PBS’s literary adaptation series tackles Henry Fielding’s classic, and the Showtime docuseries returns with Dr. Orna Guralnik and a new group of couples.
Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, April 24-30. Details and times are subject to change.
Monday
THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) 8 p.m. on TCM. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker, this Academy Award-nominated film by the director Steven Spielberg follows Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), a Black woman from the American South over the course of 40 years during the early 20th century. The film explores themes of domestic violence, poverty, racism and sexism, as well as love, friendship and resilience. In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin noted that the film glosses over some of the grittier aspects of the novel, but still tells Celie’s story with a sense of “momentum, warmth and staying power.”
Tuesday
KING RICHARD (2021) 5:35 p.m. on HBO2e. This Academy Award-nominated film by the director Reinaldo Marcus Green is an emotional yet buoyant look at the rise of the young tennis stars Serena (Demi Singleton) and Venus Williams (Saniyya Sidney). Will Smith, who won a best actor Oscar for this role, plays the girls’ father, Richard Williams, who had plans to catapult his daughters to success even before they were born. A.O. Scott declared the film “a sports drama that is also an appealing, socially alert story of perseverance and the up-by-the-bootstraps pursuit of excellence,” in his review for The Times. “It’s a winner.”
Wednesday
CHASING CARBON ZERO 9 p.m. on PBS. This new episode from the documentary series NOVA takes a look at the science behind the technology that could help the U.S. reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Through interviews with scientists, engineers and change makers in the environmental sector, the episode examines the country’s current excessive emissions, before identifying the existing technologies and processes that could slash emissions in half by 2030.
AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS 10:30 p.m. on COMEDY. This comedy series starring the rapper and Golden Globe-winning actress Awkwafina as the show’s titular character is back for its third season. The show follows Awkwafina’s Nora Lum, who lives with her father and grandmother, as she navigates coming into her own. The series is based on Awkwafina’s own upbringing in New York City.
Thursday
(RE) SOLVED 9 p.m. on VICE. This new true crime series takes a second look at some of the most controversial celebrity deaths. Through examinations of police reports and their own sleuthing, professional investigators and armchair detectives re-examine and investigate the causes of death of Hollywood figures such as Bob Saget, Prince and Anna Nicole Smith.
100 DAYS TO INDY 9 p.m. on The CW. A new docuseries about the world of open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, brings viewers on the journeys of racing teams and NTT IndyCar Series drivers as they train to compete in the Indianapolis 500 — a 500-mile race considered to be the sport’s premier competition. This six-part series premieres 100 days before the race and is directed by the Emmy-winning director and producer Patrick Dimon.
Friday
COUPLES THERAPY 8 p.m. on SHOWTIME. Returning for the second installment of its third season after a yearlong hiatus, this docuseries follows the real-life therapy sessions of couples as they hash out their intimacy issues with Dr. Orna Guralnik, a psychologist and couples therapist. The Times critic Margaret Lyons described the viewing experience as “equal parts insight and voyeurism.” This installment features four new couples navigating topics including polyamory, Mormonism and infidelity.
INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY FROM THE UNITED NATIONS 10 p.m. on PBS. Premiering two days before International Jazz Day, this one-hour television special from the United Nations is a celebratory nod to the history and evolution of jazz. Acclaimed artists will perform original songs and interpretations of classics, with a cast ranging from the legends David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller, to modern favorites including Gregory Porter, Joey Alexander and Lizz Wright. The blues singer Shemekia Copeland will open the program with her social justice anthem “Walk Until I Ride,” and a full-cast rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” will close out the night.
Saturday
MOONAGE DAYDREAM 8 p.m. on HBO. The Emmy award-winning filmmaker Brett Morgen’s ode to the singer-songwriter David Bowie is “less a biography than a séance,” A.O. Scott writes in his review for The Times. With the entire contents of Bowie’s archives at his disposal, Morgen weaves together snippets of Bowie’s own narration with never-before-seen footage and music to produce an ethereal “portrait of the artist as a thoughtful, lucky man.”
Sunday
TIME100: THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE 7 p.m. on ABC. To celebrate this year’s TIME100 list of the World’s Most Influential People, the global media brand is holding a gala event at New York City’s Lincoln Center. The event will be hosted by the actress Jennifer Coolidge, an honoree from this year’s list, and will feature performances from other honorees, including Doja Cat and Lea Michele.
TOM JONES 9 p.m. on PBS. Mid-18th-century England comes alive in this retelling of the classic Henry Fielding novel from PBS’s “Masterpiece,” a literary adaptation series. Told in four parts, the series follows Tom (Solly McLeod), a man of humble beginnings and uncertain parentage, and the sweet, seemingly unattainable heiress Sophia (Sophie Wilde) as they forge a forbidden romance despite their class differences and the tireless meddling of the seductress Lady Bellaston (Hannah Waddingham).
Source: Television - nytimes.com
