These Are the Best Fourth of July Specials on TV

Independence Day is almost here! Whether you plan to throw a tailgate party with your crew or host a family-friendly barbecue, at some point during the holiday, food and drinks alone may not be enough entertainment to hold your guests’ attention. (Although these Fourth of July-themed donuts, smoothies, and Pop Rocks treats are sure to be a lasting hit.) Fortunately, there are plenty of patriotic TV specials to turn on when the celebrations start to lag, from live fireworks displays to the movies that have come to represent our great nation.

Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, NBC, 8pm ET

The country’s largest fireworks display, with over 40,000 fireworks exploding over NYC’s Hudson River, will feature performances from Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Hailee Steinfeld, Heather Headley, Craig Campbell, the USO Troupe of Metropolitan New York, opera singer Jamie Barton, and the West Point Glee Club and band. American Ninja Warrior co-hosts Kristine Leahy, Akbar Gbajabiamila, and Matt Iseman will be hosting the 41st annual event, broadcast live at 8pm ET, with an encore showing at 10pm, on NBC.

A Capitol Fourth, PBS, 8pm ET

John Stamos (with his enviable hair and killer smile) will be hosting this salute to our country, broadcast live from the West Lawn in Washington, DC. In addition to a grand fireworks display, there will be performances from The Beach Boys featuring John Stamos and Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, The Blues Brothers’ Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi, Kellie Pickler, The Four Tops, Yolanda Adams, The Voice season 12 winner Chris Blue, Laura Osnes, and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jack Everly. Sofia Carson will sing the national anthem to open the show, and Trace Adkins will perform a tribute to our active and veteran servicemen and women. The entire event will be broadcast live at 8pm ET, with an encore showing at 9:30pm, on PBS and over the airwaves on NPR.

Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, ESPN2, 12pm ET

ESPN2 will be taking us back to the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island for Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, where pro eater Joey Chestnut will be competing for his 10th men’s title after setting a new contest record last year by eating 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes, though 2015 winner Matt Stonie and up-and-comer Carmen Cincotti will be bringing their A-game too. On the women’s side, Miki Sudo will compete for her fourth straight title after downing 38.5 dogs last year. Consider that extra burger as preparation for next year’s competition as you watch this year’s event live at 12pm ET, with encore showings at 4pm and 10pm, on ESPN2.

America the Story of Us, History, 7am ET

If docu-series are more your speed, the History channel will be marathoning every episode of America the Story of Us, taking you through 400 years of American history with impressive CGI animation, re-creations, and interviews.

Independence Day, E!, 6am ET

Starting at 6am, E! will be playing the 1996 hit movie Independence Day, with Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and Vivica A. Fox, on repeat for 24 hours. That is eight times back-to-back.

The Patriot, WGN America, 7pm ET

WGN America will be playing another star-spangled film directed by Roland Emmerich, 2000’s The Patriot with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, one time only at 7pm.

Armageddon, A&E, 8pm ET

A&E will be playing Armageddon, the 1998 blockbuster about NASA saving the world — with Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and more — at 8pm, with an encore showing after midnight. Trust us; you won’t want to miss a thing.

Tom Hanks Marathon, Spike, 12:30pm ET

Spike will be showcasing (arguably) America’s favorite actor, Tom Hanks, first in his Oscar-winning role in 1994’s Forrest Gump at 12:30pm, then in his 1998 role in Saving Private Ryan at 4pm. They will encore the pair of movies beginning at 8pm.

Superhero Marathon, FX, 7am ET

Showcasing a different kind of American hero, FX will hold a superhero marathon of Green Lantern, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, capping off the day with encore showings of Captain America: The First Avenger and Green Lantern. It all starts at 7am.

National Lampoon’s Marathon, AMC, 12pm ET

Moving along to American classics, AMC will have a National Lampoon’s marathon with National Lampoon’s Vacation, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, and Vegas Vacation, followed by an encore performance of the trio starting at noon.

Rocky Marathon, Sundance, 6am ET

We can’t think of a better way to celebrate achieving the American dream than with a Rocky marathon, and the Sundance channel is dishing it out with a marathon of the first four films played through twice, starting at 6am.

What will you be watching on the Fourth of July? Tell us @BritandCo!

(Photo via Yana Paskova/Getty)

I've been on the edge of my seat for Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson's Verity (even before I saw It Ends With Us), and after hearing about the first look that aired at CinemaCon this week, the internet is even more locked in on the “gothic, psychosexual thriller” (as the film's described by director Mike Showalter) than they've ever been.

Here's what the Verity cast, including Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, had to say about the new movie from Colleen Hoover.

What is Verity about?

Any Colleen Hoover fan knows the Verity movie revolves around Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), who gets hired by Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett) to finish his wife's novels. Renowned author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) is no longer able to write after a tragic accident, but what begins as an exciting project takes a turn for the horrifying when Lowen discovers Verity is hiding a terrible secret.

Anne Hathaway promises 'Verity' is worth "waiting for."

At Amazon MGM's CinemaCon presentation, the Verity cast, Colleen Hoover, and Mike Showalter offered attendees a new look at the movie via video message.

“My character Verity Crawford is an accomplished author with a tragic past,” Anne said, while Dakota joked, “Or is she?”

Josh added, “My character, Jeremy Crawford, is a devoted husband who’s committed to protecting his wife’s legacy.”

“Or is he?” Dakota said again.

“One thing we can say for sure is that seeing Verity in theaters will give fans the shared experience they’ve been waiting for," Anne promised.

And everyone's losing it over the "wild" footage from CinemaCon!

The presentation also included the first trailer for the movie, which showed Verity and Jeremy meeting at a bar — which explains those iconic set leaks of Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnettrunning through the streets of New York! And when Jeremy's introduced to Lowen and brings her to their giant home, he tells her "she's the only writer who can do this"...and then they begin their own illicit affair. And as they have a hot make out sesh on the couch, Lowen realizes she's kissing Verity and not Jeremy. Wow.

"Just saw the first footage for VERITY starring Josh Hartnett, Anne Hathaway, and Dakota Johnson," @JoeySpielberg says on X. It looks like it’s gonna be good but I honestly couldn’t tell you the plot is but it’s definitely gonna be wild. Seems like a movie you just don’t know what happens next."

"The footage showcases a sexy, mind-bending thriller," @howatdk agrees.

We're sure to see many more shocks and surprises when Verity hits theaters May 15, 2026.

Check out the 10 Most-Anticipated Book-To-Film Adaptations We Can't Wait To See In 2025.

A new Trader Joe’s skincare find just hit shelves, and beauty fans are already reeling about its similarities to more luxury products! The night cream features a handful of ingredients that are commonly found in pricier skincare options, but this TJ’s pick costs a fraction of its suspected competitors.

As a Versed Sweet Relief overnight cream loyalist (I use it every single day without fail), I must say I'm thoroughly convinced to try this new Trader Joe’s item after reading shoppers’ reactions!

Scroll on to discover the all-new Trader Joe’s skincare product worth adding to your routine!

Reddit

Trader Joe’s Night Cream is a brand-new addition to their collection of skincare goodies. In fact, it’s so new that it’s not listed on their website quite yet. Despite its newcomer status, tons of shoppers are already buzzing about the Trader Joe’s Night Cream.

Reddit

One TJ’s fan on Reddit surfaced the new find on the r/TraderJoe’s subreddit, and skincare lovers were super quick to chime in.

Per the post, the Trader Joe’s Night Cream is formulated with Irish sea moss extract, a fermented mushroom complex, ceramides, and sodium hyaluronate. It’s also unscented, which can be super beneficial for sensitive skin in need of moisture.

The TJ’s fan that found the night cream on shelves reported that it is “very thick but dry at the same time. I really had to work it into the skin,” they said. “Very odd consistency.”

