MLB All-Star Game, World Cup Semifinals, Netflix ‘Quarterback’ Series, PBS Goes Into Space

MLB All-Star Game

Still basking in the glow from America’s 250th birthday celebrations, Philadelphia provides the historic backdrop for the 96th annual spectacle pitting star players from the National League and the American League. Playing on home turf at Citizens Bank Park is NL starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies, chosen for the position after L.A. superstar Shohei Ohtani and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski dropped out because of injuries. (Also from the Phillies: outfielder Brandon Marsh and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, filling in for Ohtani.) Leading off as pitcher for the AL is Toronto Blue Jays’ Dylan Cease, who leads the league in strikeouts. The AL, which has won 10 of the past 12 All-Star Games, hopes to avenge last year’s loss to the NL. So much for brotherly love. Before the game, EGOT Jennifer Hudson performs “America the Beautiful,” Philly native Patti LaBelle belts the National Anthem, and fellow Philly native and Phillies superfan Miles Teller narrates a salute to the sport as an essential part of American culture.

World Cup

After weeks of hoopla and record ratings, the tournament is down to its final four teams, each atop the FIFA rankings, setting the stage for thrilling semifinal matches. The action begins in Dallas, with France and its marquee player, Kylian Mbappé, taking on the resilient Spanish team. The winner advances to Sunday’s final in New Jersey against the winner of Wednesday’s game in Atlanta between the powerhouses England and Argentina. If workplace productivity goes down the next two afternoons, there’s a pretty good excuse.

Quarterback

It’s been a minute since sports fans have obsessed over American football, for obvious reasons, but Netflix, as so often is the case, fills the void with a third season of its docuseries that gets up close and personal with the men calling the shots on the field. The four subjects followed throughout the 2025 NFL season include 2025’s No. 1 draft pick Cam Ward during a challenging freshman season with the Tennessee Titans, former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, who was traded midseason to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield, and Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.

Once Upon A Time in Space

Apple TV‘s acclaimed dramas For All Mankind and Star City depict an alternate version of how the space race evolved, but for the real story, filmmaker James Bluemel (Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland) devotes four hours to chronicling the most recent developments in space exploration and travel featuring interviews with astronauts, cosmonauts, scientists on the ground and loved ones at home. The series opens with a history of the U.S. Space Shuttle program as NASA recruits crews comprised of men and women of all races. The tragedy of the Challenger explosion in 1986 grounds the fleet while the Soviet Union launches the Mir space station, once again shifting the dynamics for space supremacy.

SpongeBob SquarePants

On what is known to be the beloved underwater character’s official birthday of July 14, Nickelodeon declares a global “SpongeBob Day” with a marathon of SpongeBob SquarePants fan-favorite episodes beginning on Nickelodeon at 2 pm/1c, plus daylong marathons on Nicktoons and Nick Pluto, and a SpongeBob takeover on Nick.com. Tom Kenny, who provides SpongeBob’s iconic voice, hosts a TikTok Live event (6 pm/ET) featuring alternate endings of the classic “Shanghaied” episode and his expert commentary. Starfish sidekick Patrick gets his own spotlight with the launch of the Patrick Star Official YouTube channel. Nickelodeon’s theme parks and hotels are also celebrating the special day, which is only likely to make Squidward grumpier than usual.

INSIDE TUESDAY TV:

ON THE STREAM:

• The Real Wolf of Wall Street (streaming on Paramount+): A three-part docuseries explores the rise and fall of notorious stockbroking scammer Jordan Belfort, who was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese‘s 2013 film.
• Return to Paradise (streaming on BritBox): The Australian light mystery returns for a second season, with transplanted Scotland Yard detective and Aussie native Mack Clarke (Anna Samson) still solving crimes in her Dolphin Cove hometown while trying to avoid getting entangled in pathologist and former fiancé Glenn’s (Tai Hara) wedding plans.