Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for July 10: Some “unladylike” heroes

1) “American Masters: Unladylike,” 9 p.m., PBS. This summer’s PBS shows have been propeling us toward a milestone – the 100th anniversary (Aug. 26) of women’s vote in federal elections. But before the national change, individual states stepped in. We meet Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon, who was elected in 1896 to Utah’s state senate and sparked health reforms; her statue (shown here) is alongside the state capitol. And Jeannette Rankin, elected by Montana to Congress in 1916. It’s a strong hour that also includes black, Latina and American Indian activists. Read more…

Best-bets for July 9: Two seasons end, one show begins

1) “In the Dark” season-finale, 9 p.m., CW. For the second straight season, “Dark” started slowly and built to a crescendo. Murphy (who is blind) and friends have until midnight to find and return the drugs Ben stashed before his death. Now they collide with Dean (the crooked ex-cop), who also wants the drugs. This has a too-long detour that strains believability, but then wraps things up powerfully … and propels us toward next season. Despite its flaws, “Dark” has subtly gifted actors (especially Perry Mattfeld and Brooke Markham, shown here, as Murphy and Jess) in a gripping story. Read more…

Best-bets for July 8: Tough folks, real and sci-fi

1) “Tough as Nails” debut, 8 and 9 p.m., CBS. Here is tough-guy Americana – a retired Marine with four combat tours, a scaffold-builder, two firemen and more. And here are tough women, too – a farmer, a welder, an ironworker … and Michelle Kiddy (shown here), baggage-handler who is 62 and described as “5-foot-nothing.” That’s the charm of this working-skills show. which Phil Keoghan co-produces (with his wife), directs and hosts. The bad news is the repetition of cliches; the good news is a solid human core. Read more…

Best-bets for July 7: A big night for Archie and Anthony

1) “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” 8-9:30 p.m., ABC. Norman Lear’s best comedies were like plays – great dialog, mostly confined to one room. That’s why they work so well in live productions with fresh casts. Tonight’s first rerun has Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei in “All in the Family” (shown here). one dinner guest (Jesse Eisenberg) is dodging the draft; the other (Kevin Bacon) had a son who died in Vietnam. Then “Good Times” has Andre Braugher and ViolaODavis argue about a local councilman. Read more…

Best-bets for July 6: Women take charge

1) “POV: The Vote,” 9-11 p.m., PBS; concludes Tuesday. Back in 1848, 300 women convened to push for the vote; it would be a long push. “I have struggled for 60 years for just a little justice,” Susan B. Anthony said later, “and will die without securing it.” She died, at 86, in 1906; 14 years later, her cause finally succeeded. As the 100th anniversary (Aug. 26) approaches, this four-hour documentary views the long struggle, one with protests, arrests, hunger strikes, righteous rage and belated victory. (The scene here, not from the series, shows Hilary Swank as activist Alice Paul in “Iron Jawed Angels.”) Read more…

Best-bets for July 5; premium channels rule with fact and fiction

1) “Outcry” or “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” 10 p.m., Showtime or HBO. Two crime documentaries collide. Last Sunday, HBO launched the six-week “Dark,” researching the “Golden State Killer” and his victims. Now Showtime starts the five-week “Outcry”: Greg Kelley (shown here) was a high school football player in Texas whose world crumbled. His father had a stroke, his mother had a brain tumor, he stayed in a home that had a day care – then was accused of molestation. The film follows efforts to free him. Read more…

Best-bets for July 4: Flash, flair and lots of music

1) “A Capitol Fourth,” 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 9:30. Even without a live concert, the Memorial Day special was surprisingly good. It mixed brief reruns with gorgeous music numbers, taped in Washington and beyond. Now some of the same people – Renee Fleming, Trace Adkins (shown here at a previous concert) and Kelli O’Hara – perform again. Others include Patty LaBelle, John Fogerty, Vanessa Williams, Andy Grammer, Brantley Gilbert, Yolanda Adams, the Temptations and more. They’re on tape, but the closing fireworks are live. Read more…

Best-bets for July 3: Music and miltary for Independence Day eve

1) “Hamilton,” any time, Disney+. Gradually, more people will get to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece onstage, when Broadway resumes and tours return. It’s an amazing show, stuffed with epic scenes that would be the centerpiece of other musicals. Now, however, comes a chance to see the original cast – Miranda (shown here, left), Leslie Odom, Daveed Diggs, Chris Jackson, more. Director Thomas Kail (who also directed the Broadway show) intended it for movie theaters, but it’s now diverted to streaming. Read more…

Best-bets for July 2: ‘Dads,’ ‘Dark’ dramas

1) “Council of Dads” season-finale, 8 p.m, NBC. Last week ended with a fierce hurricane ripping through town. People huddled in Oliver’s home, where he delivered the baby he and Peter hope to adopt. Robin left to save her son Theo and was trapped … until Anthony arrived. Now this strong finale surveys the damage (shown here) and answers questions: How is the baby? Will Peter accept him? Did the restaurant survive? Can Anthony be forgiven for lying and leaving? Will Robin imagine one more chat with her late husband? Read more…

Best-bets for July 1: Some high-stakes sci-fi

1) “The 100,” 8 p.m., CW. This show manages to leap between big-scope science-fiction and intensely personal drama. Tonight, it has three jail-cell duos — the heroic Octavia and the un-heroic Echo (shown here) … Diyoza, considered a mass-murderer, and her tough daughter Hope … and Russell and a hesitant chess partner. Each encounter is intense and well-acted. And late in the hour, there are two fierce surprises; also viewers will learn the identity of the “True Disciple Leader.” Read more…