Kaboompics / PEXELS

Another shopper that tried the Trader Joe’s Night Cream weighed in on their experience:

“Using it sparingly since I’m quite pregnant and don’t want to mess with sensitive skin but so far it’s quite nice!” they said. “Thick but not greasy in the slightest. I still feel it on my skin when I rinse my face in the AM which means it held up overnight in my dry altitude climate.”

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Several more users compared this new TJ’s formula to other products on the market, mentioning Asian beauty and even retinol for its anti-aging benefits.

“It’s interesting to see all the fermented ingredients in this!” one person commented. “I know that they have been very popular in Asian skincare for years, but I don’t see it that often in the States. I’m excited to try this! Thanks for sharing, I’m going to be on the lookout now.”

“Based on the ingredients list, I suspect this might be a Korean product,” another TJ’s shopper agreed.

“Irish Sea Moss is considered an excellent retinol alternative so if it agrees with one’s skin, not a bad option for those who can’t tolerate or don’t want harsh actives,” one more skincare fan noted.

MARA Beauty

One Redditor confirmed that a single 2-ounce jar of the Trader Joe’s Night Cream cost just $9. Similar moisturizers that leverage sea moss in their formulas (like Wildling’s Moonbounce 2% Bioretinol Irish Sea Moss Plumping Moisturizer and MARA's SeaDream Algae Crème) average around $73, which is insane.

KoolShooters / PEXELS

This TJ’s find could be a great way to try out the sea moss skincare wave without shelling out a fortune! Per episode 87 of The Inside Trader Joe's Podcast, it’s certifiably “high-quality” and “incredibly functional.”

Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more amazing Trader Joe's products!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Jenna Bush Hager chose Holly Gramazio's The Husbands as her book club's April pick in 2024 and it became an instant bestseller. Evidently, Apple TV took notice and decided it would be an excellent idea to adapt it into a new drama series! We're fond of adaptations here, so we're elated to this fresh storyline come to life. But, guess what else we're intrigued about?

The Husbands series has already found it's lead star in Ted Lasso and Fargo actress Juno Temple! Her characters are fan favorites, so we're sure she's going to do her lead role in this series justice.

Scroll to learn more exhilarating news about The Husbands series!

What is 'The Husbands' about?

Amazon

The Husbands chronicles one woman's journey as she explores an ever-changing life with different men she's never met before. But this isn't a tale of reckless one-night stands. On the contrary, Lauren will be as confused as readers and viewers because she's not sure what's happening.

It all begins with her return to her home and the realization that a man who's strangely familiar with her is calling himself her husband. Unbeknownst to her, she's been married to Michael for a while despite not knowing who he is. What's even more ironic is that her friends think something's wrong with her because they know who her husband is.

In the midst of trying to decipher this phenomenon, Lauren's shocked when Michael disappears into the attic and a new man returns in his place. As she watches her surroundings change to accommodate life with him, Lauren slowly realizes her attic has created a portal that allows her to live out different fantasies with a revolving door of men. But, she'll have to ask herself what she really wants and if she's willing to hang on to one reality instead of wishing for more.

Has more cast information been released?

Diana Patient

Holly Gramazio, Author of The Husbands

We know Juno Temple will star in The Husbands, but there haven't been more cast announcements just yet (via Variety). There's so many options for the many spouses she could have which makes us want to dream about our own casting wishlist.

Who's the executive producers of the series?

Diana Patient

Holly Gramazio, Author Of The Husbands

According to Apple TV+, writer Miriam Battye (Succession) will be executive producing The Husbands with Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya), and Annie Marter of Fortunate Jack Productions (The Devil All The Time), author Holly Gramazio and A24.

We love when authors are allowed to give their input in TV or film adaptations!

When will 'The Husbands' premiere on Apple TV? 

Production hasn't started on The Husbands TV series yet, but we'll share more information once it's available!

Follow us on Facebook for more entertainment news!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.