What to watch during the July Fourth holiday

What to watch during the July Fourth holiday

The Fourth of July is a time to kick back, relax and, once the sun goes down, maybe watch a spectacular fireworks display.

This year, the holiday falls midweek, with weather expected to be oppressively hot and swampy — the optimum time to hunker down in front of your TV screen in the comfort of an air-conditioned home. Hey, there’s no shame in a low-key celebration — and here’s a selection of what to watch for as the Big Day unfolds.

“Macy’s 4th of July Firework Spectacular”

If you don’t want to stand outside in the heat and crowds, craning your neck to see the fireworks obscured by tall buildings, you can watch them from the comfort of your couch. It starts at 8 p.m. on NBC with two hours featuring Kelly Clarkson, Ricky Martin, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.

“Rod, White & Blue: A Twilight Zone Celebration”

Oldies network Decades TV will air a marathon of classic “Twilight Zone” episode, starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday through 6:30 a.m. Thursday — featuring 46 episodes of the classic sci-fi show created by Rod Serling (which originally aired from 1959-1964 on CBS). Episodes will include all-time greats “The Eye of the Beholder” and the alien-centric, mob-mentality episode “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.”

“National Treasure”

What’s more American than Nicholas Cage playing a character named Benjamin Franklin Gates? The classic 2004 heist movie brims with Americana, from the Declaration of Independence to the Liberty Bell. It’s currently streaming on Netflix.

“American Chopper: Make the Yankee Great Again”

The TLC series (8 p.m. on Discovery) following father-son duo Paul Teutul, Sr. and Junior building custom motorcycles has had a tumultuous run since 2003, hopping between Discovery and TLC before making a triumphant comeback on Discovery in May. This episode is a rerun of the fifth and sixth episodes of Season 11 (retitled for the holiday) which involves building a bike inspired by a 1965 GTO.

“Yankee Doodle Dandy”

The classic 1942 musical, airing at 8 p.m. on TCM, stars James Cagney as Ceorge M. Cohan, the real-life actor and producer who was dubbed “The man who owned Broadway.”

“Independence Day”

Aside from the fact that you’re obligated to watch a movie that shares a title with the holiday, there’s nothing more American than Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum saving the White House from aliens. The 1996 action film is currently available on Netflix or Starz on Demand.

“American Vandal”

If you missed the 8-episode series when it first aired in September on Netflix, binge it before Season 2 comes out (there’s no formal date yet, but Netflix says it will be sometime this year). It’s a spoof of crime documentary-style shows like Netflix’s “Making a Murderer” and HBO’s “The Jinx” that follows a teen boy (Jimmy Tatro) who may or may not have desecrated his school faculty’s cars with phallic graffiti.

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