“The Serpent Queen” (Starz, 8 p.m.) returns for its second season with Minnie Driver, above, joining the cast, barely recognizable, as a powdered Queen Elizabeth I of England, who makes a visit to France’s Catherine de Medici, payed by Samantha Morton.
Driver told reporters at the TV Critics Association summer press tour Thursday that “ninety-nine percent of my performance was the hair and makeup and costume and the vision that had been created around that” by creator and showrunner Justin Haythe (“Revolutionary Road”).
So did the two powerful women actually meet in their day?
There’s no substantiated proof of it, says Haythe. But, he adds, “nobody can prove they didn’t do it off the books.”
Elsewhere, from Germany comes the romantic comedy “Blame the Game” (Netflix, streaming) about a guy who doesn’t immediately fit with his girlfriend’s game night friend, one of whom is her ex.
The rare card game to TV show adaptation comes with the new animated “Exploding Kittens” (Netflix, streaming) in which God returns to earth in the form of a housesat, only to find the next door cat is the antiichrist.
The first season Julio Torres’ comic mystery “Fantasmas” (HBO, 11 p.m.) concludes with him still in search of the lost oyster earring. More Torres can be found in the film that recently popped up on the network, “Problemista” (Max, streaming).
Eric Mabius, Crystal Lowe and Geoff Gustafson return as the POstables, now joined by Kristin Booth, as team of detectives in their latest adventure, “Signed, Sealed and Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters” (Hallmark Mystery, 9 p.m.).
Things have gotten so fraught on the troubling reality show that grew out of “Honey Boo Boo,” it’s now called “Mama June: Family Crisis” (WEtv, 9 p.m.).
A new season comes for the countdown show “The Very Very Best of the 80s” (AXStv, 8 p.m.). Also back, the clever idea of “Nothing but Trailers Flashback” (AXS tv, 8:30 p.m.) in which the trailers of old movies are woven together.
“The Big Bakeover” (CW, 8 p.m.) helps a California baker monetize her cheesecakes.
Venezuelan arepas in Norwalk and Afghan kebabs in Dallas are sampled on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food, 9 p.m.)
“Down in the Valley” (Starz, 9 p.m.) follows a gay MC from a tough Dallas neighborhood.
Eliminations drop the house to four on “Deb’s House” (WEtv, 10 p.m.), where Tracy Morgan is a guest.
Shark Week finally gets around to addressing “The Real Sharknado” (Discovery, 8 p.m.), which is followed by “Sharks of the Dead Zone” (Discovery, 9 p.m.) and “Shark Attack Island” (Discovery, 10 p.m.).
But there is also “Shark vs. Ross Edgily: Winner Takes It All” (National Geographic, 9 p.m.) and “When Sharks Attack … and Why” (National Geographic, 10 p.m.).
And how about the giant megalodon shark on “Lost Beasts: Unearthed” (Nat Geo Wild, 10 p.m.)?
The death of Shelley Duvall Thursday at 75 makes more poignant the screening of her first performance in what would be one of the many Robert Altman films she would appear, 1970’s “Brewster McCloud” (2:45 a.m.). It comes amid a group of 70s cult classics that include “Boys in the Bus” (8 p.m.), “Slap Shot” (10:15 p.m.) and “Badlands” (4:45 a.m.).
During the day TCM has some stories of royalty with “Great Catherine” (6 a.m.), “Naughty Marietta” (8 a.m.), “The Merry Widow” (10 a.m.), “The Royal Rodeo” (noon), “The King and the Chorus Girl” (12:15 p.m.), “The Prince and the Showgirl” (2 p.m.), “Her Highness and the Bellboy” (4 p.m.) and “The Swan” (6 p.m.).
Baseball includes Cleveland at Tampa Bay (Apple TV+, 6:50 p.m.) and Cubs at St. Louis (Apple TV+, 8 p.m.).
The NBA Summer League games have Cleveland vs. Orlando (NBA, 4 p.m.), New Orleans vs. Minnesota (ESPN2, 5 p.m.), Sacramento a Memphis (NBA, 6 p.m.), Houston at Lakers (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.), Brooklyn vs. Indiana (NBA, 8 p.m.), Atlanta vs. Washington (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.) and Denver vs. LA (NBA, 10 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos: Rita Ora, Dr. Doris Day, Myron Mixon. The View: Keith Robinson. Drew Barrymore: Amanda Gorman, Chris Appleton, Camila Mendes (rerun). Kelly Clarkson: Gisele Bundchen, Daniela Metchior, Chuck Scarborough, cast of “Back to the Future: The Musical.” Jennifer Hudson: Minnie Driver, Jonny Moseley “Love is Blind” cast members (rerun). Tamron Hall: John Leguizamo, Michaela Chung, Billy Blanks St and Jr. (rerun).
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Callum Turner (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Melissa McCarthy, Nick Kroll, the Warning, Martin Short (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Emma Stone, Eva Longoria, Chappell Roan (rerun). Seth Meyers: Eddie Murphy, Nicola Yoon, Mario Duplantier (rerun). Taylor Tomlinson: Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, Stephanie Courtney (rerun). Bill Maher: Kevin McCarthy, Bakari Sellers, Ben Shapiro.