What’s on TV
CONTACT (1997) 7 p.m. on Ovation. Based on the 1985 science-fiction novel of the same title by Carl Sagan, “Contact” yearns to bridge the gap between humanity and technological advancement. Jodie Foster plays Ellie Arroway, a scientist devoted to finding extraterrestrial life, who picks up a radio signal from another planet. This garners national attention, and as Ellie decodes the aliens’ message, she must protect her work from those trying to steal or discount it. Ellie and a young minister named Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey) engage in a debate throughout over science and religion — and Palmer also becomes a love interest. “But try as it might to convey a humanist, mystical message and to equate the search for extraterrestrial life with religious faith,” Stephen Holden wrote in his review for The New York Times, “‘Contact’ is much more convincing when worshiping at the cold shrine of technology.”
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS 8 p.m. on CNN; 9 p.m. on CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX. President Trump will deliver his third State of the Union Address — the last of this presidential term. Mr. Trump’s first State of the Union Address focused on immigration policy, and his second — which was rescheduled because of a government shutdown over funding for a border wall — touched on looming Congressional investigations into his conduct. This year, the speech comes a day ahead of a final vote on his impeachment.
What’s Streaming
TOM PAPA: YOU’RE DOING GREAT! Stream on Netflix. The film, TV, radio and podcast comedian Tom Papa makes his Netflix debut with an hourlong routine filmed in his home state, New Jersey. In this special, Papa covers life’s simple pleasures: getting married, having two daughters, and living with the notion of being a parent. With asides about pets, climate change, social media and Staten Island, Papa assures viewers that we’re all just doing our best.
BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY (2001) Stream on Hulu. Rent on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and YouTube. If Bridget Jones just loses 20 pounds and cuts down on alcohol, cigarettes and carbs, she’ll probably find (and land) the man of her dreams. At least, that’s her hope. Luckily, her current suitors — her charming boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), and her former childhood friend, the earnest Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) — assure our heroine that they like her for exactly who she is. Renée Zellweger, who adopts an unassuming British accent to play Bridget, was nominated for an Academy Award for her role. “Ms. Zellweger accomplishes the small miracle of making Bridget both entirely endearing and utterly real,” Stephen Holden wrote in his review for The Times. The movie’s sequels, BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON (2004) and BRIDGET JONES’S BABY (2016), will also be available for streaming.
Source: Television - nytimes.com
