Highwire Live in Times Square Tempts Viewers With Real-Time Disaster

What makes live television so exciting? Whether it's sporting events and awards shows where we root for our favorites, or live performances of scripted shows, where we're intrigued by the possibility that an actor might flub his lines, or a boom mic could swing into the shot, the bottom line is we're looking for something unpredictable to happen.

So what does it say when we watch something called Highwire Live in Times Square, in which daredevil Nik Wallenda  will attempt to walk a wire suspended 25 stories above Times Square? In this case, we're flirting with the dark side of human nature. We aren't wishing for disaster, but it's always a possibility, and in the case of the Wallenda family, it's happened before.  Honestly, how many tuning in tonight won't be secretly thrilling to the idea that he might just... wobble... if only for a moment? 

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Nik Wallenda will attempt to walk a wire 1,300 feet long and 25 stories high in Highwire Live in Times Square. Wallenda will be joined on the wire by his sister, Lijana, in her first walk since a catastrophic fall in 2017. 8:00 PM ET on ABC

SEASON FINALE: In the closing episode of The Spanish Princess, the Tudor family is struck by tragedy at a time when misfortune among the royals could put the political fates of England at risk. The first season of this series about a young Catherine of Aragon has been everything we want in a royal drama. 8:00 PM ET on Starz

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Regina Hall (Support the Girls) hosts the 2019 BET Awards, honoring the best in black achievement in music, acting, sports, and entertainment. Nominees include Cardi B, Childish Gambino, Tiffany Haddish, Regina King, Denzel Washington, Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods. 8:00 PM ET on BET

SEASON PREMIERE: As you may have noticed around these parts, it's Emmy season, which means it's time for one of our fondest traditions, the Close Up with the Hollywood Reporter roundtables. The series begins with the comedy actresses this week, including: Regina Hall, Natasha Lyonne, Maya Rudolph, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Constance Wu. 10:00 AM ET on SundanceTV

ALSO TONIGHT

• Luther wraps the fifth season of his namesake series by racing to thwart Cornelius. 8:00 PM ET on BBC America
• Big Little Lies is back, and after all of last week's secrets about mothers and children, this episode promises to be no less enthralling. 9:00 PM ET on HBO
• Vida wraps its second season as Nico's past comes back to haunt her. 9:00 PM ET on Starz

Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.