Best-bets for April 23: Romeo and Juliet, cops and crooks

1) “Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet,” 9 p.m., PBS. This had seemed like a sure hit for the National Theatre in London – Shakespeare’s classic, starring (shown here) Josh O’Connor (Charles in “The Crown”) and Jessie Buckley (the killer nurse in the latest “Fargo”). Then the pandemic brought a bold move: Skip the audience and film the show in the theater building, starting with minimal sets. The result is brilliantly directed and perfectly played; even Shakespeare skeptics might approve. Read more…

1) “Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet,” 9 p.m., PBS. This had seemed like a sure hit for the National Theatre in London – Shakespeare’s classic, starring (shown here) Josh O’Connor (Charles in “The Crown”) and Jessie Buckley (the killer nurse in the latest “Fargo”). Then the pandemic brought a bold move: Skip the audience and film the show in the theater building, starting with minimal sets. The result is brilliantly directed and perfectly played; even Shakespeare skeptics might approve.

2) “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. Both shows were recently renewed for new seasons – their fourth and 12th, respectively. They slipped in the ratings this year (about 16 percent), but so has everything else. Tonight, both have reruns: Magnum tries to help a fighter who’s pressured to throw a bout; “Blue Bloods” has people learn that Joe is the police commissioner’s grandson.

3) “MacGyver,” 8 p.m., CBS. This show had a deeper ratings plunge (22 percent) and won’t be back for a sixth season. Here’s a rerun of the season-opener, with the team infiltrating a glamorous hotel, to find a woman who has key information. That won’t be easy, because she has a new face.

4) Nature films, all day, BBC America. An Earth Day marathon spills into a second day of excellent reruns. That includes “A Wild Year on Earth,” 6-11 a.m.; “Seven Worlds, One Planet,” 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and “Planet Earth,” 6-11 p.m. Also, catch films that recently debuted on streaming sites – the splendid “Secrets of the Whales” (Disney+), the fun “The Year Earth Changed” (Apple TV+), “Life in Color” (Netflix), “Endangered” (Discovery+) and “Cher & the Loneliest Elephant” (Paramount Plus).

5) “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), 6 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. This film’s young cast gave subtly perfect performances. Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo both drew Oscar nominations in support of James Dean, who was also terrific. Nicholas Ray’s script was also nominated. At 8 p.m., you could try the smartly scripted “A Small Favor” (2018) on Lifetime, or “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018), an Oscar-winner for best animated feature, on FX.

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