Best-bets for Aug. 18: memories of music and Essence

1) “CMT Summer Sessions,” 9 p.m., CMT, On most Fridays in July and August, CMT has a concert by one country star. This time, it brings most of the previous people togethet for a “90s Country” half-hour. “Strawberry Wine,” “Maybe It Was Memphis,” “A Little Too Late” and more are performed by Lee Brice (shown here, who hosts), Tanyya Tucker, Chris Janson, Breland and Ashley McBryde. A week later, McBryde’s solo show will close the season. Read more…

1) “CMT Summer Sessions,” 9 p.m., CMT, On most Fridays in July and August, CMT has a concert by one country star. This time, it brings most of the previous people togethet for a “90s Country” half-hour. “Strawberry Wine,” “Maybe It Was Memphis,” “A Little Too Late” and more are performed by Lee Brice (shown here, who hosts), Tanyya Tucker, Chris Janson, Breland and Ashley McBryde. A week later, McBryde’s solo show will close the season.

2) “Time of Essence,” 9 p.m., Oprah Winfrey Network. In 1970, four men launched Essence magazine, aiming for “upscale African American women.” It started with a 50,000-issue run and eventually hit 1.6 million. It also has a music festival, awards and more. This five-Friday documentary includes Winfrey, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Taraji Henson, Vanessa Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Gabrielle Union, Beverly Johnson and many more.

3) “Secret Celebrity Renovation,” 8 p.m., CBS. Beth Behr (“The Neighborhood”) renovates the home of a friend she’s known since college. That’s followed by reruns of “Fire Country” (an internal probe after a rescue fails) and “Blue Blood” (Eddie is caught in controversy and her husband Jamie helps investigate the massive fire to an evidence facility).

4) “One-of-a-Kind Marcie,” Apple TV+. Charlie Brown has never been elected … but somehow, quiet Marcie becomes class president. Also streaming today is a Chris Fleming stand-up special on Peacock … which launched the second season of the Craig Robinson comedy “Killing It.” Comedy is also big on Hulu this week – “Miguel Wants to Fight” debuted, “Solar Opposites” returned and “Reservation Dogs” and “Only Murders in the Building” continued.

5) Movies. Bradley Cooper has opposite roles in two popular films. In “The Hangover” (2009, 8 p.m., E), he’s the leader of a bachelor-party-gone-wrong – now trying to find the bachelor. In “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017), he’s … well, a racoon. (Or, actually, the voice of a racoon-looking inter-galactic bounty hunter. Also today: Mel Brooks’ classic “Blazing Saddles” (1974), at 8 p.m. on IFC.
— Mike Hughes, TV America

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