1) “Janis Ian: Breaking Silence,” 9 p.m., PBS. Observing other people’s lives, Ian wrote and sang “Society’s Child” (about inter-racial romance) and the Grammy-winning “At Seventeen” (about a plain teen). Her own love life wasn’t a subject until later, when she discussed her now-wife. This film skillfully blends re-enactments and comments by Ian (shown here), now 74.
2) “Jaws,” 8-11 p.m. NBC. It was 50 years ago today that “Jaws” opened, launching the era of summer blockbusters. NBC reruns it here, with an introduction by director Steven Spielberg, The film is also on Peacock (with its three lesser sequels) and Blu-Ray (with a new documentary).
3) “A Minecraft Movie,” Max. Speaking of blockbusters, this comedy has been the year’s big surprise. Its first weekend made $163 million in the U.S. and Canada, doubling predictions. After 10 weeks, it had $423 million domestically and was nearing a billion dollars worldwide. It starts streaming today and reaches HBO at 8 p.m. Saturday.
4) “Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs,” 9-11 p.m., CBS. Here’s a rerun of s special that focuses on songwriters. It includes Alisha Keys, John Mayer, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Brandi Carlile, Richard Marx, Kenny Loggins, Mark Ronson, Michael McDonald, the Lady A trio and the sibling duo of Billie Eilish and Finneas.
5) ALSO: A “Fire Country” rerun (8 p.m., CBS) sees a false alarm escalate into a hostage crisis. And at 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies has “Sting” (1973), with Paul Newman, Robert Redford and a clever scam plot. It won seven Oscars, including best picture, director, script and music.