Best-bets for Jan. 20: comedies and historic tragedy

1) “Women of the Movement” conclusion, 8 p.m., ABC. With the world watching, two women testified in a packed Mississippi courtroom. One was a store clerk, 27; after Emmett Till (14, visiting from Chicago) talked to her in 1955, he was kidnapped and killed. The other was Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. The case would propel the civil rights movement; Till-Mobley (played by Adrienne Warren, shown here with Cedric Joe as Emmett) would go on to get a master’s degree and be an educator and an activist. This wraps an intense mini-series; a documentary follows at 10:31. Read more…

1) “Women of the Movement” conclusion, 8 p.m., ABC. With the world watching, two women testified in a packed Mississippi courtroom. One was a store clerk, 27; after Emmett Till (14, visiting from Chicago) talked to her in 1955, he was kidnapped and killed. The other was Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. The case would propel the civil rights movement; Till-Mobley (played by Adrienne Warren, shown here with Cedric Joe as Emmett) would go on to get a master’s degree and be an educator and an activist. This wraps an intense mini-series; a documentary follows at 10:31.
2) “Single Drunk Female” debut, 10 and 10:30 p.m., Freeform. Samantha Fink’s life has hit reverse. Her friends have moved ahead with jobs and relationships; she’s a recovering alcoholic, back home with her mom and working at the grocery store. Simone Finch created this promising comedy, partly from her own life; Sofia Black-D’Elia, 30, who’s done comedies (“Skins,” “The Mick”) and dramas, stars, with Ally Sheedy, 59, as her mom.
3) “Young Sheldon,” 8 p.m., CBS. The “Big Bang Theory” cast used to be annual favorites at the Comic-Con convention. Now this show, a “Big Bang” prequel, sees Sheldon attend his first comic convention. That’s followed at 8:30 with “United States of Al”: Usually diligent, Al gets so far into poker that he misses class and he’s late for work.
4) “Pivoting,” 9:30 p.m., Fox. Sarah (Maggie Q) has just taken a wild plunge: She quit work as a doctor and got a grocery-store job. Still, she wants to prove to her friends that she can be spontaneous and fun; now, in a fairly good episode, she leads them on a night-time adventure,
5) “The French Connection” (1971), 8 p.m., Turner Classic Movies. This is known for having the first great car chase, a dazzling creation through the streets of New York. But that’s just one piece of a smart and well-crafted cop film. It won Academy Awards for best picture, director (William Friedkin), actor (Gene Hackman), script and editing.

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