Women on the Run in ‘Ride or Die’ & ‘Lucky,’ Fox Dumbs Down, ‘Maximum’ Finale, 2026 ESPYs

Ride or Die

Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham is a statuesque assassin codenamed Whiptail — but known as Judith to her best friend Debbie (Octavia Spencer), the brainy power behind the would-be throne of her husband, David (Jamie Parker), a British MP with prime minister ambitions. Imagine Debbie’s surprise when Judith shows up in full Jane Bond regalia at a charity bash, and before long, they’re dodging bullets and being chased by bad guys. That’s the first act of an eight-part action comedy, all available as a binge-watch, that subverts WOACA (Woman of a Certain Age) sexism as they take on Armenian mobsters and members of Judith’s own shadow agency in a wild ride through Europe. The only thing serious in this caper is the bond of friendship that’s tested by Debbie coming to terms with Judith’s perilous profession. Challenged over killing people for money, Judith shrugs: “If I did it for free, I’d be a serial killer.”

Lucky

Also fearing for her safety in a gritty chase thriller from Your Friends & Neighbors creator Jonathan Tropper is a con woman named Lucky (The Queen’s Gambit‘s Anya Taylor-Joy). After her lover absconds with $10 million in ill-gotten gains, this unlucky lady becomes the target of powerful criminals and an FBI agent (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) who’s also on her trail. The supporting cast includes the always-welcome Timothy Olyphant as her jailbird dad who set the scheme in motion, and, as the villains, Dutton Ranch antagonist Annette Bening and William Fichtner. Wherever Lucky goes, chaos follows. As Bening’s henchman (Clifton Collins, Jr.) observes: “How can someone so small cause so much trouble?” Launches with two episodes.

Nation’s Dumbest

Billed as the game show no one wants to win, this happily mindless diversion gathers a dozen dupes, ranging from insipid ingenue (Carmen Electra) to a former presidential candidate (Andrew Yang) in a mock classroom presided over by comedian/actor Jack Whitehall. (“What on earth possessed you?” he queries Ice-T, who doesn’t really have a good answer.) The contestants undergo logic tests, pop quizzes, physical challenges, and other indignities, with only the top scorer in a “Final Exam” able to graduate and leave the rest of the dunces behind. An early question about Darwinism seems especially appropriate given the circumstances.

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

Last week’s gunshot cliffhanger leads into a twisty season finale of the dark-comedy thriller. The frazzled, frenzied yet fearless Paula (Tatiana Maslany) has a murder charge pending and a killer tracking her every move, but her main priority is a custody hearing regarding her daughter, Hazel (Nola Wallace), who her ex (Jake Johnson) wants to move across the country. And let’s hope dogged detective Sofia Gonzales (Dolly de Leon) is speaking the truth when she declares, “This isn’t over.”

ESPY Awards

Saturday Night Live‘s Marcello Hernández hosts the ceremony rewarding excellence in sports, with inspirational tributes to special honorees, from New York’s Lincoln Center. Entertainment is provided by the Savannah Bananas with music from De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, and Slick Rick. Contenders for best athlete in men’s sports include the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, soccer star Lionel Messi, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford, with ski legend Mikaela Shiffrin, golf’s Nelly Korda, hockey’s Hilary Knight, and the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson competing for best athlete in women’s sports. Special honorees include a posthumous presentation of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to openly gay NBA player Jason Collins, with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance going to one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service to former college track/cross-country athlete and U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan, recognized for his heroism in helping rescue 165 people from last year’s flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas where 28 people died.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• FIFA World Cup (3 pm/ET, Fox): Lionel Messi and his defending World Cup championship team from Argentina face off against England in a match in Atlanta, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final in New Jersey.
• MasterChef (8/7c, Fox): The cooking competition resumes with the Top Sixteen concocting chocolate treats based on their heritage, hoping to avoid a double elimination.
• Body Cam (9/8c, Investigation Discovery): The reality series that shows crime through law enforcement officers’ body cams returns for its 11th season. Followed by the Season 2 premiere of 911: Did the Killer Call? (10/9c), which analyzes 911 calls that might reveal whodunit.
• Worst Yard on the Block (10/9c, HGTV): Design and landscaping partners Tucker Kincaid and Jared “J.Paul” Foster, and Blake Hawthorn and Margo Fairchild, perform outdoor makeovers of overgrown lawns and other eyesores in a series premiering with back-to-back episodes.
• The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (streaming on Netflix): More relationship drama in the fourth season of the reality show in which couples with varying levels of commitment gather and commingle, resulting either in a proposal, a breakup, or possibly the discovery of a new soulmate. Nick and Vanessa Lachey return as hosts, with eight episodes at launch and the finale and reunion dropping next Wednesday.