‘Lanterns’ Shines Bright, Disney Princesses in Concert, a ‘Walking Dead’ Road Trip

Lanterns

SUNDAY: “We’re like beat cops,” explains Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler, wry and dry) to a 60 Minutes reporter early on in this offbeat superhero procedural from the DC universe. “Each one of us has a piece of the galaxy.” Watching in rapt fascination is a young boy, John Stewart, who, 20 years later (played by Aaron Pierre), becomes an ambitious Lantern trainee, itching to wear the magic ring while being tested capriciously under Hal’s cocky supervision. Their first case, set in 2016, sends the team to seemingly quiet small-town Nebraska, “an excellent place to land a spaceship,” muses the veteran space cop. A mass shooting at a football field piques Hal’s interest, though the prickly sheriff (Boardwalk Empire alum Kelly Macdonald) reminds him, “Your jurisdiction only covers extraterrestrial events.” Hal’s been-there, vanquished-that instincts ultimately prevail. Jason Ritter (Matlock) also stars as the sheriff’s lawyer husband, Billy Macon, with Garret Dillahunt a treat as Billy’s shady rancher dad, who’s no fan of aliens himself, telling Hal: “We both want to protect the planet from anybody not born on it.”

Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration

SUNDAY: Disney celebrated World Princess Week at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park earlier this week, staging what’s billed as “the largest gathering of Disney Princess talent ever assembled,” from the company’s many animated, live-action, and stage productions, for a lavish concert (which will also stream on Disney+). Highlights include performances from Auli’i Cravalho and Catherine Laga’aia (animated and live-action Moanas), Jodi Benson and Halle Bailey (animated and live-action Ariels), Paige O’Hara and Susan Egan (animated and original Broadway Belles), Brandy (live-action Cinderella), Lea Salonga (animated Mulan and Jasmine), and Judy Kuhn (animated Pocahontas). Keeping with the theme, the concert special is followed by a screening of 2001’s The Princess Diaries (8:30/7:30c).

The Walking Dead: Dead City

SUNDAY: It’s a rite of bonding passage during the zombie apocalypse for heroes to embark on a supply run — in this case, to acquire essential medicines needed by Luis (Raúl Castillo) for his overwhelmed makeshift ER. The good doc is accompanied by Maggie (Lauren Cohan) on a journey to find a woman known only as the Trader (Bob Hearts Abishola‘s Folake Olowofoyeku), who strikes a hard bargain. While opening up to each other about their tragic pasts, they make the acquaintance of an unusually idyllic community, which prompts this response from the jaded Maggie: “I always expect something bad to happen.” Wait till they get back to Manhattan.

Lioness

SUNDAY: More spy intrigue with the Lioness team and their CIA colleagues, now that they have the mysterious Mata Hari-like Ukrainian double agent in their clutches. The next question: How to make the best use of this asset in a never-ending disinformation war? Team leader Joe (Zoe Saldaña) has pressing matters at home as well, appeasing her family, who’ve been moved onto an army base for their safety. The girls want her to quit, and she needs to remind them why the sacrifice is worth it: “My passion is fighting to save a way of life.”

Aussie at Heart

SATURDAY: Knowing that armchair travel is often the best type of escapism, Hallmark hits the road again for another global rom-com. The setting: Australia’s Queensland, where former lawyer-turned-event planner Samara (Rhiannon Fish) is arranging a 40th-anniversary celebration for her best friend’s parents aboard a luxury yacht. One hitch: the ship’s captain is her former law partner, Nate (channel favorite Daniel Lissing), who still harbors a grudge. It won’t be smooth sailing at first, but anyone who knows the formula can predict a happy landing in harbor.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• The Daughter She Left Behind (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): The Cleaning Lady‘s Kate del Castillo is a longtime long-distance mom who returns home to connect with her daughter (Carissa Murray), only to become a mama-bear protector when a man threatens her daughter’s life.
• Jep & Jess: Beyond the Bayou (Saturday, 9/8c, Great American Family): Duck Dynasty‘s Jep Robertson and his wife, Jessica, headline a new reality series, leaving Louisiana for Texas to help a friend transform the Comanche Moon Ranch into a community and vacation destination.
• UFC 330 (Saturday, 9 pm/ET, streaming on Paramount+): The main event from Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena pits UFC welterweight champ Islam Makhachev against Ian Machado Garry. In the co-main event, women’s welterweight champ Mackenzie Dern defends her title against Gillian Robertson.
• NASCAR Americana (Saturday, 10:30 pm/ET, USA Network): Following coverage of the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, the docuseries continues with an exploration of NASCAR’s “Family Bonds,” featuring the first sit-down interview with Hall of Fame driver Kurt Busch after the death of his brother Kyle in May.
• The Westies (Sunday, 9/8c, MGM+): The conflict between Westies leader Eamon Sweeney (J.K. Simmons) and his ambitious deputy Jimmy Roarke (Tom Brittney) reaches a breaking point when one of their gang is arrested for dealing.
• The Librarians: The Next Chapter (Sunday, 9/8c, TNT): Team scientist Lysa (Olivia Morris) is dating a superhero whose powers may be linked to a magical artifact.
• Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project with Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger (Sunday, 9 pm/ET, Samsung TV Network): In the docuseries’ season finale, the ARCH team takes one last shot at the Super Hooligan National Championship at Mid-Ohio to crack the Top Ten and be seen as contenders in MotoAmerica racing.
• Double Lives of Suburban Wives (Sunday, 10/9c, TLC): After several of the wives are kicked out of the gym when their adult-content side hustle comes to light, the ladies gather at Tammy’s for a barbecue, where more secrets are spilled.
• Bergerac (Sunday, streaming on the PBS app): A reboot of the British crime drama, which originally ran from 1981 to 1991, stars Damien Molony as Detective Jim Bergerac, grieving the loss of his wife as he returns to work in Jersey in the Channel Islands, investigating a murder within one of the region’s wealthiest families.