Best-bets for Nov. 22: native star, country chaos

1) “American Masters,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Buffy St. Marie (shown here) tells of being bullied and blacklisted, of being abused as a child and of surviving (barely) a dangerous romance. Still, she has emerged as a vibrant force – a singer, songwriter, actress and Indian-rights activist. Her “Universal Soldier” has been recorded by 157 people; her “Up Where We Belong” won an Academy Award. Here’s a compelling portrait of a zestful performer at 81. Read more…

1) “American Masters,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Buffy St. Marie (shown here) tells of being bullied and blacklisted, of being abused as a child and of surviving (barely) a dangerous romance. Still, she has emerged as a vibrant force – a singer, songwriter, actress and Indian-rights activist. Her “Universal Soldier” has been recorded by 157 people; her “Up Where We Belong” won an Academy Award. Here’s a compelling portrait of a zestful performer at 81.

2) “Monarch,” 9 p.m., Fox. Now for a different view of the music business, one that’s (fortunately) fictional. In the series opener, Dottie (Susan Sarandon), a country star who was gravely ill, committed suicide. In this rerun of the second episode, she’s managed to be the star of her memorial concert.

3) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox. Here’s a rerun of the season-opener, one with rich waves of emotion as Padma’s pregnancy becomes life-threatening. Also, Devon starts his drug trials and Conrad – a widower, attracted to two colleagues –makes a decision about his love life.

4) “Bachelor in Paradise,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. This sunny, summertime show – with love and lust at a resort – finally wraps its season, while some viewers are surrounded by snow. That’s followed at 10 by “The Rookie: Feds”: A father and daughter have been kidnapped and the gunman proposes a hostage exchange. Simone goes undercover, while others try to learn more about the kidnapper.

5) “Welcome to Chippendales” opener, Hulu. The Chippedale dancers soared with a basic formula – beefy guys, gyrating for a female audience. Then came in-fighting and accusations of murder. It’s a colorful story, already told in a couple movies and a four-part documentary. Now it’s a mini-series, with Kumail Nanjiani as the founder and Annaleigh Ashford as a prime force. Also streaming today: a Trevor Noah standup-comedy special on Netflix.

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