Best-bets for Nov. 8: Musicals, young and old

1) “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” 8 p.m., ABC. For a while, it looked like musicals might become an old-people thing. Then came “High School Musical” and a new generation. That’s been followed by two sequels, a theater version, more Disney/ABC musicals … and now this: When the Disney+ streaming service starts on Tuesday (Nov. 12), it will include this series (shown here), which pretends to be a documentary, following teens trying out for the school show. Tonight, ABC gives us the first hour. Read more…

1) “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” 8 p.m., ABC. For a while, it looked like musicals might become an old-people thing. Then came “High School Musical” and a new generation. That’s been followed by two sequels, a theater version, more Disney/ABC musicals … and now this: When the Disney+ streaming service starts on Tuesday (Nov. 12), it will include this series (shown here), which pretends to be a documentary, following teens trying out for the school show. Tonight, ABC gives us the first hour.

2) “The King and I,” 9 p.m., PBS. After glimpses of a teen musical on ABC, we switch channels and see an old-school show. “King and I” opened in 1951 and is set in the 1860s, when an Englishwoman really did tutor the wives and children of the King of Siam. Modern viewers might struggle with the length (two hours, 40 minutes) and the muted emotions. Still, Kelli O’Hara is terrific and the Rodgers-and-Hammerstein score is filled with songs that were hits, shortly before Elvis changed everything.

3) “20/20,” 9-11 p.m., ABC. Jesse Buttafuoco grew up amid a tabloid flurry: When she was 9, her mother was shot by the teen-ager who had been her dad’s lover. The story caused a sensation, with Amy Fisher (then 17) dubbed “The Long Island Lolita.” Now, 27 years later, ABC visits all three Buttafuocos: Mary Jo,who had a long and painful recovery … Joey, who struggled with addiction … and Jessie, who had trouble with drugs, alcohol and depression, then turned her life around.

4) “Hawaii Five-0,” 8 p.m., CBS. Alex O’Loughlin wrote and directed this episode, which has McGarrett (O’Loughlin) heading to Mexico. The CIA says his mother (Christine Lahti, the gifted, two-time Emmy-winner) has gone rogue and may have killed her partner. He hopes to retrieve her.

5) “Green Eggs and Ham,” any time, Netflix. The brilliant Dr. Seuss book is a delight, but it centers on just one idea: Try something before you dismiss it. Can that really be turned into a series? Some good people are trying, including producer Ellen DeGeneres, voice actors (Michael Douglas, Keegan-Michael Key, etc.) and animators. We’ll try it before dismissing it.

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