The TV Cave’s Daily TV Guide: What to Watch on August 16

Sunday night television is giving viewers plenty of reasons to stay planted on the couch, but one premiere easily jumps to the front of the line. HBO’s Lanterns finally arrives tonight, bringing DC’s Green Lantern mythology to television with Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler leading the highly anticipated series.

Of course, superheroes aren’t the only ones clocking in. Lioness kicks off the day on Paramount+, Big Brother puts three houseguests on the chopping block, Bravo serves a double dose of Housewives, and The Walking Dead: Dead City keeps Maggie and Negan fighting their way through a very unfriendly New York.

Here’s The TV Cave’s daily TV guide for Sunday, August 16, 2026, including what to watch, where to watch and tonight’s biggest premieres.

What to Watch on TV August 16, 2026

Time (ET)	Show	Network/Streaming	What to Expect
3:00 AM	Lioness	Paramount+	Joe discovers a breach that sends the team into a dangerous operation as they attempt to uncover infiltrators.
8:00 PM	Big Brother	CBS	A new Head of Household takes power and names three houseguests for eviction. Nobody wants to see their face staring back from that nomination wall.
8:00 PM	Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration	ABC / Disney+	Disneyland Resort hosts a massive celebration of Disney Princesses, bringing together talent from animation, live action, stage and music during World Princess Week.
8:00 PM	Home Safe	Lifetime	Movie premiere. A news magazine editor-in-chief and her AI home security entrepreneur husband face a threat much closer to home when a mysterious guest enters their lives. Felisha Terrell, Jason MacDonald, Emily Topper and Mira Sorvino star.
8:00 PM	The Real Housewives of Atlanta	Bravo	Reunion Part 2 of 3. An off-camera conflict leads to new revelations, Porsha arrives with receipts, and tensions between Pinky and Phaedra boil over. Whew, somebody better keep those receipts organized.
9:00 PM	Decades in Sports	CNN	The series heads back to the 1990s, revisiting an era defined by headline-making scandals and Michael Jordan’s six championships.
9:00 PM	Lanterns	HBO	Series premiere and TV Cave Top Pick. John Stewart and Hal Jordan investigate a murder in the American heartland that pulls the intergalactic cops into a new mystery.
9:00 PM	The Librarians: The Next Chapter	TNT	The Librarians learn that Lysa’s seemingly charming scientist boyfriend is actually Red Rock, a superhero fighting crime across Belgrade. Dating is hard enough without discovering your boyfriend has a secret superhero identity.
9:00 PM	The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip	Bravo	Kyle receives an emotional text from Mauricio, Vicki lands in the group’s hot seat, and Sutton throws an Ugly Leather Pants party that turns into a hunt for clues. Yes, those ugly leather pants.
9:00 PM	The Walking Dead: Dead City	AMC	Maggie and Luis search for valuable resources while Negan and Renata work to protect the city.
9:00 PM	The Westies	MGM+	Sweeney and Roarke reach a breaking point after one of the Westies is busted, while Keenan sees an opportunity to pressure Sweeney and gain Polk’s trust.
11:30 PM	President Curtis	Adult Swim	Curtis discovers an unexpected addendum attached to the Louisiana Purchase and races against enemies and old friends to maintain control of the territory. Because apparently even centuries-old real estate deals come with fine print.

If superheroes aren’t calling your name, Sunday still has options. Reality TV fans have a particularly busy 8 p.m. hour. Big Brother enters another nomination cycle on CBS, while The Real Housewives of Atlanta continues its three-part reunion on Bravo. One hour later, Bravo keeps the Housewives train rolling with The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, where Kyle’s message from Mauricio creates an emotional moment while Vicki finds herself answering to the group.

For viewers looking for something a little darker, The Walking Dead: Dead City continues Maggie and Negan’s latest fight for survival on AMC. The Westies brings escalating criminal tensions to MGM+, while The Librarians: The Next Chapter goes full superhero with the revelation that Lysa’s boyfriend has been keeping one pretty significant secret.

Lifetime also enters the mix with the premiere of Home Safe, a thriller starring Felisha Terrell, Jason MacDonald, Emily Topper and Mira Sorvino. The combination of an AI home security company, a mysterious house guest and people being threatened inside their own home? Yeah, suddenly that smart doorbell isn't feeling quite so comforting.

Earlier in the day, Lioness is available beginning at 3 a.m. ET on Paramount+, with Joe facing a security breach that pushes the team toward a risky mission to expose infiltrators.

And for families looking for something far less stressful, Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration brings some Disney magic to ABC and Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET. Filmed at Disneyland Resort during World Princess Week, the special celebrates the Disney Princess legacy across animation, live action, theater and music.

Still, Lanterns is the show to watch tonight. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are finally reporting for duty, and HBO’s newest DC series has all the ingredients to become one of television’s biggest conversations this week.

Whether you’re heading into space with the Green Lantern Corps, checking the nomination board on Big Brother, watching the Housewives pull out receipts or trying to survive another night in Dead City, Sunday television has your evening covered.