- The 4th of July offers lots of opportunity to watch TV
- Several series will have holiday marathons
- There will also be two tribute marathons to Andy Griffith
(EW) -- Holiday TV marathons have become almost as great a tradition as Fourth of July fireworks. Wednesday's best bet: TNT's "Dallas" marathon.
If you haven't yet caught the reboot — as gloriously unruly as Larry Hagman's eyebrows — you can watch the first four episodes (starting at 5 p.m. ET) leading into a new one at 9 p.m. ET. It's already been picked up for a second season, so it's safe to get invested.
Also at the top of our list: Two tributes to the late Andy Griffith. TV Land marathons "The Andy Griffith Show" from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, while the Hallmark Movie Channel, not to be outdone, airs "Matlock" from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET the following morning.
The best of the rest:
HBO Zone: Jaws movie marathon, through "Jaws IV: The Revenge," begins at 1:40 p.m. ET.
The cast of the new "Dallas"
Andy Griffith dies at age 86
Participant says 'House Hunters' staged
Encore Action: Superman movie marathon, through "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," starts at 2:50 a.m. ET, with the cycle repeating itself at the more humane hours of 11:15 a.m. and 7:35 p.m. ET.
SCIENCE: "Firefly" (8 a.m. to 3 a.m ET) — perfect time to prep for the cast's Comic-Con reunion next week.
USA: "NCIS" (10 a.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET) — warning, this is how they convert new fans.
BBC America: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (8 a.m. to 5 a.m. ET) — random?
Syfy: "The Twilight Zone" (8 a.m. to 5 a.m. ET) — old faithful.
Smithsonian Channel: "Aerial America" (6 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET) — the ultimate in armchair travel.
HBO: "John Adams" (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET) — the Emmy-winning miniseries starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, in its entirety.
Spike: "Band of Brothers" (9 a.m. ET to 6 p.m ET) — not in its entirety.
Military Channel: "The Revolutionary War" (11 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET) — patriotic!
G4: "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan" (9 a.m. to 2 a.m. ET) — ditto.
History: "The Revolution" (7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET) — ditto.
A&E: "Criminal Minds": (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET) — ditt... oh, wait.
Food Network: "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET) — more or less addictive than Cake Boss (6 a.m. to noon ET, TLC)?
HGTV: "House Hunters on Vacation" (6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET), various incarnations of "House Hunters" and "House Hunters International" (10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET) — a smart move.
IFC: "Whisker Wars" (7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET) — an inspired move.
ABC Family: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (11 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET) — a dumb move.
TNT: "The Mentalist" (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET) — a move that no doubt pisses off a "Law & Order" fan somewhere.
VH1: "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET) — remember, iTunes purchases add up.
CLOO: "House" (6 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET) — gone but not forgotten, as long as there's repeats.
Animal Planet: "Call of the Wildman: More Live Action!/Call of the Wildman" (1:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET) — in the woods of Kentucky.
CMT: "My Big Redneck Vacation" (10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET) — in the woods, somewhere.
E!: "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" (3 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET) — in the woods, in your dreams.
ID: "Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?" (9 a.m. to 3 a.m. ET) — still the best show title ever.
P.S. For those of you who just want to know what channel is airing "Independence Day," it's AMC (8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET).
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