Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that are airing or streaming this week, Aug. 25-31. Details and times are subject to change.
20 years since a devastating hurricane.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast, leading to breaches in New Orleans flood prevention; 80 percent of the city was submerged in water. The cost of the damage from the hurricane was $125 billion, and though it's been difficult to get an accurate death toll, it is estimated to be about 1,800.
In 2006, Spike Lee directed the documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," which detailed, straight from mouths of New Orleans residents, the preparation, crisis and aftermath, and now he is back as an executive producer of a new three-part series "Katrina: Come Hell and High Water." In his first documentary, many residents were still in the throes of the tragedy, but now Lee is giving people a chance to reflect on the past 20 years. Lee directed one of the episodes -- Geeta Gandbhir and Samantha Knowles directed the others. Streaming Wednesday on Netflix.
Over on ABC, Robin Roberts, who was born in Alabama and raised in Mississippi, returns to the Gulf Coast and reflects on the 20 years since the disaster through the lens of her own reporting. In "Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years After the Storm," she stops in New Orleans to speak with Harry Connick Jr. at the New Orleans Jazz Museum and then heads to Pass Christian, Miss., to visit her high school and see the town's recovery. Friday at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Rehashing this summer's drama.
If the 37 episodes of this summer's huge hit "Love Island USA" left you wanting more, you're in luck. The islanders are back together, this time with Andy Cohen and Ariana Madix as hosts for what is a Bravo and Peacock rite of passage: a reunion. There's plenty to discuss around the season that included unceremonious dumping of cast members, production’s pleas for viewers to curtail their hate and lots of loose ends. Streaming Monday at 9 p.m. on Peacock.
A fictional murder, a real-life stolen shoe.
In August 2005, the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn. In 2018, after the shoes were recovered through a F.B.I. sting operation, Terry Jon Martin was charged and pleaded guilty to the theft. In 2024, the shoes were put up for auction and sold for $28 million. "Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America's Most Famous Pair of Shoes" details the theft, the lengthy investigation and the ultimate retrieval through interviews with the members of the Grand Rapids Police Department. Streaming Tuesday on Hulu.
The British television presenter Richard Osman released his first book, a murder mystery novel, in 2020, and now it is coming to the small screens in the form of a movie. "The Thursday Murder Book Club" follows a group of four retirees who spend their days trying to piece together information from cold case crimes for fun, until they find themselves in the midst of an actual thriller. The all-star cast includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie and Ben Kingsley. Streaming Thursday on Netflix.
A band of elite brothers.
Chris Pratt is a surprisingly versatile actor. He played the goofy Andy Dwyer on "Parks and Recreation," and he has also played a steely Navy SEAL twice, first in "Zero Dark Thirty" and then in the thriller series "The Terminal List." In the new prequel series "The Terminal List: Dark Wolf," Pratt reprises his role as James Reece, a SEAL who returns home after his platoon was ambushed, though the series more closely follows Taylor Kitsch's character Ben Edwards, also a former SEAL and a C.I.A. operative. The first three episodes will drop at the same time, with subsequent episodes releasing weekly. Streaming Wednesday on Prime Video.
Meghan Markle's tips to living well.
Ever since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped back from their public roles in the royal family and left Britain for California, they have been living a lower-key life with a focus on their home and their children. And the first season of the show "With Love, Meghan" reflected exactly that, as the duchess of Sussex shared hosting tips, ideas for personalized gifts and advice on how to cut a pineapple. The second season comes out this week, and in the trailer she reveals to the chef José Andrés that her husband doesn't like lobster. Streaming Tuesday on Netflix.