Month: June 2023

1) “Animal Control,” 9 and 9:30 p.m., Fox. During its first season, this show offered an agreeable mix of big sight gags and solid character humor. It will be back next season, but now it wraps up a stretch of reruns. Both episodes deal with the triangle of three sweet-spirited souls – Emily (the terrific Vella Lovell), Shred (shown here, right) and Rick. Also, Frank (Joel McHale, left) struggles with his macho self-image. First, he’s benched in basketball; then he resists mourning. Read more…

1) “The Full Monty” debut, Hulu. The 1997 movie showed a British town where the blue-collar jobs had vanished; desperate, the guys did a one-night strip show. Now, 26 years later, we meet the same guys (and same actors), in delightful sorts of disarray. Brilliantly co-written by Simon Beaufoy (who did the original and “Slumdog Millionaire”), this gives the best moments to Gaz’s daughter Destiny (she and her dad are shown here), a smart rogue who sparks a hilarious plot twist. Read more…

1) “Gotham Knights,” 9 p.m., CW. Only two weeks from its seasobn-finale (and very possibly its series finale), this pauses for a key and well-crafted rerun. Turner (shown here in a previous episode) – the adopted son of the late Batman – has been kidnapped. To get him back, the young rogues must find a valuable substance (“electrum”) and make a trade. Read more…

1) “Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts,” 10 p.m., PBS. In their 85-year history, the all-Black units (dubbed “buffalo soldiers”) saw extremes. They were a symbol of freedom – guarding the transcontinental railroad, being the first park rangers at Yosemite (shown here), fighting in world wars. Still, this film says, they also fought against freedom – in Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines … and at home, in the “Indian Wars” and suppressing striking miners in Idaho. Read more…

1) Tony Awards, 8-11 p.m. ET, CBS. Each year, this ripples with great Broadway musical moments There should be more than ever this time, in a show that’s unscripted, due to the writers’ strike. Expect music from host Ariana DeBose (shown hosting last year’s Tonycast), from the nominated musicals — revivals (“Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” “Camelot,” “Parade”) and new (“Some Like It Hot,” “New York, New York,” “Kimberly Akimbo,” “& Juliet,” “Shucked”) — and more, including “Funny Girl” and a Joel Grey tribute. Read more…

1) “Gilda Live” (1980), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies, and “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Here’s some fun for “SNL” fans, past and present. First, is a film of a Broadway show; deftly directed by Mike Nichols, it has Gilda Radner (shown here) at her best, in gently amusing sketches and songs. Then an “SNL” rerun has Miles Teller as host and Kendrick Lamar as music guest. Read more…