premiere of the reality series “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.” 8 and 10 p.m. MTV

The courtroom comedy “Trial & Error” rests its case for another season with back-to-back episodes. 9 and 9:30 p.m. NBC

Contestants from the outdoor-survival series’ most recent cycle reunite to reminisce in a special episode of “Alone.” 10 p.m. History Channel

The L.A.-set detective comedy “Swedish Dicks” signs off for a second season. With Peter Stormare. 10 and 10:30 p.m. Pop

FRIDAY

Keep your shirt on! The new standup special “Bert Kreischer: Secret Time” finds the oft-shirtless comic cracking wise about his life as a dad. Any time, Netflix

The new documentary “Crime + Punishment” profiles the courageous NYPD cops who blew the whistle on their department’s overzealous policing of minority communities. Any time, Hulu

A teen on the lam discovers she has the ability to shapeshift in the new sci-fi series “The Innocents.” With Sorcha Groundsell, Percelle Ascott and Guy Pearce Any time, Netflix

A would-be rapper and his would-be manager try to get into “The After Party” in this star-studded hip-hop comedy. With cameos by Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, French Montana and DJ Khaled. Any time, Netflix

The hunt for a legendary hoard of lost Incan gold continue on a new season of the unscripted series “Treasure Quest: Snake Island.” 9 and 11 p.m. Discovery Channel

SATURDAY

Daddy issues: Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are joined by John Lithgow and Mel Gibson for the 2017 comedy sequel “Daddy’s Home 2.” 8 p.m. Epix

More daddy issues: Ed Helms and Owen Wilson are joined by Terry Bradshaw, J.K. Simmons and Christopher Walken for the 2017 comedy “Father Figures.” Glenn Close also stars. 8 p.m. HBO

A pregnant woman’s home healthcare nurse has the worst bedside manner ever in the new thriller “Killer Night Shift.” With Christie Burson and Johnny Pacar. 8 p.m. Lifetime

All is fair in love and barbecue cook-offs in the romantic TV movie “Season for Love.” With Autumn Reeser and “Buffy’s” Marc Blucas. 9 p.m. Hallmark Channel

A comic, actor and former “SNL” staff writer takes it to the stage in his new eponymous standup special “Drew Michael.” 10 p.m. HBO

Customized TV listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Aug. 19 - 25, 2018, in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies