1) “We Want the Funk,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. “Music was our freedom,” Questlove says in this vibrant documentary. And most free of all was the funk sound. Rippling with great clips, this spans generations. It focuses heavily on James Brown, but also has music masters (from George Clinton, shown here, to Kirk Franklin) still around to vividly tell their story. Read more…
1) Basketball, 8:30 p.m. ET, CBS, with preview at 8. A no-upset tournament concludes. For the first time in 17 years, each team seeded No. 1 in a quadrant reached the final four. There’s no Cinderella team, no Butler or Bradley or Texas Tech or beyond. Instead, Duke, Florida, Auburn and Houston collided Saturday, with the winners tonight. Other networks will be quiet tonight — except for ABC, with “Idol” and (shown here) “Paradise.” Read more…
1) “An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile0” (shown here), 8 p.m. CBS. After hearing John’s music, Carlile taught herself to play the piano. Now the two have shared an Oscar nomination (for the song “Never Too Late”) and an album. In this hour, at London’s Palladium Theatre, they do songs from the album, plus his hits; they also pause for a conversation. Read more…
1) Basketball, 6:09 and about 8:39 p.m. ET, CBS. It’s a no-underdog year. For only the second time in NCAA tournament history, the No. 1 seed in each region reached the final four. Now it’s Florida (shown here) and Auburn first, then Houston and Duke. The winners collide Monday. Read more…
1) “Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Willie Nelson did the first show on Oct. 17, 1974, then returned (at 91) 50 years later. We get clips of both, plus new music, ranging from country (Chris Stapleton) to bluegrass (Billy Strings), blues (Gary Clark Jr., shown here in a previous concert, with a rousing finale) and more, including Rufus Wainwright’s soaring “Hallelujah.” Read more…
1) “Elsbeth” return, 10 p.m., CBS. After a two-week basketball break, one of TV’s most entertaining shows is back. Mary-Louise Parker (right, with Elsbeth) plays a de-cluttering guru with a three-way romance. She unclutters it via some robotic murder. It’s a good episode … with an even better one next week. Read more…
1) “Oklahoma City Bombing,” 8-11 p.m., National Geographic. As the 30th anniversary (April 19) nears, here’s a compelling look at the bombing (shown here) that took 168 lives. We meet a woman who was pinned for six hours, another who lost two young sons, a man who fought his way out. We see the coverage, the capture, the quietly taut emotions of Oklahoma people. Read more…
1) “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” (2024), 9-11 p.m., PBS. A fascinating life is recounted in this film, which was a hit in New York movie theaters. Liza Minnelli (shown here), 78, has soared (an Oscar, an Emmy, three Tonys an honorary Grammy) and crashed (four divorces, alcoholism, drugs). She recounts it all with optimism, amid a flurry of clips Read more…
1) “Rescue HI-Surf” season-finale, 9 p.m., Fox. On his daughter’s graduation day, Sonny confronts his friend Vince – who’s been dealing drugs from the lifeguard stand. His team, awash in romantic woe, has a bigger task, rescuing snorkelers. It’s a mildly interesting hour, with a party-time finish (shown here). Read more…
1) “The Simpsons” return, 8 p.m., Fox. For 31 years, “Simpsons” has been a Sunday staple. So it was a jolt, when Fox actually rested it. After six sad, Homer-less weeks, it’s back; Bart becomes a celebrity DJ (shown here) and Homer pushes Ned Flanders too far. “Family Guy” slides to 8:30, “Great North and “Krapopolis” stay at 9 and 9:30 and “Grimsburg” rests. Read more…
