The history of British and imports translating to American hit TV shows is a long and proud one, going back at least to All in the Family (based on the BBC sitcom Till Death Do Us Part) and Sanford and Son (based on the British Steptoe and Son) in the 1970s. Much of the modern-day reality TV genre owes its existence to imports like American Idol (which launched in the UK under the name Pop Idol), and CBS still packs its summer schedule with Big Brother, a show that's been infinitely more popular and central to the cultural zeitgeist in its native Britain.
CBS is hoping that another across-the-pond import will help set this summer ablaze: the dating/hook-up extravaganza Love Island, which makes its American premiere tonight. In its attempts to game-ify modern courtship, reality TV has given us everything from The Bachelor to Temptation Island to Flavor of Love to Are You the One?. Some shows are better than others — and some shows are certainly more successful than others. On its surface, Love Island feels slightly more upfront in its mercenary mission to have its singles hook up and partner off in order to win money, but the line between honest and trashy in this case might end up being a thin one.
SERIES PREMIERE: If you're planning to watch Love Island this season, you better have been doing your endurance training. CBS will air the series every weeknight, Monday through Friday. That's a lot of loving happening in those cabanas. 8:00 PM ET on CBS
SERIES PREMIERE: Something of a spiritual successor to the network's Last Comic Standing, NBC is premiering Bring the Funny, which will search for America's next great comedy act. How different is a "comedy act" from a stand-up comedian? That's up to judges Kenan Thompson (a sketch comedian), Jeff Foxworthy (a stand-up comedian), and Chrissy Tiegen (a cookbook author). 10:00 PM ET on NBC
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: You have to feel a little bad for the MLB All-Star Game this year, coming so quickly on the heels of the United States Women's National Team and their World Cup victory. But while it'll be hard to out-shine Megan Rapinoe and company, the baseball all-star game has always been less about fierce competition and more about an easy summer evening watching baseball's best play on the same field. 7:30 PM ET on FOX
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: HBO documentaries continue to provide compelling stories that will just strip you of any faith you had in human beings. I Love You, Now Die tells the unsettling true story of the prosecution of Michelle Carter, who at 17 years old was accused of encouraging her 18-year-old long-distance boyfriend to commit suicide by text message. 8:00 PM ET on HBO
ALSO TONIGHT
Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.
TOPICS: Love Island, CBS, Reality TV