Best-bets for May 30: Deep emotions, dark tragedies

1) “National Memorial Day Concert” (shown here in a previous year), 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 9:30. Last year forced a change for this TV tradition: Live events were banned; the music and tributes were shot in advance, sometimes using reruns. The result was beautifully crafted; this year has the same approach, but with no reruns. In key settings, we’ll hear the greats of country (Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and, singing the National Anthem, Mickey Guyton), pop (Gladys Knight, Sara Bareilles, the Four Tops) and opera (Denyce Graves). Read more…

1) “National Memorial Day Concert” (shown here in a previous year), 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 9:30. Last year forced a change for this TV tradition: Live events were banned; the music and tributes were shot in advance, sometimes using reruns. The result was beautifully crafted; this year has the same approach, but with no reruns. In key settings, we’ll hear the greats of country (Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and, singing the National Anthem, Mickey Guyton), pop (Gladys Knight, Sara Bareilles, the Four Tops) and opera (Denyce Graves).

2) “Tulsa Burning,” 8 p.m., History; reruns at 10:05. Monday will mark a grim anniversary: It was 100 years ago that a thriving Black neighborhood in Tulsa was attacked with guns, fire, even airplanes. Homes and businesses were destroyed; people were killed (an estimated 200 to 300 or more), wounded or interred. Now – as Tulsa continues its efforts to find mass graves – TV is looking back. More documentaries will be Monday on PBS, CBS and CNN.

3) “Pose,” 10 p.m., FX. Here’s another tragedy – more gradual than Tulsa, but also rooted (at least partly) in prejudice. It’s 1996 and the AIDS epidemic continues; Pray Tell (Billy Porter, a brilliant Emmy-winner in this role) is fading. Still, “Pose” is also about joy; at the core tonight is the wedding of Angel and Papi. As usual, “Pose” has sledge-hammer subtlety, with long, blunt speeches. But there are scenes – at the city clerk’s office, at the wedding – that remind us how good this show sometimes is.

4) Games, ABC. First is basketball, with playoff games at 1 (Knicks-Hawks) and 3:30 p.m. ET (Suns-Lakers). Then the action moves to TNT at 7 (Nets-Celtics) and 9:30 ET (Clippers-Mavs). At night, ABC switches to its game shows: The new seasons start airing next week, but for now there are reruns of “Celebrity Family Feud,” “The Chase” and “To Tell the Truth,” at 8, 9 and 10 p.m.

5) Military marathon, Turner Classic Movies. On Memorial Day eve, TCM sticks mainly to popular films. Its one Vietnam movie – “The Green Berets” (1968) at 4:45 p.m. ET – was disparaged; the more-esteemed World War II tales include “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970) at 2:15 p.m. ET, “The Great Escape” (1963) at 8 and “Where Eagles Dare” (1968) at 11. A “Memphis Belle” documentary (1944) is at 7:15.

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