An eclectic line-up of new shows for August

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10:

Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell — Premieres on Friday, August 10 at 12midnight on FX:

Comedian Chris Rock is the executive producer of this new late-night comedy series starring stand-up comedian and San Francisco native, W. Kamau Bell. Totally Biased will also feature other comedians sharing commentary and sketches on the hot topics of politics, pop culture, race, religion and the media. “I’m going to do the best show I can,” Bell said before starting the series. “I have six episodes to make a mark on Hollywood— or a scar on Hollywood. We’ll see how it goes.” Expect it to be irreverent.  

For more information and a link to Bell’s blog, visit: http://www.fxnetworks.com/totallybiased  

Oh Sit! — Premieres on Wednesday, August 15 at 9pm, on CW:

CW is calling this “a high-octane musical chairs competition.”

Imagine supposedly sane adults getting into it in a challenge that one critic has described as “Wipeout meets American Ninja Warrior, meets musical chairs.”

All this while a talented house band plays live tunes.

The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep — Premieres on Thursday, August 16 at 10pm on CW:

The following evening, CW premieres another promising new show, this one executive produced by Queen Latifah, in which aspiring singers try to catch their big break.

Mentors who will appear on the show include Joe Jonas, Nelly, Gloria Estefan and country star John Rich.

Copper — Premieres Sunday, August 19 at 11pm, on BBC America:

This is BBC America’s first original scripted series, a crime drama set in New York’s notorious Five Points neighbourhood just after the Civil War.

Co-produced by Barry Levinson (Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, You Don’t Know Jack), the series stars Tom Weston-Jones (MI-5), as a former boxer turned cop who returns from fighting in the Civil War to find that his wife is missing and his daughter is dead.

He is helped by two of his wartime friends as they try to solve crimes in a city full of corruption, class conflict, racial tension and violence.

For more, visit: http://www.bbcamerica.com/copper/

One Car Too Far — Premieres Sunday August 19, at 11pm, on Discovery Channel:

In this new series, former British Special Forces soldier Gary Humphrey and California car fanatic Bill Wu are put in the position of trying to survive — and escape — remote locations in Chile using only their skills and a car.

A four-wheel drive vehicle is flown in and dropped into the most improbable locations, where no car has gone before, and the two are left on their own to navigate Chile’s diverse terrains.

They have three days and a tracker, but no supplies. This forces them to create their own hunting weapons, and even repair the car, including one incident in which they have only an egg to seal a crack in the radiator.

Each episode will end with a do-or-die challenge where the goal is to rescue the car.

The American Bible Challenge — Premieres Thursday August 23, at 9pm on Game Show Network:

Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, the most successful comedy-recording artist in history and multiple Grammy Award winner, this new game show celebrates the Bible and its place in American culture.

Participants from all over the US will compete in a variety of challenges that put their knowledge of the Good Book to the test. Foxworthy says what sold him on the concept was that “the contestants are not playing for themselves but rather playing to bless someone else.

The show may just inspire people to go out and work at a food bank or shelter.”

Lost Treasure Hunters — Premieres Friday, August 24 at 11pm on Animal Planet:

This new reality series follows an elite team of top-notch prospectors, gemologists and miners who set off to explore an ancient Indian city, which many believe was the source of some of the most valuable diamonds in the world, including the Hope diamond and the Koh-i-nor.

Now, the ancient mines are threatened, soon to be under water due to a recently constructed dam. Will the team unearth the lost treasure before it is too late?

Rollin Nathan is sales manager, Bermuda CableVision.