1) “The Ten Commandments” (1956), 7-11:44 p.m., ABC (check local listings). This has become an ABC tradition – on the night before Easter, showing Cecil B. DeMille’s epic. In its time, the mega-movie – with Charlton Heston as Moses – was well-regarded; it drew seven Oscar nominations (including best picture), winning for special effects. By modern standards, it feels stiff and the effects aren’t that special. Read more…
1) “I Love Lucy Funny Money Special,” 8-9 p.m., CBS. When not obsessing on show-business, Lucy schemed about money. These 1954 episodes (with color added by computer) are vivid examples. The first – selling homemade salad dressing – is moderately funny, if we forgive the cliche that only men figure finances. The second – a scramble to win the “bonus bucks” contest – is a giddy crescendo of greed and error, boosted by Lucille Ball’s mastery of sight gags. Read more…
1) “Life in Pieces” season-opener, 8:31 and 9:30 p.m. CBS. John (James Brolin) chose the site for the family vacation. which is short on a few luxuries — toilets and water, for instance — but long on bugs, bats and snakes. That’s in the first episode. which skips the usual, four-story format and focuses on the vacation, with hilarious results. The second has Joey King (who’s brilliant in Hulu’s “The Act”) as a pregnant teen. Colleen and Matt want to adopt her baby, but must compete with a rich couple. Read more…
1) “What We Do In the Shadows,” 10 p.m., FX. Generations ago, these vampires were Read more…
1) “Bless This Mess” debut, 9:30 p.m., ABC. Newlyweds (Lake Bell and Dax Shepard) reach Read more…
1) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox. Don’t expect any small moments. This starts with a Read more…
1) “Game of Thrones” season-opener, 9 p.m., HBO. Well-made shows, alas, need more time to Read more…
1) “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), 8 p.m., HBO. At times, this feels like an early-’60s Read more…
1) “Dr. Strangelove” (1964), 8 p.m ET., Turner Classic Movies. A black-and-white tale of nuclear war? It might not sound like fun, but the American Film Institute calls it (quite reasonably) the third funniest film ever, trailing only “Some Like It Hot” and “Tootsie.” Peter Sellers — whose “Being There” (1979) follows at 9:45 — got an Oscar nomination for his great multiple-role performance; Stanley Kubrick got three — for best picture, for directing and for co-wriing the darkly satiric script. Read more…
Is it too early for good news about June? Maybe not; announced today are:
— A new series from the New York Times. Starting June 2, “The Weekly” will be at 10 p.m. each Sunday on FX; it’s a half-hour show digging into a news story … which is something the Times does very well.
— And a new edition of “Tales of the City,” arriving June 7 on Netflix. Read more…
