Month: March 2021

(Here are the five TV best-bets for Friday, April 2; feel free to use in any form – all or some, print and/or web)

1) “American Masters,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. When Doc Severinsen was 6, he insisted on learning the trumpet; his dad (a small-town dentist) preferred a violin. Doc (shown here) is still playing and touring, 87 years later. “You can’t say to Picasso, ‘Put the paintbrush down,’” his third wife says, adding that she’s “happy he’s with a trumpet player (Cathy Leach, a music professor) now.” Rippling with great music, this film views his diligence (including gym work-outs), plus pizzazz he molded with Johnny Carson. Read more…

1) “United States of Al” debut, 8:30 p.m., CBS. Chuck Lorre keeps preserving a fading art – comedies shot with multiple cameras, in front of an audience (when COVID allows). This one lacks the large laughs of his “Big Bang Theory” and “Mom,” but has lots of little ones, plus likable characters. Riley, a Marine, had Amalwir (“Al”) as his Afghan translator, friend and sometimes protector. Now Al reaches the U.S.; culture shocks begin for him and for Riley and his dad, sister and estranged wife (all shown here with Al). Read more…

1) “Good Trouble,” 10 p.m., Freeform. The young people in this Los Angeles co-op usually have scattered lives, jobs and relationships. But now a brilliant screenplay blends them together – with subtle bits of drama and romance, plus big bursts of humor. A “new moon” ceremony (soul-cleansing and such) involves six of the residents (four are shown here, in a previous episode) and three invitees. Then someone else arrives … as does a mysterious critter. It all builds to a daft and delightful crescendo. Read more…

1) “American Experience,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Isaac Woodard was a Black veteran of World War II, still in uniform and heading home to South Carolina. He argued with a bus driver who didn’t want to make a rest-room stop; at the next stop, police jailed, beat and blinded him. The result had national impact: President Truman promptly desegregated the military and the federal government; a local judge became a pariah in his community as he spoke up for civil rights. It’s a powerful story, but a tough one to watch; for a modern racial view, “Soul of a Nation” (shown here) is the next item. Read more…

1) “Snowpiercer” season-finale, 9 and 10 p.m., TNT, rerunning at 11 and midnight. Wilford is in charge again, living in luxury and planning a carnival (really). Layton (Daveed Diggs, shown here in a previous episode) – formerly a revolutionary hero – is at the bottom, working with sewage. Still, he schemes to rescue Melanie, who left the train to gather vital information at a research station. These two hours are harsh, brutal and, as usual, beautifully crafted. Read more…