What To Watch: Macy's Fireworks, Hot Dog Eating Contest, Independence Day, Marathons And More
Courtesy of NBC
On TV this 4th of July: Alfonso Ribeiro presides over A Capitol Fourth, Joey Chestnut returns for his annual binge and Macy's annual fireworks spectacular lights the night sky. Here are 17 programs to keep on your radar; all times are Eastern. (Also check out our weekly TVLine-Up of premieres and finales, plus our monthly streaming guide.)
Showtimes for July 4, 2023
ET
How I Met Your Father
Hulu
Sophie tries to "Parent Trap" her parents (played by recurring guest stars Clark Gregg and Paget Brewster).
Tom Segura: Sledgehammer
Netflix
In his fifth Netflix special, the comedian explores his "admiration" for Brad Pitt, what it’s like raising two sons, and the lessons learned from sharing his gummies with his mother.
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The Twilight Zone Marathon
Syfy
The 24-hour marathon features a mix of classic episodes and select installments from Jordan Peele's 2019 reboot, which previously streamed on Paramount+.
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MCU Marathon
FX
Settle in with Iron Man (at 8 am), Iron Man 2 (at 11 am), Iron Man 3 (at 1:30 pm), Captain America: The First Avenger (at 4:30 pm) and The Avengers (at 7 and 10 pm).
ET
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
ESPN2, ESPN3
The women’s competition (airing at 10:45 am on ESPN3 and featuring top-ranked female Miki Sudo) will be followed by the men’s competition (airing at noon on ESPN2 and featuring world champ Joey Chestnut); SportsCenter's John Anderson and Major League Eating President Rich Shea host.
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Rocky Marathon
AMC
The basic cabler is airing the franchise out of order, with Rocky (at 11 am) followed by Rocky V (at 1:30 pm), then Rocky II (at 4 pm), Rocky III (at 6:30 pm), Rocky IV (at 9 pm) and Rocky Balboa (at 11 pm).
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Independence Day Marathon
Starz Encore
You have three chances to watch the Will Smith classic — at 11:36 am, 2:04 pm and 4:32 pm. (The not-a-classic sequel Independence Day: Resurgence airs on E! at 7 and 9:45 pm, and on A&E at 8 pm and 1:33 am.)
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The Hangover Marathon
TBS
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis headline The Hangover (at noon), The Hangover Part II (at 2 pm) and The Hangover Part III (at 4 pm).
Lethal Weapon
Heroes & Icons Network
The controversy-plagued Fox drama, based on the above-mentioned film franchise and originally starring Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans Jr., joins the weekday lineup, airing for five hours every Tuesday afternoon.
Lethal Weapon Marathon
BET
You're never too old for this... classic buddy-cop film franchise. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star in Lethal Weapon (at noon and midnight), Lethal Weapon 2 (at 3 pm), Lethal Weapon 3 (at 6 pm) and Lethal Weapon 4 (at 9 pm).
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Final Destination Marathon
Pop
Revisit all five films (so far!), with Final Destination (at 2:30 pm) followed by Final Destination 2 (at 4:30 pm), Final Destination 3 (at 6:30 pm), The Final Destination (at 8:30 pm) and Final Destination 5 (at 10:30 pm).
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Yankee Doodle Dandy
TCM
James Cagney won the Academy Award for his portrayal of legendary showman George M. Cohan in the 1942 classic.
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The Fourth in America
CNN
Alanis Morrissette, The All-American Rejects, Brad Paisley, Coi LeRay, Darius Rucker, Demi Lovato, Duran Duran, Flo Rida, Leon Bridges, Ludacris, Post Malone, Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth, Zac Brown Band and The Plain White T's perform; Dana Bash, Boris Sanchez, Victor Blackwell and Cari Champion host.
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A Capitol Fourth
PBS
Chicago, Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Babyface, Renée Fleming, Maddie & Tae, Charles Esten, Adrienne Warren, the Broadway cast of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, the Muppets of Sesame Street and the National Symphony Orchestra perform; Alfonso Ribeiro hosts.
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular
NBC
Ashanti, Bebe Rexha, Ja Rule, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and LL Cool J, DJ Z-Trip and The Roots perform; Hot Wheels’ Rutledge Wood and Access Hollywood’s Zuri Hall host.
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CMT Hot 20 Presents: Let Freedom Sing!
CMT
Brad Paisley headlines this 30-minute concert special, which will be followed by a fireworks display accompanied by the Nashville Symphony; Cody Alan hosts.
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1776
TCM
The 1972 adaptation of the Tony-winning musical stars William Daniels, Howard da Silva, Donald Madden, John Cullum, Ken Howard and Blythe Danner.
