Syfy, 8:00 a.m. ET
The annual Twilight Zone Syfy marathon takes off at 8 a.m. ET, and today’s lineup includes many of the show’s durable, lovable, iconic classics. Two of the best are written by the prolific and inventive Richard Matheson, who died last month, leaving behind a durable legacy of fantasy film and TV offerings. (For a Top 10 list of Matheson’s finest TV achievements, see Bianculli’s Blog.) Matheson is the writer behind “The Invaders” (5:30 p.m. ET), in which Agnes Moorehead silently defends her remote farmhouse from tiny visitors from outer space, and the even more famous “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (9:30 p.m. ET, pictured), in which William Shatner’s flying anxiety takes wing. Others in the lineup, by other TZ contributors, include “Living Doll” (6:30 p.m. ET), “Time Enough at Last” (7:30 p.m. ET), “Eye of the Beholder” (8:30 p.m. ET), “To Serve Man” (9 p.m. ET), and “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (10:30 p.m. ET). If you don’t know those shows by their titles – you should, so watch.
AMC, 1:00 p.m. ET
There are two mini-marathons going on here. One, starting at 1 p.m. ET today, replays the first six-episode season of The Walking Dead, with Seasons 2 and 3 following over the next few days. The other, starting tonight at 8 p.m. ET, presents a handful of specially selected Walking Dead episodes presented not in the original color presentation, but drained to even creepier black and white – beginning with the season pilot (pictured).
NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET
This live concert and fireworks show is hosted by Nick Cannon, and features scheduled performances by Tim McGraw, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Cher, Pitbull and Selena Gomez.
PBS, 8:00 p.m. ET
This live concert, emanating from the West Lawn in Washington, D.C., is hosted by Tom Bergeron, and is scheduled to include performances by Barry Manilow, Megan Hilty, Darren Criss and composer-conductor John Williams. Check local listings.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
The plot of this 1962 movie ends on the 4th of July, but that’s not why I’m recommending it here. I’m recommending it because any time you can see this movie musical uninterrupted, and in its full wide-screen format, it’s a nostalgic journey well worth taking. Robert Preston and Shirley Jones star – and yes, that’s Ron Howard lithping his way through “Gary, Indiana.”