1) “The Ten Commandments” (1956), 7-11:43 p.m., ABC. Each year, on the eve of Easter, ABC reruns this epic, with Charlton Heston (shown here) as Moses. It’s impressive and ambitious, landing seven Oscar nominations (including best picture) and winning for special effects. By modern standards, however, it’s slow and stiff; several more films will arrive today and Sunday, Read more…
As you watch the new mystery-comedy series, one thing is clear: This is VERY Detroit.
The title, after all, is “Diarra From Detroit.” Diarra Kilpatrick, the writer-producer-star, calls herself a “walking Detroit ambassador.”
Kenya Barris, who produces the show (and won praise and prizes for “Black-ish”) echoes that. The show (on the BET+ streaming channel) is “a love letter to Detroit,” he told the Television Critics Association.
It has the city’s look and feel, Kilpatrick told the TCA. And … it’s filmed in New Jersey.
That stirs arguments on both sides of a tricky issue. “We’re waiting for Michigan to get their tax incentives together,” Kilpatrick said, “so we can go back there.”
Read more…
1) “American Masters.” 9 p.m., PBS. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (shown here) filled every room. Tall (6-5) and bombastic, he kept talking and writing. He said things that resonated or backfired. A Harvard professor with a hard-scrabble past, he advised Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson. This fascinating portrait has comments ranging from Joe Biden to Henry Kissinger. Read more…
1) Baseball. It’s opening day everywhere. Most of that will be on regional networks, but at 7:35 p.m. ET, ESPN has the Texas Rangers hosting the Chicago Cubs, with two all-stars on the mound. The Cubs’ Justin Steele (shown here) had a 16-5 won-loss record last year, with a 3.06 earned run average; the Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi was 12-5, 3.63. Read more…
1) “Resident Alien,” 10 p.m., Syfy. This show is known for its sharp humor, as an outer-space alien tries to adjust to our world, inside the body of Harry, a small-town doctor. But it also has solid sci-fi adventure and human drama – which dominates this excellent hour. The subject is parenthood – D’arcy and her dad (shown here), Asta and her mom and daughter, even Harry and his shape-shifting offspring. Read more…
As Giancarlo Esposito talks, rich passions come pouring out.
There’s his love of acting … and people … and cars, which makes “Parish” (show here) seem ideal.
This is a bracing, six-part mini-series that starts at 10:15 p.m. Sunday (March 31) on AMC, right after the conclusion of “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.” He plays a former getaway driver, nudged back into hiis old life to save a friend.
“I’ve lived wiith it for so very long, through many incarnations and developments,” he told the Television Critics Association. Read more…
1) “Alert: Missing Persons Unit,” 9 p.m., ABC. After some fairly good episodes, “MPU” has a terrific one, mixing intense urgency and quiet warmth. The story gives depth to a teen runaway and the cops seeking her. Scott Caan is again excellent as Jason, but the bonus is Adeola Role (shown here, right) as Kemi. Once just a past-lives oddity, she now brings deep passion. Read more…
1) “The Bachelor” finale, 8 p.m.,, ABC,with follow-up at 10. Joey Graziadei, 28, is down to two choices, both 25: Kelsey Anderson (shown here wth hm) is from Louisiana; Daisy Kent grew up in Minnesota, but went to college in San Diego and works there. She wrote a children’s book; based loosely on her experience as a hearing-impaired kid who received a cochlear implant. Read more…
TV networks seem to be like many of us – suddenly remembering religion twice a year.
Now the Easter rush begins. In a three-day surge, TV ranges from Easter lite (bunnies and bonnets and such) to the intensity of “The Ten Commandments” and “The Passion of the Christ.”
Here’s a round-up, from Good Friday through Easter, March 29-31. Some of the channels (ABC, History, Hallmark, Turner Classic Movies) are easy to find; others have scattered availability, via cable, digital, satellite and online.
This skips some of the regular church services, but includes the rest. All times are ET; many of the channels – TCM, UpTV, INSP and more – only send one signal, so an 8 p.m. show listed here is 5 p.m. PT. Read more…
1) “Tracker,” 8 p.m., CBS. In a one-time switch, CBS moves this up an hour., for an episode that teams Colter (Jason Hartley) with his nemesis, a fellow tracker. She’s played by Hartley’s wife, Sofia Pernas (shown heere). A Morrocan natiive, she was Marisa on “The Young and the Restless” (where they met), Cataliina in “Jane the Virgin” and starred in CBS’ summer action show, “Blood & Treasure.” Read more…
