Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 17: stars of pop and pulpit

1) “American Experience: Billy Graham,” 9-11 p.m. today, PBS. Graham (shown here) was a Southern farm kid, 6-foot-2, with blue eyes, a strong voice and an amorous nature. He quit Bob Jones College because he wanted to date girls. At another Bible school he met a missionary’s daughter; they were married 64 years, with five children. Graham was a classic evangelist, this terrific film says, but overstepped political lines. The Watergate tapes were “a crushing experience,” triggering apologies and moderation. Read more…

Best-bets for May 16: Great “Zoey” leads finale flurry

1) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” finale, 9 p.m., NBC. If this show isn’t renewed, then … well, it will have had a great series-finale. And if it does return? For the second straight year, it’s given us an amazing season-finale. Zoey (shown here in a previous episode) – who hears people’s thoughts via pop songs – is with Simon now, but has strong feelings for the departing Max. That leads to some vibrant song-and-dance moments at the nightclub … and then to the surprising (and rather superb) finish, Read more…

Best-bets for May 15: Pop star, vaccine stars

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Most teenagers don’t have a weekend quite like this: On Friday, Olivia Rodrigo (shown here) had the second-season opener of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” on Disney+; today is her “SNL” debut, with Keegan-Michael Key hosting. Six days later, her album will debut. Rodrigo, 18, starred for three seasons in “Bizaardvark,” before playing Nini in the Disney+ series. Her first single, “Drivers License,” was No. 1 in the U.S. and seven other countries. Read more…

Best-bets for May 14: “Blue” finishes, “Pride” begins

1) “Blue Bloods” season-finale, 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. In last season’s finale, Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) met Joe Hill, an adult grandson he didn’t know about. (Hill’s biologic father, Joe Reagan, was killed as an undercover cop.) The new Joe was in the first three episodes this season, then vanished. Now we learn he’s been working undercover, in a gang that Danny – a police detective who is Joe’s uncle — is investigating. Now Danny (center) and Jamie (right) try to save their nephew (back to camera), in a two-part finish to the 11th season. Read more…

Best-bets for May 13: A great comedy ends beautifully

1) “Mom” series finale, 9 p.m.,, CBS. One of the decade’s best comedies ends with a cascade of plot twists – some grim, some joyous, some just silly. One dandy scene has Bonnie (Allison Janney, furthest right of the women shown here) navigate the plot twists by phone, alternately putting different people on hold. Another has an Alcoholics Anonymous newcomer learn that these now-cheery women can match any of her nightmares. All of this is both hilarious and warm, twin moods that Janney handles deftly. Read more…

Best-bets for May 12: from goofy masks to intense protests

1) “The Masked Singer,” 8 p.m., Fox. Two weeks from its finale, this fifth edition is down to its final five – Black Swan, Piglet, Chameleon, Yeti and several people inside Russian Dolls (shown here). Lately, this has unmasked top singers — Bobby Brown, Mark McGrath and, last week, Tyrese Gibson. Earlier, it dumped movie villain Danny Trejo, Internet star Logan Paul, ex-Olympian (and current politician) Caitlyn Jenner, actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and all-around superstar Kermit the Frog. Read more…

Best-bets for May 11: Tough times for “Mayans,” “Prodigal Son,” more

1) “Mayans M.C.” season-finale, 10 p.m., FX; reruns at midnight. At times, “Mayans” seemed headed for a great series-finale; then came the word it’s been renewed for next year. This hour is, as usual, beautifully written, directed and acted; still, there are times when its seems to strain to prolong the story. Last week, EZ told Gaby he wants to leave town with her (they’re shown here in a previous episode); also, Galindo drugged his wife, started to drown her, then relented. Now two compelling characters – Adelita and Potter – finally collide. Read more…

Best-bets for May 10: funny Kate, fishy Dory, more

) “Power of Women: The Comedians,” 8 p.m., Lifetime. In previous years, this has focused on movie stars and singers. Now it honors six masters of TV comedy. Half started on “Saturday Night Live” – Kate McKinnon (shown here_, Maya Rudolph and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. So did two people (Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang) doing interviews, plus Tina Fey, who presents a tribute to the original “SNL” star, Gilda Radner. Also honored: Sofia Vergara and two writer-producer-stars, Mindy Kaling and Michaela Coel. Read more…

Best-bets for May 9: Let’s savor Zoey and Johnny

1) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” 9 p.m., NBC. This has become a delight, making clever use of its gimmick: Usually (shown here), Zoey can hear other people’s thoughts, via pop songs. But now that gimmick is set aside for a week, with great results. A brilliant script (by newcomer Celeste Klaus and Sam Laybourne, one of the producers) flashes back to before Zoey’s “gift” … and before she knew Max and Mo … and before her dad was sick. It does insert some music, in sly little touches that fans will savor. Stick with it to the end. Read more…