Best-bets for April 9: lies, laughs and commandments

1) “The Ten Commandments” (1956), 7-11:44 p.m., ABC. Back in 1956, this was considered a movie marvel – an epic that traced the life of Moses (Charlton Heston, shown here), even managing to part the Red Sea. It won an Oscar for special effects and was nominated for six more, including best picture. By modern standards, it’s a bit stiff; still, it’s become an Eastertime tradition, this year airing on the eve of Palm Sunday. Read more…

1) “The Ten Commandments” (1956), 7-11:44 p.m., ABC. Back in 1956, this was considered a movie marvel – an epic that traced the life of Moses (Charlton Heston, shown here), even managing to part the Red Sea. It won an Oscar for special effects and was nominated for six more, including best picture. By modern standards, it’s a bit stiff; still, it’s become an Eastertime tradition, this year airing on the eve of Palm Sunday.

2) “Would I Lie to You?” debut, 8:30 p.m., CW. On a tiny budget – seven people talking, no prizes – this is surprisingly entertaining. With no preparation, stars read a statement that may or may not be true. Did one of them really give Paul Newman a piggyback ride … set off an alarm at a Van Gogh exhibit … accidentally pepper-spray people at church? They claim it happened and people guess if it’s true. It sounds simple, but it’s a lot of fun.

3) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Jake Gyllenhaal – perpetually busy on movies, from “Spiderman: Far From Home” (as Mysterio) to the current “Ambulance” – is the host. Camila Cabello is the music guest.

4) “FBI: Most Wanted,” 9 p.m., CBS. Here’s a rerun of the season-opener, which introduced Alexa Davalos. She plays a new member of the FBI team, which is chasing a dangerous fugitive from the Jan. 6 riot. That follows an “FBI” (8 p.m.) that has a hacker shutting down lifesaving equipment at hospitals.

5) More movies, cable. If “Ten Commandments” seems too slow or stiff, there are plenty of alternatives. For modern special effects, a two-day Harry Potter marathon starts at 8 a.m. on Syfy. Also, FX has a terrific triple-feature — “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019) at 1:30 p.m., “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) at 5 p.m. and “Ford v Ferrari” (2019) at 8. Also at 8, HBO has Will Smith’s Oscar-winning performance in the excellent “King Richard” (2021);

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