TV Watchlist: 'Beverly Hills Cop' Is Back, New 'Bluey' and Sharks Invade NatGeo

Plus the Season 2 finale of "Interview with the Vampire" and Andy Cohen gets a 15th anniversary special Week of June 29 – July 5 Happy Independence Day! With that extra day (or more) off, why not spend it watching quality television? We’ve got a new “Beverly Hills Cop” movie on Netflix, the unlikely return of “Star Trek: Prodigy,” the end (for now) of “Interview with the Vampire” and sharks – plenty of sharks! All of that, plus Andy Cohen and Emma Roberts (in “Space Cadet”). A line-up worthy of celebration, we’d say! On with the television! Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Wednesday, July 3, Netflix Source: Netflix Axel Foley, once again played by Eddie Murphy, is back. The last entry in the franchise, “Beverly Hills Cop III,” was released 30 years ago. That installment, while fun, was also the weakest of the three, with a clearly disinterested Murphy and a meandering storyline. Thankfully, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is just as good as the first or second movie, with franchise regulars Judge Reinhold, John Ahston, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot joined by welcome newcomers Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige and Kevin Bacon. This time, Murphy’s Axel Foley is involved in a mystery involving Rosewood (Reinhold) and some supposed impropriety within the force, which is also endangering his estranged daughter (Paige). It’s fun, fast-paced and still pokes fun at Beverly Hills in the best possible way. What’s incredible is that Australian filmmaker Mark Molloy, making his directorial debut, nails the tone and vibe of the first two movies perfectly. He is aided in this pursuit by composer Lorne Balfe, who brings the Harold Faltermeyer feeling from the first two movies, with just enough added sheen. Honestly, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” feels like a miracle. It’s one of the best summer movies this year. And it’s debuting inside your home. How great is that? [[TRAILER](] Interview with the Vampire Sunday, June 30 at 9 p.m., AMC Source: Paramount Network This full-throated adaptation of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles books, which its many fans have called the best show currently on television, ends its second season. And fret not – “Interview with the Vampire” has not been exposed to sunlight or had a stake shoved through its heart. Not only will the show be back for a third season, but Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, as it is now known, will continue to expand. It currently includes “Mayfair Witches” (which will be back next year) and will soon include two more series – “Night Island” from Jonathan Ceniceroz and “The Talamasca,” based on the secret society seen throughout many of Rice’s stories, developed by John Lee Hancock and Mark Lafferty. So just think of this as a book closing, with a whole library of other tales ready to be opened. [[TRAILER](] The Imaginary Friday, July 5, Netflix Source: Netflix This is a very special film indeed. Studio Ponoc, a Japanese animation studio that arose when it seemed like Studio Ghibli, home of Hayao Miyazaki, was shuttering operations, has returned with a beautiful new movie. It’s their first since 2017’s excellent “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” and was postponed, in part, because so many of its animators had to work on Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning “The Boy and the Heron.” But now they are back and operating at full capacity. An adaptation of the 2014 book of the same name, written by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” follows a young girl (voiced in the American version by Evie Kiszel) and her imaginary friend Rudger (Louie Rudge-Buchanan). Together they get into adventures and uncover an island where forgotten Imaginaries live, hiding out from nefarious forces. Gorgeously animated and deeply felt, “The Imaginary” is, somewhat inconceivably, the third movie released this year to deal with imaginary friends (after Blumhouse’s “Imaginary” and John Krasinski’s “IF”). It’s easily the best. This is an all-ages film that will delight each demographic. It could also be a dark horse contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination. Be ahead of the game. Watch “The Imaginary.” [[TRAILER](] 30 for 30: No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan Monday, July 1 at 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN+ Source: ESPN The latest “30 for 30” doc delves into the world of esports and is described in the official synopsis as “a wide-ranging, eye-opening, and unsparing documentary of the popular gaming brand, and the remarkable series of ups and downs that have defined that story and its