1) “American Idol,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. The Hawaiian week (shown here with Eise Kristine) is over now and some serious cuts begin. Tonight, we learn which of the 20 singers were in the viewers’ top 10; then the judges add two more. That collides with “The Voice” (8-10 p.m., NBC), which continues its “knockout round.” Read more…
1) Earth Day. You can spend the day in nature – or savoring it on TV. There are cable marathons (see next two items) and the streamers are busy. Apple TV+ has the beautifully filmed “Big Beasts,” plus fiction ranging from kiddie idealism in “Jane” (shown here) to the sobering “Extrapolations.” Netflix has “Chimp Empire”; PBS Passport had a rich trove. Disney+ has its epic nature movies, plus “Secrets of the Whales” and the start of “Secrets of the Elephants.” Read more…
1) “Dear Mama,” 10 and 11:30 p.m., FX. Here are the first pieces of a compelling, five-part biography – a double-bio, actually – that keeps surprising. We meet a sensitive teen, discussing his goals; this is Tupac Shakur, later (shown here) known as a fierce-tongued rapper. We also meet his mother, a Black Panther filled with pride and rage; her son argued with her and loved her, rapping: “And even as a crack fiend, Mama/You always was a black queen, Mama.” Read more…
1) “The Good Doctor,” 10 p.m., ABC. This slot has been vacant since “Alaska Daily” ended ts season three weeks ago, but ABC keeps filling it well. In this rerun, Shaun faces a malpractice suit. His lawyer (Felicity Huffman) advises a settlement, but her researcher (beautifully played by Kennedy McMahon, shown here, the “Nancy Drew” star) disagrees. She’s autistic, as is Shaun, and this strong and moving hour is a pilot for a “Good Lawyer” series. Read more…
1) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. Every second, we’re told, 3,000 tons of water – enough to fill an Olympic pool — pour down Niagara Falls. The falls themselves (shown here) are fascinating, but this terrific film also has glimpses along the way. We see people nurture a tree that’s been there for 13 centuries and help a snapping turtle whose ancestors go back 90 million years. Read more…
1) “How Saba Kept Singing,” 10 p.m., PBS. David Wisnia (shown here) was sent to Auschwitz at 16. He survived because he entertained guards with his gorgeous singing … and because Helen Spitzer, a fellow prisoner, loved him and kept doctoring records. This deeply moving film follows the final years before his death last summer at 94. He reunites with Spitzer, returns to Auschwitz and sings with his talented grandson Avi, telling him: “You’re the proof that Hitler did not win.” Read more…
1) “The Voice” (8 p.m.) and “That’s My Jam” (10 p.m.), NBC. It will be musical Mondays now. First, “Voice” moves into its next phase (the “knock-out round”), with Reba McEnitre as the mentor for all four teams. Then Jimmy Fallon’s music-oriented “That’s My Jam” is at 10. It had a rerun last week, but now comes a new hour, with the Bailey sisters (shown here) competing against each other. Halle is with actor Simu Liu; Chloe is with Adam Lambert, the former “Idol” runner-up. Read more…
1) “Lucky Hank,” 9 p.m., AMC. Yes, there are way too many good shows (“Succession,” “Sanditon,” “Yellowjackets”) at 9 p.m. Sundays. But this one – rerunnning at 10:06 p.m. and 1:40 a.m. — is way too good to miss. Hank (Bob Odenkirk, shown here) clings to his faculty job at an obscure college, but his wife has interviewed for a job at a top school in New York. At a faculty dinner party, it all boils over in ways that are simultaneously funny and disturbing. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Ana de Armas has done excellent work in Read more…
1) “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” season-opener, Amazon Prime. A great show starts its final season with broad strokes. First is a fascinating flashforward to Esther as a young woman; then we’re back to the 1950s and her mom Midge (shown here in a previous episode) in despair, her comedy career sputtering. Her agent must move quickly, focusing on a latenight show. There’s an odd Thanksgiving and, as usual, crackling-good dialog. Read more…
