Month: June 2019

1) “All That” opener, 8:30 p.m., Nickelodeon; reruns at midnight. Long before he became an eternal “Saturday Night Live” star, Kenan Thompson did this kid-themed sketch show (shown here). He was 15 when he started there; at 41, he’s back to help produce this reboot. Kel Mitchell (who co-starred with Thompson in the original, then in a series and a movie) is also producing. Two of the other originals (Josh Server and Lori Beth Denberg) show up tonight, with the Jonas Brothers as guests. Read more…

1) “American Masters: Terrence McNally,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS; check local listings. McNally (shown here) has been a theater force for generations. His first show reached Broadway in 1963; his “Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune” revival is there now. In between were about 17 other Broadway shows, winning four Tonys (plus a lifetime one). He’s ranged from farce to pain, from small shows to the epic “Ragtime” musical. Here’s a terrific portrait of a Texan who has lost two lovers to AIDS, but remains optimistic and funny. Read more…

1) Basketball, 9 p.m. ET, ABC, with previews at 8 and 8:30. A couple more points one way and this would be over; Toronto, which had never been in the finals before, would be celebrating its championship. But Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors slipped past the Raptors on Monday, 106-105. Now the series moves to San Francisco; if the Warriors win tonight, things will be back to Toronto for the final game. Read more…

1) “Queen Sugar” season opener, 9 p.m.; and Central Park Five interview, 10, Oprah Winfrey Network. It’s a huge night for Winfrey and Ava DuVernay. They produce “Queen Sugar,” the intense drama (shown here) about a Louisiana family; this season, Nova’s book brings ripples of rage. They also produced (and DuVernay directed and co-wrote) “When They See Us,” the Netflix mini-series about the five black youths incorrectly convicted of rape. Now Winfrey interviews them, in a special that Netflix will simulcast. Read more…

1) “Pose” season-opener, 10 p.m., FX. The first season was set in 1987, with New York’s “ball culture” in its own bubble of flash and sass. But now we jump to 1990, with powerful forces building: There’s the devastation caused by AIDS … the rage of the Act Now protests (shown here) … and the pop-culture impact of Madonna’s “Vogue.” Bianca is convinced the song will bring success to the ball world. Bursting with optimism, she nudges Angel. It’s a passionate episode, beautifully directed and played. Read more…

1) “So You Think You Can Dance,” 9 p.m., Fox. For 15 years, this has been one of TV’s best summer shows. It’s had gifted dancers, brilliant choreographers and earnest judges; it also sometimes doesn’t get the push it deserves. This year, Fox scheduled the debut (shown here) for tonight … then made a late decision to move it a week earlier. Tonight, we’ll settle for the second part of the Los Angeles auditions. Read more…