characters over the last decade-plus. For years now, the growth of esports has been one of the defining stories of entertainment – financially, socially, and culturally. And at the center of all that growth has been FaZe Clan, an organization that’s gone from the brainchild of a few gamers streaming their play on the internet to publicly traded company with teams and players all around the globe competing professionally in an array of games. The film explores questions about the costs of their rapid growth and extraordinary success – specifically in the form of the impact on the founders of the team, a number of whom have struggled with significant personal problems. And even as FaZe has come to encompass stars and performers from the traditional sports and entertainment worlds, even in the wake of the company’s public offering, the financial viability of the whole enterprise hardly appears stable.” Count us in. [[TRAILER](] Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II Netflix Source: Paramount Why not revisit the first two (and still the best) entries in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise before heading over to watch “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F?” (It says something that Netflix didn’t even bother to license “Beverly Hills Cop III” from Paramount. “Axel F” has a pretty good dig at the mostly forgotten third film too.) The first film, directed by the great Martin Brest, is so good and so funny. It’s amazing that, just a few weeks before they shot the Eddie Murphy version, it was set to star Sylvester Stallone, portraying the character that would eventually anchor “Cobra.” (Yes, seriously.) That bit where Stallone pushes a car out of the way so he can park? That was from his version of “Beverly Hills Cop!” Insane. The sequel, directed by the late, great Tony Scott, amps up the action and violence without ever turning the volume down on the comedy, which is pretty incredible. The only knock against the second movie is that there’s no Bronson Pinchot. But hey, there’s something about a movie being too perfect. The first two films made truly staggering amounts of money; the sequel was, for decades, the most successful R-rated movie of all time. Think about that. Just amazing. [[WATCH](] Source: Prime Video “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen 15th Anniversary Special” Sunday, June 30 at 9 p.m., Bravo Has it really been 15 years of Andy Cohen’s catty recap/talk show? Huh. This special should recap the run of the show and will undoubtedly include appearances from celebrity guests, including any number of Real Housewives. Should be a hoot! [[TRAILER](] “Sharks Gone Viral” Monday, July 1 at 9 p.m., Nat Geo The shark-centered programming wars can get as vicious as two great white sharks fighting over the last piece of seal blubber. Obviously we know Shark Week, which has been a staple of Discovery Channel’s summer programming since 1988. But did you know that National Geographic also wants a sweet piece of the shark-shaped pie? Because it has Sharkfest, which airs the week before Shark Week. “Sharks Gone Viral” is just one piece of the programming this year; check your local listings. Since there’s no such thing as too much shark-related programming, we welcome two fin-filled weeks. [[FULL SHARKFEST EPISODE](] “Star Trek: Prodigy” Monday, July 1, Netflix It seemed like “Star Trek: Prodigy” had boldly gone into cancellation. But when Paramount+ decided not to make anymore episodes of the thoroughly charming animated series, created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, Netflix stepped in and did the right thing. That means we’ve got another season of “Star Trek: Prodigy,” with more potentially on the way. Hopefully this show will live long and prosper. It deserves it. [[TRAILER](] “Bluey” Wednesday, July 3, Disney+ What’s going on with “Bluey?” First it seemed like the show was over but then there were more episodes and now, on Wednesday, we are treated to mini “Bluey” episodes?!? Let us pray that the sun will never set on the “Bluey” empire. Can you even imagine a life without “Bluey?” [[TRAILER](] “Space Cadet” Thursday, July 4, Prime Video Remember that movie “SpaceCamp?” Well, cross it with a little bit of “Legally Blonde” and a dash of “Spring Breakers” and you’ve got “Space Cadet.” Emma Roberts plays a woman who has always wanted to be an astronaut and who gets admitted to the training program under false pretexts. Will she end up proving people wrong? Could she fall in love with one of her fellow potential astronauts? Will we be treated to a vaguely hopeful message that will prop up the movie where its technical merits and storytelling prowess let us down? We’re guessing the answer to all of the above is a resounding yes. 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