What to Watch this Weekend: Celebrate the Fourth of July with music, fireworks, and TV

FRIDAY

The Tomorrow War

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

A future alien invasion becomes so bad that humans find a way to travel back to the present to draft the people of the past forward in time to fight them off. Enter Dan Forester, a combat veteran turned science teacher played by Chris Pratt, who just may have the brains and braun to help put an end to the impending war with the formidable, heinous-looking extraterrestrials. —Marcus Jones

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• Yvonne Strahovski is more than just 'an action hero badass' in The Tomorrow War
• The Tomorrow War review: Chris Pratt fights for the future in enjoyably absurd action flick
• The Tomorrow War trailer offers a glimpse at the future alien invaders Chris Pratt is up against

Summer of Soul

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Hulu

Given the cultural resonance of acts like Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Mavis Staples, and more, one would think the festival that featured all of them on the same lineup would be a household name like Woodstock. That sadly wasn't the case for the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, the official footage from which was locked in a basement for decades because no studios showed interest in doing anything with it. Luckily, those in the know were able to reach Questlove, encouraging The Roots musician to make his directorial debut with this documentary that both gives the concert performances the exhibition they deserve, and contextualizes why the festival was so important yet lost to time. —M.J.

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• Questlove finds joyful noise in his directorial debut Summer of Soul: Sundance review
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Fear Street Part 1: 1994

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Netflix

Netflix kicks off its new trilogy of terror Fear Street in 1994, as a group of teenagers in the town of Shadyside discover the terrifying connection — involving an ancient witch's curse — between the gruesome tragedies that have plagued their town for decades. But that's just the beginning: Inspired by R.L. Stine's book series, the three Fear Street movies will tell an interconnected story spanning the sinister history of the town. (Part 2: 1978 arrives next Friday, July 9, with Part 3: 1666 following on July 16.) "I was interested in how we could reinvent the [slasher movie] genre a little bit," director Leigh Janiak told EW. "Part of that came from this opportunity to tell a different kind of story that had a bigger narrative, connected over all three, that you need to watch in a short amount of time to get the full experience. It's not a traditional sequel model." Still, Part 1 works just fine as a throwback slasher film, with echoes of '90s classics like Scream (and, also, a whole lotta blood). —Tyler Aquilina

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• Fear Street director previews her trilogy of terror and how it 'reinvents' the slasher movie
• Watch the first 5 minutes of Fear Street Part 1: 1994 ahead of its Netflix premiere
• R.L. Stine's Fear Street comes to bloody life in first teaser for 3-part Netflix adaptation

Hear more on all of this weekend's must-see picks, plus Questlove on how he made Summer of Soul, in EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall.

What Else to Watch

Streaming

Roswell: The Final Verdict (docuseries debut) — Discovery+

Movies

The Boss Baby: Family Business — Peacock

First Date — Digital/VOD

Let Us In — Digital/VOD

Long Story Short — Digital/VOD

Werewolves Within — VOD

Till Death — VOD

8 p.m.

Emergency Call (season finale) - ABC

9 p.m.

20/20 - ABC

Charmed - The CW

My Lottery Dream Home (season premiere) — HGTV

SATURDAY

8 p.m.

A Date With Danger (movie) — Lifetime

9 p.m.

Dateline ("Circle of Friends") - NBC

SUNDAY

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular & A Capitol Fourth

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: 8 p.m. on NBC / Check local listings on PBS

If you're unable to view in-person fireworks this Fourth of July, TV, as always, has your back. NBC's 45th annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will feature performances from Black Pumas, Coldplay, Reba McEntire, and more ahead of Macy's iconic fireworks display above New York City's summer skyline. Meanwhile, on PBS, the 41st edition of A Capitol Fourth will feature pre-taped performances by Cynthia Erivo, Mickey Guyton, Pentatonix, and more from across the country, followed by a live fireworks show broadcast from Washington, D.C., with Vanessa Williams hosting. Also, the National Symphony Orchestra will perform John Williams' "Olympic Fanfare" in tribute to Team USA, as the country's athletes prepare for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It's the perfect way to celebrate this Fourth of July with a bang. —T.A.

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What Else to Watch

Streaming

We the People (short-form animated series debut) — Netflix

Check local listings

Our Sacred Honor: An American Salute — Syndicated

8:30 p.m.

Run the World - Starz

9 p.m.

Kevin Can F**k Himself - AMC

The One and Only Dick Gregory (doc) — Showtime

Blindspotting - Starz

9:30 p.m.

Little Birds - Starz

11 p.m.

Rick and Morty - Adult Swim

*times are ET and subject to change

We know TV has a lot to offer, be it network, cable, premium channels, or streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and others. So EW is here to help, guiding you every single day to the things that should be on your radar. Be sure to listen/subscribe to our What to Watch podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, or via your own voice-controlled smart-speaker (Alexa, Google Home).