World Cup Finals, ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Finale, Losing Patience, Catching Royal Fever

World Cup

SUNDAY: The tournament that has taken the world by storm, generating record ratings among U.S. audiences, reaches its grand finale Sunday with the championship match between reigning victor Argentina and its living-legend star player Lionel Messi vs. Spain (3 pm/ET, Fox). (The vintage photo showing a much younger Messi posing with Spain’s rising star Lamine Yamal as a 6-month-old baby went viral this week. It also underscores the generational nature of this rivalry.) Echoing the pomp of the Olympics or the Super Bowl, the final will be preceded by a closing ceremony in New Jersey featuring headliner Post Malone, with appearances by celebrities including Tom Cruise, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and Jennifer Hudson, who will deliver the National Anthem. Performers during the halftime spectacular include Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS, with Sesame Street and other Muppet characters on hand. On Saturday, the third-place finisher will be decided in a Miami match (5 pm/ET, Fox) between runners-up France and England.

Interview With the Vampire

SUNDAY: You can’t keep a flamboyant rock-star vampire down, not even after he and his longtime soulmate literally lose their heads, so we surmise as fans of Anne Rice‘s Vampire Chronicles franchise approach the supersized season finale (not made available for preview). Lestat (Sam Reid) and Louis (Jacob Anderson) will have presumably recovered from the ambush in which Lestat’s ex, Armand (Assad Zaman), and vampire chronicler Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), lopped their pretty heads off. After all, death isn’t always permanent for these supernatural and undead souls. Besides, the show must go on, and the world is awaiting Lestat’s historic concert for which thousands of vampires are expected to attend, assembling one of the deadliest mosh pits ever. But first, according to AMC‘s storyline, “Lestat is the surprise guest of honor at a fancy dinner party where he must confront past and present demons.” Will Akasha (Sheila Atim), aka “Queen of the Damned,” make a special appearance? We hope so.

Patience

SUNDAY: “Stop calling me Headphones!” That’s telling her, Patience. The “her” being sarcastic new boss DI Frankie Monroe (Jessica Hynes), whose treatment of the gifted autistic police consultant (Ella Maisy Purvis) throughout the British crime drama’s second season has been patronizing at best. “You are not professional,” Patience huffs, speaking out for once. The blowup occurs while the team investigates a particularly tricky case involving the death of a botanist involved in pharmaceutical research. While Frankie considers making a peace offering to her sensitive subordinate, Patience’s colleague DS Jake Hunter (Nathan Welsh) invites her to join him on a speed-dating outing to mend her broken heart. (We’re still rooting for her to get back with the puppy-dog-eyed crime scene officer Elliot, played by Tom Lewis.)

Grantchester

SUNDAY: As the fan-favorite Masterpiece mystery nears its series finale, vicar Alphy Kotteram (Rishi Nair) hits rock bottom, drowning his existential sorrows in booze with a detour into illegal gambling, much to the despair of his policeman pal Geordie (Robson Green) and former curate Leonard (Al Weaver). “What happened to the Alphy I know?” Geordie laments after finding Alphy in a backroom poker den adjacent to the latest crime scene. Geordie’s also none too pleased that his wife, Cathy (Kacey Ainsworth), whose boutique business is taking off, is the one who found the body.

Royal Fever: Why America Can’t Quit the Crown

SATURDAY: Some see it ironic that even as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary of declaring independence from the British monarchy, we somehow remain in thrall to the British royals, especially the most recent generations of the House of Windsor. A FlashDoc special explores our fascination with this titled clan, which reached a peak during the electronic era with the televised coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and continued decades later with the global celebrity of Princess Diana and the fallout from the collapse of her marriage to Prince (now King) Charles and her subsequent untimely death. The rift between their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and the latter’s decision to step away from royal duties with his bride, Meghan Markle, continues to fuel headlines around the world.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• British Open (Saturday and Sunday, USA Network, NBC, Golf Channel, streaming on Peacock): The final rounds of the golf tournament from the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England begin early on USA, Golf Channel, and Peacock (5 am/ET on Saturday, 4 am/ET on Sunday), with coverage on NBC each morning starting at 7 am/ET continuing into the afternoon.
• The Stokes Twins (Saturday, streaming on Netflix): Identical twins Alex and Alan Stokes bring an archive from their digital library of popular YouTube and TikTok stunts to the streaming giant, with a long-form series in development for 2027.
• Crowning at the Prom (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Danielle Panabaker and Anwen O’Driscoll are mother and daughter in the cautionary tale of a high-school athlete on a strict weight regimen who takes drastic action to try to hide her pregnancy during prom season.
• Snowbound for the Holidays (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): Can this charming but struggling lodge be saved at Christmastime? Guest services manager Cassidy (Vanessa Lengies) takes on the familiar challenge alongside single dad and lodge co-owner Trey (Sullivan’s Crossing‘s Marcus Rosner).
• SportsCenter (Sunday, 8 am/ET, ESPN): The network marks the 20th anniversary of its “My Wish” Make-a-Wish series with segments airing through Thursday (weekdays at 7 am/ET) featuring Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson, golf star Scottie Scheffler, WWE’s Seth Rollins, San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatís Jr., and the Tennessee Volunteers football team making deserving kids’ dreams come true.
• Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy (Sunday, 8/7c, HGTV): Mike Holmes and offspring Michael and Sherry return for a new season of helping needy homeowners, starting with a family whose bungalow’s electrical wiring presents a potential fire hazard. Followed by the first of six episodes of Maine Cabin Masters: All Inn (9/8c), with Chase and Sarah Morrill transforming a neglected New England bed-and-breakfast into a 12-acre lakeside inn.
• 100 Cooks (Sunday, 9/8c, Food Network): The cooking competition is down to the last 8 home cooks. In the season finale, they each prepare a breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal in hopes of winning that $250,000 grand prize.
• The Westies (Sunday, 9/8c, MGM+): With loose cannon Mickey Flanagan (Stanley Morgan) in the clutches of rival mobster John Gotti (Hamish Allan-Headley), the Irish gang takes on Colombian drug runners operating out of a disco to secure their friend’s freedom. They come heavily armed.