Summer Olympics Preview: NBCUniversal Goes for the Gold Standard in Rio

Six hours a day, six days a week for more than three-and-a-half years: That’s how long an elite athlete would have to train to match NBCUniversal’s herculean output from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Viewers might also break a sweat trying to watch the record-smashing 6,755 hours of programming planned on an array of networks and digital platforms. With the addition of virtual-reality content, Olympic wannabes can almost feel the rays of the sun at the first Games in South America. The tentpoles for NBC will again be American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, just as they were in London four years ago and, for that matter, in Beijing in 2008. These Games will be what NBCUniversal touts as “the most live Olympics ever.” With Rio just one hour ahead of Eastern time, NBC will enjoy its friendliest time zone since Atlanta 20 years ago. “A good chunk of primetime will be live, especially from the beach, the pool and the track,” NBC Olympics executive producer Jim Bell says. And 4,500 hours of streaming coverage on nbcolympics.com and the NBC Sports app make every event available live for the third straight Games.

Also in this issue:

• The Best of Comic-Con: Highlights from the annual pop-culture extravaganza, including TV Guide Magazine’s annual Fan Favorites panel.

• Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner: The gymnastics icons share their thoughts on the Olympic experience.

• Rizzoli & Isles: Series star Sasha Alexander shares her photos from her first time in the director’s chair.

• Jimmy Smits: The tireless TV vet previews his new role in Netflix’s 1970s musical drama The Get Down.

• Plus: Mr. Robot’s Grace Gummer, The Night Of, Chesapeake Shores, Fear the Walking Dead, Hollywood Medium With Tyler Henry and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.

Emmy Fever: Mr. Robot Leads a Wave of First-Time Nominees

The nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced and, in a refreshing change, many first-time nominees have earned recognition from the TV academy. There were, also, lots of returning favorites in the mix and, of course, some glaring snubs. TV Guide Magazine senior critic Matt Roush weighs in on this year’s Emmy race:

Dwayne Johnson Gets Back in the Game With Season 2 of Ballers

Ball so hard. Those three words—uttered by former NFL superstar turned financial planner Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson) in the Season 2 premiere of Ballers—not only serve as the business motto for Spencer and his all-star clientele, but they also represent the attitude Johnson himself has adopted for the sophomore year of his hit HBO comedy. “Now that we’ve established the character, we want to push harder and dig deeper in terms of what challenges Spencer faces,” says Johnson (aka The Rock), who also serves as an executive producer. “Spencer will continue to scratch and claw his way up the ladder, he’s even hungrier and more driven.”

Ballers’ first season was a breakout success for HBO, finishing its initial run as the most-watched half-hour program for the premium cable network in six years. The series was also the first major scripted television project for Johnson, who leaned on his own background as a former professional athlete to bring authenticity to his portrayal of the behind-the-scenes, big-money negotiations associated with NFL players and their representatives. “I think there were a lot of people out there who really didn’t know what the show was,” Johnson says. “We’re about showcasing how these guys get up every day—even if they f— up—and just keep trying to be better in the face of challenge.”

Also in this issue:

• Mr. Robot: Everything you need to know about Season 2 of USA’s critically adored tech drama.

• The Real Housewives of New Jersey: After a year in prison, Teresa Giudice returns to rule the roost.

• Difficult People: Creator/star Julie Klausner reveals some pop-culture hallmarks that inspired Season 2 of the Hulu comedy.

• Suits: The cast of USA’s hit legal drama previews secrets to be revealed in Season 6.

• American Ninja Warrior: An inside look at the challenges facing this year’s competitors.

• Republican National Convention: Guest columnist Chris Wallace of Fox News Channel previews the political pow-wow.

• Plus: Bones, Animal Kingdom, Power, 12 Monkeys, Looking: The Movie, Disney’s newest princess, Elena of Avalor, The Young and the Restless and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.

ABC Catches Game Show Fever

Let the games begin! ABC has gone all in with Sunday Fun & Games, a three-hour block of game shows that includes survey-driven Celebrity Family Feud, word-association challenge The $100,000 Pyramid and star-studded fill-in-the-blank competition Match Game. “Game shows are having this big primetime comeback because you can sit with your kids and laugh with each other,” says Michael Strahan, who hosts the Pyramid reboot. “It’s safe, it’s fun and it’s enjoyable.” Strahan, Celebrity Family Feud host Steve Harvey and Match Game emcee Alec Baldwin break down ABC’s winning lineup in this week’s issue of TV Guide Magazine.

Also in this issue:

• Outlander: Previewing the climactic finish to Season 2

• Olympic Trials: Meet the top contenders to represent the Red, White and Blue at the Rio Games

• The Night Of: The HBO limited series murder mystery finally makes its debut

• Zoo: Prep for more thrills (and kills) when CBS’s animals-on-the-loose drama comes roaring back

• Lisa Lampanelli: The outspoken insult comic offers five things she learned from Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice

• Plus: UnReal’s B.J. Britt, Killjoys, Tyrant, Preacher, Royal Pains, LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.