Best-bets for May 18: Lotsa music, strong and Swift

1) “American Idol” finale, 8-10 p.m., ABC. We can expect a couple powerhouse moments. One has Cynthia Erivo lead the show’s final 11 in an Aretha Franklin medley; the other has Lionel Richie and some “Idol” alumni sing “We Are the World,” which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson. (They’re shown here, with famous friends.) There’s much more – a song by each of the other judges, two songs by the final five contestants – and a champion. Read more…

1) “American Idol” finale, 8-10 p.m., ABC. We can expect a couple powerhouse moments. One has Cynthia Erivo lead the show’s final 11 in an Aretha Franklin medley; the other has Lionel Richie and some “Idol” alumni sing “We Are the World,” which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson. (They’re shown here, with famous friends.) There’s much more – a song by each of the other judges, two songs by the final five contestants – and a champion.

2) “City of Love Concert,” 10 p.m,. ABC. After two hours of music-from-home, it will be refreshing to see a pre-pandemic concert, with much commotion and no social-distancing. This was filmed last September in the L’Olympia, which was built in Paris in 1888. The relatively intimate setting (2,800 people for concerts) had fans from 37 countries, to hear songs from Swift’s “Lover” album.

3) “Scandalous,” 10 p.m., CNN. Borrowing from a Mafia boss, Gene Pope bought the New York Enquirer and went national. The National Enquirwer had stories about UFO’s and celebrities, spending lavishly. But then it began to kill negative stories about its favorites – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Cosby, Bob Hope and Donald Trump; it even bought stories to kill them. In 20 years, the Enquirer has lost 90 percent of its circulation; still, its front page remains a potent billboard in supermarkets.

4) “Masterpiece: World on Fire” season-finale, 9 p.m., PBS. Harry was a genial romantic, with a girlfriend (Lois) back home and a lover (Kasia) in Warsaw. Then World War II intervened. He married Kasia in an attempt to get her out of Poland; instead, she sent her little brother. Also, Lois broke up with him. Now Harry is an Army officer, Lois is a pregnant singer and Kasia is a Resistance fighter. Forces collide in an hour that’s terrific, despite a disappointing, cliffhanger ending.

5) “Hightown” opener, 8 p.m., Starz, rerunning at 9:48 and 11:33. Jackie isn’t TV’s typical hero-with-a-badge. She’s a lesbian and a fisheries officer who doesn’t take work seriously. Then she finds a body and is engulfed in schemes. It’s a good start, with Monica Raymund (“Chicago Fire”) strong as Jackie.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *