Courtesy of George Carlin’s Estate/HBO.
ALSO SEE: 2022 NASCAR TV Schedule on FOX Sports and NBC
All Times Eastern. PBS programming varies regionally.
Friday, May 20
George Carlin’s American Dream
HBO, 8pm
Dubbed “the dean of counterculture comedians,” George Carlin was one of the funniest comics on the planet during a career that spanned five decades. This two-part documentary (concluding Saturday) codirected by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio chronicles Carlin’s rise to fame and opens an intimate window into his personal life. According to Bonfiglio, its central focus is Carlin’s evolution as an artist and a human being. It covers his childhood in New York City before working its way up to his numerous comedy specials and appearances on The Tonight Show, among other career highlights. In addition to intimate interviews with his daughter, Kelly Carlin, there is a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival material including films, photos, audio recordings, letters and diaries. Some of the many funny people interviewed about Carlin include Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Patton Oswalt and Bill Burr. — Paul Doro
Troppo
Amazon Freevee
New Series!
This Australian murder/mystery drama stars Thomas Jane as Ted Conkaffey, an ex-cop falsely accused of committing a disturbing crime, who has escaped to hide away in the tropics of Far North Queensland. As he tries to avoid discovery, he’s drawn into investigating a wild murder and a missing person, alongside a complicated woman named Amanda Pharrell (Nicole Chamoun), who harbors dark secrets of her own. Troppo is based on Crimson Lake, the first novel in author Candice Fox’s contemporary crime fiction series set Down Under. All eight episodes are available today.
Now and Then
Apple TV+
New Series!
Set in Miami, this eight-episode multilayered thriller told in Spanish and English explores the differences between youthful aspirations and the reality of adulthood, when the lives of a group of college best friends are forever changed after a celebratory weekend ends up with one of them dead. Now, 20 years later, the remaining five are reluctantly reunited by a threat that puts their seemingly perfect worlds at risk. The ensemble cast includes Marina de Tavira, Rosie Perez, José María Yazpik, Maribel Verdú, Manolo Cardona and Soledad Villamil. The first three episodes are available today; subsequent new episodes are available Fridays.
Alien Endgame
discovery+
In 2021, a groundbreaking Pentagon report revealed what the government had denied for decades — UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena), or UFOs, are real and may even pose a threat to our planet. In this two-hour documentary, former members of the U.S. military break their silence about the massive coverup of their terrifying close encounters.
Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers
Disney+
Original Film!
Chipmunks Chip and Dale, former stars of their own 1989-90 Disney Channel animated series, are back in this hybrid live-action/computer-animated comedy. In a setup similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit and set in modern-day Los Angeles, this film finds Chip (voice of John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) living among both cartoons and humans. It has been decades since their successful series was canceled, and Chip has succumbed to a life of suburban domesticity as an insurance salesman, while Dale has had CGI surgery and works the nostalgia convention circuit. When a former castmate mysteriously disappears, the duo most repair their broken friendship and adopt their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save the day. The cast also includes Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Dennis Haysbert, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen and J.K. Simmons.
The Valet
Hulu
Original Film!
World famous movie star Olivia (Samara Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzo snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). Hardworking valet Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a coverup. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos.
Restoration Road With Clint Harp
Magnolia Network on discovery+
Season Premiere!
In Season 2, carpenter Clint Harp again hits the road in search of incredible historical structures across the country that are in need of restoration, while exploring their origins and dreaming of their futures.
The Retro Plant Shop With Mikey & Jo
Magnolia Network on discovery+
New Series!
Follow Mikey McCall as, with help from her big sister, Joanna Gaines, she launches the business of her dreams: a retro-inspired plant shop that blends her passion for gardening with her love of unique vintage items. New episodes are available Fridays.
Love, Death & Robots
Netflix
Season Premiere!
Tim Miller and David Fincher’s Emmy-winning animated anthology series is back for Season 3, featuring more uncanny worlds, violent delights and twisted kicks.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman
Netflix
Season Premiere!
David Letterman is back for a six-episode fourth season of his talk show, featuring guests Cardi B, Kevin Durant, Billie Eilish, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ryan Reynolds and Will Smith.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars
Paramount+
Season Premiere!
Season 7 of the competition series will feature, for the first time in the show’s history, a cast of all former winners returning to vie for the title of Queen of All Queens and a cash prize of $200,000. Also available starting today are Season 4 episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked, offering behind-the-scenes looks at the backstage drama as the queens anxiously await their fates each week.
Night Sky
Prime Video
New Series!
Oscar winners Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons lead this drama that spans space and time. They play the Yorks, a couple who, years ago, discovered a chamber buried in their backyard that inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They have carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man (Chai Hansen) enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended — and the mystifying chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined. All eight episodes are available today.
Shark Tank
ABC, 8pm
Season Finale!
Kevin Hart — actor, investor and entrepreneur — brings his unique perspective and desire to inspire the country’s sharpest entrepreneurs in an all-new episode. An entrepreneur from Wellington, Florida, introduces his line of health products using nature’s most powerful superfood; former college students from Chicago pitch their online marketplace designed to help current and past college athletes cash in on their fame; a professional boxer from Houston steps into the ring and presents his all-in-one total body fitness tool designed to take your workouts to the next level; and a vegan entrepreneur from San Antonio presents his plant-based approach to a fast-food favorite. The Sharks in this episode are Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Second Round
ESPN, beginning at 8pm Live
ESPN airs two conference semifinal games from the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight.
The Blacklist: “TBD, Conclusion, Part 1”
NBC, 8pm
Red (James Spader) and the task force spring into action after learning who betrayed them.
Beach Blanket Bingo
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
This fun 1965 film is the fifth, and possibly best remembered, entry in American International Pictures’ (AIP) famous series of teen-focused ’60s party films that were usually set at the beach (though one spinoff title was set at a ski resort). As a number of these movies famously were, this one is led by Frankie Avalon (in his last starring role in a beach film) and Annette Funicello. The plot is silly, of course, and frankly unimportant; the movie effectively delivers to viewers the same thing that is of principal importance to its characters — an “endless summer,” just-hanging-out party kind of a vibe. Beyond Frankie and Annette, the rest of the cast includes an interesting range of actors, notably Linda Evans in one of her first feature films; Don Rickles; Paul Lynde; Harvey Lembeck; Deborah Walley, who would also appear in a few more of AIP’s beach films; Marta Kristen; and even silent filmmaking legend Buster Keaton, who would also make a cameo in AIP’s How to Stuff a Wild Bikini later in ’65.
Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine
Discovery Channel, 9pm; also streams on discovery+
Season Premiere!
Season 4 finds Team Turin — after failing in six states during the offseason — still with no ground to mine as the mining season begins. With the clock ticking, Dave and team assemble in Idaho to prospect two claims in that state: He and geologist Aryn Rowe travel to the remote Warren Meadows mining claim, while the rest of the group visits a claim at Mores Creek in the Boise Basin. After more disappointments, they rally and decide to gamble on the unknown as they head to Montana.
Vacation Home Rules: “Boathouse Delight”
HGTV, 9pm
Mother-daughter duo Sabrina and Tess found a true “on the water” boathouse that needs some serious repair. With their unique vision, contractor and real estate expert Scott McGillivray and designer Debra Salmoni capitalize on the home’s layout and location to transform this rundown relic into a Bohemian beauty.
Great Performances: “Merry Wives”
PBS, 9pm
Great Performances’ “Broadway’s Best” lineup continues with a performance, recorded in summer 2021, of Jocelyn Bioh’s acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. Set in South Harlem, the production offers a celebration of Black joy, laughter and vitality, and marked the return of The Public Theater in New York City’s beloved free Shakespeare in the Park series following the COVID-19 shutdown.
Saturday, May 21
Horse Racing: 147th Preakness Stakes
NBC, 4pm Live
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike won’t race today at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for the running of the 147th Preakness Stakes. With no Triple Crown at stake this year, top contenders include Epicenter, Simplification, Early Voting and Secret Oath.
MLB Baseball
FS1, beginning at 4pm Live
FS1’s Saturday MLB coverage opens with the San Diego Padres at the San Francisco Giants. Later tonight, the Oakland A’s are at the Los Angeles Angels.
Strangers on a Train
TCM, 4:15pm
Catch a Classic!
Robert Burks rightly earned an Oscar nomination for his black-and-white cinematography in this 1951 suspense classic based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, but how Alfred Hitchcock did not receive a directing nod, nor Robert Walker an acting nomination for his chilling performance as Bruno Antony, is beyond us. Either way, it is a thrilling watch, as pro tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) has the bad luck of happening to sit next to Walker’s Antony on a train, and their conversation turns toward Antony “jokingly” suggesting that the two men “trade murders” — Antony will kill Haines’ wife if Haines kills Antony’s father. Unfortunately for Haines, the deranged Antony is not joking at all; he proceeds with his end of the deal, and makes life increasingly terrifying for Haines in order to get him to hold up his. The film’s famous climax aboard an out-of-control carousel isn’t the only way in which the Master of Suspense delivers a memorable thrill ride with this production.
Murdoch Mysteries: “Murdoch on the Couch” & “The Witches of East York”
Ovation, beginning at 7pm
Beginning tonight, the remaining episodes of the popular Canadian mystery series’ 15th season will air with back-to-back hourlong episodes each week. First tonight, in “Murdoch on the Couch,” Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) investigates a death threat made against Sigmund Freud (Diego Matamoros) and gets an unwelcome analysis. Then, in “The Witches of East York,” strange things happen after Murdoch arrests a man claiming witches are trying to kill him.
MLS Soccer: Atlanta United FC at Nashville SC
FOX, 7:30pm Live
FOX’s Saturday Major League Soccer action features Atlanta United FC at Nashville SC from the new GEODIS Park in Nashville.
Romance to the Rescue
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!
Trevor (Nathan Witte), the new manager at the grocery store where Kyra (Andrea Brooks) works, seems to check off all the boxes when it comes to what she’s looking for in love. When her well-meaning coworker tells dog-loving Trevor that Kyra has an agility-trained dog, she plays along. Trevor is excited for Kyra to enter her dog in the upcoming agility contest the store is sponsoring, leaving her with a canine quandary — she must adopt a dog and get him competition-ready, stat. With the help of Mark (Marcus Rosner), the head of the dog rescue, she may pull it off and learn some lessons of her own along the way.
Planet Earth: Dynasties II
BBC America, 8pm
Season Premiere!
Follow six incredible families on the journey of a lifetime as natural history series Dynasties returns for a six-episode Season 2 and a behind-the-scenes special. Dynasties II provides fresh insight into the secret lives of some of the most charismatic animals on the planet — puma, elephant, cheetah, hyena, meerkat and macaque — featuring surprising, dramatic and heartwarming stories with the iconic favorites from the animal kingdom. Sir David Attenborough narrates.
Disappearance in Yellowstone
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
When Jessie’s car breaks down in the middle of a beautiful but desolate national park and her 17-year-old daughter Danielle locks herself inside, she has no choice but to head off alone and look for help. After enlisting the help of the local mechanic Grant, Jessie returns to her car to discover that her daughter is gone. Danielle has been kidnapped and the police are convinced that Jessie is responsible. In this parent’s-worst-nightmare thriller, Jessie must fight against all odds to escape from the police and track down her daughter before she’s killed. Stars Lucie Guest, Jonathan Scarfe, Cassandra Sawtell, Aren Buchholz and Reese Alexander.
Portals to Hell: “Malco Theatre”
Travel Channel, 10pm; also streams on discovery+
In Hot Springs, Arkansas, Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman explore the historic Malco Theatre, a live magic venue never before investigated for television. But in a town charged by strange geothermal forces, not all phenomena at this theater appear to be the trick of a magician.
Saturday Night Live
NBC, 11:30pm Live; also livestreams on Peacock
Season Finale!
Season 47 of the venerable sketch comedy series comes to a close tonight with host Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) and musical guest Japanese Breakfast.
Sunday, May 22
America’s Top Ranger
FOX Nation
New Series!
FOX Nation will honor this upcoming Memorial Day with new special veteran-themed programming beginning today with three-part series America’s Top Ranger. Pete Hegseth, Abby Hornacek and Johnny Joey Jones cover the 38th annual Best Ranger competition from Fort Benning, Georgia. Elite teams of Army Rangers compete non-stop for over 64 hours, covering more than 70 miles of obstacles through three days and nights of intense warfighter competition.
61st Street
AMC+
Season Finale!
In “Man on Fire,” the Season 1 finale of this legal drama, Franklin (Courtney B. Vance) faces a setback, Moses (Tosin Cole) takes the stand and a verdict is read. The episode is available to stream for AMC+ subscribers a week ahead of its premiere on the linear AMC channel Sunday, May 29.
Formula 1 Racing: Pirelli Spanish Grand Prix
ESPN2, 8:55am Live
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are among the top drivers competing for 66 laps around the 4.675 km Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
MLB Baseball: St. Louis at Pittsburgh
Peacock, 11:30am Live
The St. Louis Cardinals visit Pittsburgh’s PNC Park to take on the Pirates. Jason Benetti has the play-by-play call and is joined by local analysts of the teams.
Golf: PGA Championship: Final Round
CBS, 1pm Live
The Wanamaker Trophy is awarded to the PGA Championship winner after today’s final round at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tennis: French Open: Early Rounds
NBC, 1pm Live
The second Grand Slam tournament on the tennis calendar features the world’s best players competing on the red clay courts of Roland-Garros in Paris. Novak Djokovic and Barbora Krejčíková claimed singles titles in 2021. Tennis Channel and NBC combine to televise the tournament through June 5.
From the Source
Magnolia Network, 3pm
Season Premiere!
Chef and restaurateur Katie Button is back for another season of her show in which she explores the origins and stories behind different delicious ingredients. She also shares her knowledge of cooking techniques to inspire others to be more curious, creative and joyful cooks.
NASCAR Cup Series: All-Star Race
FS1, beginning at 6pm Live
NASCAR’s All-Star Race events at Texas Motor Speedway begin with the 50-lap All-Star Open, giving drivers a final chance to qualify for the 100-lap All-Star Race and a chance to win $1 million.
America’s Funniest Home Videos
ABC, 7pm
Season Finale!
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse help award the season’s best video with the ultimate grand prize.
MLB Baseball: Chicago White Sox at N.Y. Yankees
ESPN, 7pm Live
Jose Abreu and the Chicago White Sox are at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to square off against Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball.
Harmony in Paradise
UPtv, 7pm
Original Film!
Respected wildlife journalist Amelia (Liliana Tandon) is tasked with covering baby manatees in Puerto Rico that are about to be released into the wild. There, she meets a handsome conservationist (Thony Mena) who helps her discover all the treasures the island has to offer.
Duncanville: “Plumbdog Millionaire”
FOX, 7:30pm
Jack and Duncan (voices of Ty Burrell and Amy Poehler) get famous for appearing in a local TV commercial in the new episode “Plumbdog Millionaire.”
American Idol
ABC, 8pm
Season Finale!
Tonight the winner of the 20th season of American Idol will be crowned.
Saints & Sinners
Bounce, 8pm
Series Finale!
The popular drama ends its sixth and final season tonight. Set against the backdrop of a large Southern church, the series centers around the pursuit of power, intertwined with greed, deception, corruption, sexual affairs and murder. “Saints & Sinners has been a breakthrough success, attracting a huge and loyal fanbase,” said David Hudson, head of original programming for Bounce and an executive producer on the series. “We thank our amazing cast and crew for an incredible run.”
Riverdale: “Chapter One Hundred and Ten: Things That Go Bump in the Night”
The CW, 8pm
After failing to get Pop’s declared a historical landmark, Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook) enlists Archie’s (KJ Apa) help saving the diner from Percival (guest star Chris O’Shea). Betty (Lili Reinhart) opens up to Agent Drake (guest star Sophia Tatum) about her ability to see people’s evil auras. Meanwhile, after Reggie (Charles Melton) and the shareholders declare war on Veronica (Camila Mendes), she turns to Jughead (Cole Sprouse) for help maintaining control of the Babylonium.
The Simpsons
FOX, 8pm
Season Finale!
In the Season 33 finale “Poorhouse Rock,” Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) finally starts to admire Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), but a magical, singing janitor (guest-voiced by Hugh Jackman) changes everything. The Simpsons has been renewed for Season 34.
When Calls the Heart
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Season Finale!
After last year’s divisive Season 8 finale, where Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) chose paramour Lucas (Chris McNally) over Mountie Nathan (Kevin McGarry), this year’s Season 9 finale should bring less rancor.
Lucy Worsley Investigates: “Madness of King George”
PBS, 8pm
How did George III’s mental illness change Britain? And was he really mad? Host Lucy Worsley uncovers royal papers and explores how an assassination attempt on George changed psychiatry forever. Two additional episodes of Lucy Worsley Investigates will premiere on PBS this fall.
Mothers in the Movies — Part 4
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Turner Classic Movies’ Sunday night salute to memorable movies about mothers of various types concludes with tonight’s double feature, which kicks off with director Michael Curtiz’s Best Picture Oscar-nominated film noir/murder mystery Mildred Pierce (1945). Joan Crawford won her only Oscar (for Best Actress) with her portrayal of the title character, a hardworking single mother intent on freeing her children from the stigma of economic hardship, even as the ingratitude of her materialistic firstborn (Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Ann Blyth) pushes the family closer to disaster. Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Eve Arden also stars. Tonight’s second film is Gypsy (1962), the Oscar-nominated musical comedy/drama based on the stage musical that was adapted from burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee’s autobiography. Natalie Wood portrays Gypsy (born Louise Hovick), with Rosalind Russell playing her domineering stage mother, “Mama” Rose Hovick. Karl Malden and Ann Jillian also star.
The Great North
FOX, 8:30pm
Season Finale!
Season 2 of The Great North wraps up with “Papa Don’t Fiend Adventure,” in which the Tobins spend Father’s Day weekend at an RV park and uncover the identity of the Fiend of Family Land. The animated comedy has been picked up for Season 3.
NCIS: Los Angeles
CBS, 9pm
Season Finale!
In the Season 13 finale “Come Together,” the NCIS team hunts for a crew that used military-grade power to rob a Los Angeles casino. NCIS: Los Angeles has been renewed for Season 14.
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
CNN, 9pm
Season Finale!
Season 2 of the travel series hosted by Stanley Tucci concludes with “London,” in which the actor sets out to explore how Italian immigration has transformed the food scene in the British capital that is his adopted hometown. For over a century, Italians in London have found inventive ways to create food so good it is enough to render Tucci speechless.
Billy the Kid: “A Little Bit of Paradise”
EPIX, 9pm
Billy (Tom Blyth), on the move again, ends up in Chihuahua, New Mexico, with a new friend named Segura (Guillermo Alonso). Together, they enjoy several risky escapades, with Billy ultimately risking his life.
Bob’s Burgers
FOX, 9pm
Season Finale!
Tina (voice of Dan Mintz) is on a mission that could get her into a lot of trouble in the Season 12 finale “Some Like It Bot Part 2: Judge-bot Day.” FOX is cooking up a 13th season of Bob’s Burgers.
Rip in Time
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, 9pm
Original Film!
Sarah (Torrey DeVitto) is an organic farmer who meets a man (Niall Matter) named Rip Van Winkle Jr., who claims to be from 1787. Soon, she discovers old-fashioned romantic feelings that might be just as crazy as his story.
Sex & Murder
HLN, beginning at 9pm
Season Finale!
Season 3 concludes with two hourlong episodes beginning at a special time. First, in “Deadly Breakfast Date,” a romantic and scenic early morning boat ride turns deadly when Larry Isenberg falls overboard. Investigators reveal the disappearance of half a million dollars could be motive for murder. Then, in “Murder on the Farm,” investigators peel back the layers of the case when 24-year-old Alex Woodworth was brutally stabbed and left for dead hanging out of the killer’s car.
Two Shallow Graves
Investigation Discovery, 9pm; also streams on discovery+
New Series!
This true-crime docuseries consists of seven episodes airing on Investigation Discovery over three nights beginning this evening with the first three episodes, followed by two episodes each on Monday and Tuesday (episodes are available to stream the same day on discovery+). Two Shallow Graves sheds new light on the case of Charles “Chase” Merritt, who in 2019 went on trial for the murder of his friend and business associate Joseph McStay, McStay’s wife and their two young sons. The prosecution presented incriminating evidence including bank records, cell phone activity and DNA placing Merritt in McStay’s car, but he maintained his innocence, and his defense team suggested another man had motive for murder.
Ridley Road
PBS, 9pm
Series Finale!
As Vivien’s (Agnes O’Casey) deception starts to crumble, she races to secure incriminating evidence against Colin Jordan (Rory Kinnear). Meanwhile, Jack (Tom Varey) faces mortal danger.
The Real Top Gun
Smithsonian Channel, 9pm
Discover the real naval aviation training program behind the Top Gun franchise as we separate truth from fiction. Join us as we enter the classrooms and the cockpits, following the school’s elite flight instructors and naval aviators to discover what it takes to be a real Top Gun fighter pilot.
Family Guy
FOX, 9:30pm
Season Finale!
Family Guy’s milestone 20th season concludes with “Jersey Bore,” in which Peter (voice of Seth MacFarlane) attends a business conference in Atlantic City. The animated comedy will return for Season 21.
S.W.A.T.
CBS, 10pm
Season Finale!
When control of a university chemistry lab is seized, the team races to thwart a devastating terror attack in the Season 5 finale “Farewell.” CBS renewed S.W.A.T. for Season 6.
Nomad With Carlton McCoy: “Ghana”
CNN, 10pm
Host Carlton McCoy heads to the beautiful coastal nation of Ghana, off of West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, to explore a country and region that is experiencing a true renaissance, a transformation that finds the population proudly modernizing without westernizing.
Monday, May 23
Prehistoric Planet
Apple TV+
New Series!
Sir David Attenborough narrates this five-part natural history docuseries that uses the latest paleontological learnings and state-of-the-art technology to transport viewers 66 million years into the past and unveil the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth in an immersive experience. Prehistoric Planet presents little-known and surprising facts about dinosaur life set against the backdrop of Cretaceous environments, from revealing eye-opening details about T. rex parenting techniques, to exploring the mysterious depths of the oceans and the deadly dangers in the sky. A new episode is available daily beginning today and through this Friday, May 27.
Baby Drivers
discovery+
New Series!
This docuseries follows Troy Adams and his famed Adams Motorsports Park, one of the first African American-owned go-kart tracks in the country, and introduces some of the kids behind the wheel here who are aiming to be the next great go-karting superstar.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045
Netflix
Season Premiere!
Season 2 of this 3D computer-animated sci-fi anime series picks up from the mysterious ending of Season 1, and the battle between Public Security Section 9 and a “post-human” threat to humanity has finally begun.
Special Theme: Busby Berkeley
TCM, beginning at 8am
Catch a Classic!
Turner Classic Movies’ final Monday celebration of the work of legendary musical choreographer/director Busby Berkeley concludes with today’s 14-film lineup that runs the gamut from some of his earliest big-screen work to the last films featuring his contributions. First up is the 1932 romantic adventure drama Bird of Paradise, on which Berkeley was an uncredited choreographer for a dance scene. This is followed by three films on which Berkeley served as the overall director: the musical comedies I Live for Love (1935), led by Dolores del Rio, and Bright Lights (1935), starring Joe E. Brown and Ann Dvorak; and She Had to Say Yes (1933), a drama starring Loretta Young that marked Berkeley’s directorial debut. Next are two short films that include highlights of notable Berkeley-staged dance numbers: Three Cheers for the Girls (1943) is a 16-minute showcase of six production numbers from various Warner Bros. musicals, while the 19-minute Calling All Girls (1942) shows the process that Warner Bros. used to select women for the chorus line in movie musicals, presenting as examples clips from 1930s Berkeley production numbers. Moving back into feature film territory, the lineup continues with Born to Sing (1942), featuring a finale with a musical number directed by Berkeley, followed by two early 1950s productions that he choreographed: Two Weeks With Love (1950) and Two Tickets to Broadway (1951). Beginning in primetime and continuing into early tomorrow morning are five films from Berkeley’s later career as a film choreographer: Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), starring Esther Williams; another Williams-led musical, Easy to Love (1953); Small Town Girl (1953), featuring Jane Powell, Farley Granger and Ann Miller; Rose Marie (1954), with Ann Blyth and Howard Keel; and Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962), based on the Rodgers and Hart stage musical, and starring Doris Day, Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye, which was Berkeley’s final film as choreographer.
The Neighborhood
CBS, 8pm
Season Finale!
Come join the Butler family! In the Season 4 finale, sweet younger son Marty is on bended knee before tough boxer girlfriend Necie (Marcel Spears and Chelsea Harris). “Marty is super confident — maybe too confident,” reveals Spears with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure he dreamed about proposing to a woman his whole life.” Dave (Max Greenfield) and Gemma (Beth Behrs) had already helped the engineer with his shopping list: “a ring fit for royalty,” Spears says, “as long as it’s in his budget.” Event planner Chika (guest Gina Yashere) takes the next hurdle: a party honoring “the customs and traditions of Necie’s [Nigerian] family, every single one.” The series has been renewed for Season 5.
All American: “Champagne Glasses”
The CW, 8pm
Season Finale!
After an intense ending to the Halloween party, Spencer (Daniel Ezra) tries his best to compartmentalize everything and focus on the big homecoming game. Much to Laura’s (Monet Mazur) dismay, Billy (Taye Diggs) and Olivia (Samantha Logan) set out on a mission to do what they think is right, which leads them to learn more than they anticipated. Layla (Greta Onieogou) gets an unexpected bombshell at work, Coop (Bre-Z) is at an emotional crossroad, and Asher (Cody Christian) learns the power of adjustments. Meanwhile, Grace (Karimah Westbrook) gets a life-changing offer she may not be able to refuse.
Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
FOX, 8pm
Season Premiere!
Niecy Nash hosts this revival of the musical-memory game show in which contestants try to complete the words to songs for a chance to win $1 million.
NBC Movie of the Week: “Jurassic World”
NBC, 8pm
With Jurassic World: Dominion hitting theaters in less than three weeks, it’s a good time to revisit this 2015 blockbuster that spun Jurassic Park off into the Jurassic World franchise. In the film, things go awry at a high-tech popular theme park when the genetically modified creatures break through the gates and put tourists — and everything else in their way — in grave danger. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard star.
Antiques Roadshow: “Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3”
PBS, 8pm
In the final episode from Virginia’s Colonial Williamsburg, catch captivating appraisals such as a Marvel Silver Age comics collection, a 1969 Rolex Explorer watch and a circa 17th century Tibetan bronze Buddha. Which one is appraised between $30,000 and $100,000?
Bob Hearts Abishola
CBS, 8:30pm
Season Finale!
Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku) steps up her churchgoing to see the magnetic new pastor. And Bob (Billy Gardell) has to do damage control when mom Dottie (Christine Ebersole) hands out upper management bonuses but skips Goodwin (Bayo Akinfemi), the sock company’s star employee. CBS has renewed the comedy for another season.
Better Call Saul
AMC, 9pm
Midseason Finale!
Jimmy McGill’s (Bob Odenkirk) transformation into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman is nearly complete. The final six episodes of the series premiere July 11.
NCIS
CBS, 9pm
Season Finale!
Season 19 of the NCIS franchise’s flagship concludes with “Birds of a Feather,” in which Parker (Gary Cole) is framed for murder. The series has been renewed for its milestone 20th season.
All American: Homecoming: “Irreplaceable”
The CW, 9pm
Season Finale!
As homecoming week continues, Simone (Geffri Maya) grapples with her role on the tennis team and Thea (Camille Hyde) receives some upsetting news. With Coach Marcus (Cory Hardrict) nowhere to be found, an interim coach steps in, which creates conflict for Damon (Peyton Alex Smith) and JR (Sylvester Powell) as they try to win their most important game. Keisha (Netta Walker) throws herself into raising funds for Bringston in the hopes of helping to keep her chosen family together, while Cam (Mitchell Edwards) makes a decision that could have major consequences.
Beat Shazam
FOX, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Host Jamie Foxx is joined by his daughter and deejay Corinne Foxx for Season 5 of the game show that has teams racing against the clock and each other to identify the biggest hit songs of all time.
Two Shallow Graves: “The Desert Ping” & “Where’s Dan?”
Investigation Discovery, beginning at 9pm; also streams on discovery+
Two new hourlong installments of this true-crime docuseries are available today, beginning with “The Desert Ping,” in which Merritt’s phone pings near the desert graves, and authorities wonder whether he buried the bodies or merely visited a sister. Then, “Where’s Dan?” looks into how new DNA evidence found in the graves may reveal who murdered the McStays.
NCIS: Hawai‘i
CBS, 10pm
Season Finale!
In “Ohana,” the second half of a two-part season finale, Capt. Milius (returning guest star Enver Gjokaj) continues to work with Jane (Vanessa Lachey) in the aftermath of the prisoner exchange. The series has been renewed for Season 2.
Independent Lens: “One Child Nation”
PBS, 10pm
China’s one-child policy forever changed the lives of mothers and children. Inspired by the birth of her first child, filmmaker Nanfu Wang returns to China to speak with her mother and brother and explore the ripple effect of this social experiment.
Tuesday, May 24
The Responder
BritBox
New Series!
Martin Freeman stars in this British police procedural that is set in Liverpool and is the first original television project for creator/writer Tony Schumacher, who formerly worked with the police force in Merseyside, the English county in which Liverpool is located. The Responder holds a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing — sometimes darkly funny, sometimes painfully tragic and always challenging. It follows five nights in the life of Chris Carson (Freeman), a crisis-stricken, morally compromised, unconventional urgent response officer (aka “responder”) tackling a series of night shifts on his beat. “A responder is someone who never gives you good news,” Schumacher explains, “somebody who kicks in doors, races round town centers. … When I first joined the police, I remember on my second or third night, an old bobby called Colin said to me, ‘You will never knock on someone’s door and tell them they’ve won the lottery.’ You are only ever going to deliver bad news in this job, so it’s a big responsibility to take on — but conversely, it’s incredibly exciting. Occasionally, you do things that change people’s lives.” Amid that tense backdrop, while trying to keep his head above water both personally and professionally, Carson is forced to take on a new rookie partner, Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo), and both of them soon discover that survival in this high-pressure, relentless nighttime world will depend on them either helping or destroying each other. The Responder aired in the U.K. earlier this year to mostly positive reviews and has been renewed for a second season. — Jeff Pfeiffer
Yo! MTV Raps
Paramount+
New Series!
The groundbreaking hip-hop music video series that originally aired on MTV from 1988-95 is revived and reimagined in this series that offers a comprehensive deep dive into the current state of hip-hop. It features hosted segments from renowned battle rapper Conceited and celebrated deejay DJ Diamond Kuts, along with live performances, cyphers and lifestyle content. The rebooted series kicks off today with an episode about Freddie Gibbs; subsequent new episodes are available Tuesdays. Additionally, 50 of the best archival episodes of the original Yo! MTV Raps are also available to stream on Paramount+.
Sins of the Amish
Peacock
New Series!
This two-part true-crime docuseries offers firsthand accounts from a group of courageous women seeking justice for the violent crimes they experienced while living as members of the Amish and Mennonite communities. Behind the public guise of an idyllic lifestyle lies a sinister world of abuse and mind control, where a woman’s life is made to center around the needs of men at any cost.
TCM Spotlight: Around the World in 80 Movies
TCM, beginning at 6am
Catch a Classic!
This month’s globetrotting Tuesday programming event on Turner Classic Movies that brings viewers to places all around the world through cinema continues. Today’s journey finishes up its tour of Africa before heading to the Middle East and Asia with the following titles set in and/or produced in various countries: Something of Value (1957) (Kenya); Dark of the Sun (1968) (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Mogambo (1953) (French Equatorial Africa); Lovers Courageous (1932) (South Africa); Lawrence of Arabia (1962) (Saudi Arabia); Kismet (1944) (Afghanistan); Exodus (1960) (Israel); Gandhi (1982) (India); Black Narcissus (1947) (Nepal); The Painted Veil (1934) (China); In the Mood for Love (2000) (Hong Kong); The Hook (1963) (South Korea); and Kwaidan (1964) (Japan).
FBI
CBS, 8pm
Season Finale!
FBI’s fourth season concludes with “Prodigal Son.” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine’s (Jeremy Sisto) son Tyler (Caleb Reese Paul) won’t cooperate when the FBI team discovers that one of the deadly robbers who stole a cache of automatic weapons is his classmate. The series has been renewed for Seasons 5 and 6.
Name That Tune
FOX, 8pm
Season Finale!
Season 2 of the musical guessing game closes with the two-part finale “Movie Night” and “Superfan and the Mompreneur.”
Young Rock
NBC, beginning at 8pm
Season Finale!
Season 2 of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s semiautobiographical sitcom concludes with back-to-back half-hour episodes. First, in “You Gotta Get Down to Get Up,” in 1996 Memphis, the WWF sends Dwayne (Uli Latukefu) to Memphis to develop his wrestling skills, and when a booker bullies Downtown Bruno (Ryan Pinkston), Dwayne decides to fight back. Meanwhile, in 2032, candidate Dwayne Johnson’s (Johnson) conflict with Dr. Julien (guest star Sean Astin) comes to a head. Then, in “Let the People Decide,” 2032 candidate Johnson rides the ups and downs of election day; in 1984, Rocky (Joseph Lee Anderson) and Ata (Stacey Leilua) are at a crossroads with their futures in wrestling; in 1987, teenage Dwayne (Bradley Constant) learns that the family is leaving Nashville; and in 1996, Dwayne’s rise through the WWF doesn’t go as planned. The series has been renewed for Season 3.
The Chase: “Handsome, Intelligent, Charming … and Humble”
ABC, 9pm
Brad “The Buzzsaw” Rutter makes his first official appearance of Season 3. As the featured Chaser, Rutter takes on an English professor, medical science liaison and a criminal defense attorney while Sara Haines hosts.
FBI: International
CBS, 9pm
Season Finale!
Stuffed with international intrigue and exotic locations, the third entry in Dick Wolf’s FBI franchise closes out its first season about the Feds’ Budapest-based mobile Fly Team with “a giant global political thriller reminiscent of a great Jason Bourne movie,” says executive producer Derek Haas. “It [involves] the FBI, the CIA and international borders.” There’s also a very personal connection to the team leader, Special Agent Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank). When a private jet carrying American citizens crashes in Poland, one of the casualties is a passenger called Hutchinson — the name on a file that his long-missing mother, supposed traitor Angela Cassidy (Elizabeth Mitchell), requested in a surprising visit: She swore she was actually undercover for the government. As the team looks into a man who missed the flight, Forrester goes rogue and heads to Croatia to get some answers. The show will return for Seasons 2 and 3.
Two Shallow Graves
Investigation Discovery, beginning at 9pm; also streams on discovery+
Series Finale!
The true-crime docuseries concludes with two hourlong episodes. In “The Verdict,” the defense and prosecution present their final arguments with closing statements, and it is now up to the jury to determine guilt or innocence. Then, in “Stay Out of Dodge,” the series finale, Merritt is furious with his attorneys for failing to call an expert witness he believes can prove phone records placing him at the gravesite are “impossible,” while another key figure in the case breaks his silence about the crime.
This Is Us
NBC, 9pm
Series Finale!
When This Is Us premiered in September 2016 to 10.1 million viewers, no one could have imagined what a roller coaster of an emotional ride we were embarking on. After six emotional seasons, the beloved drama comes to its conclusion with “Us.” What is the final fate of the Big Three? The only thing we know is creator Dan Fogelman won’t disappoint.
American Experience: “Plague at the Golden Gate”
PBS, 9pm
More than 100 years before the COVID-19 pandemic set off fear and anti-Asian sentiment, the 1900 outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco’s Chinatown unleashed a similar crisis, with health officials drawing on racist pseudoscience to cover up the threat and protect the city’s burgeoning economy. This film tells the gripping story of the race to save San Francisco and the nation from a deadly plague, while also offering an examination of the relationship between the medical community, city powerbrokers and the Chinese American community.
FBI: Most Wanted
CBS, 10pm
Season Finale!
The third season of FBI: Most Wanted wraps up with “A Man Without a Country.” The Fugitive Task Force chases a desperate Russian oligarch who goes on a terror spree in New York City in an attempt to avoid an impossible situation. CBS has renewed the series for Seasons 4 and 5.
New Amsterdam
NBC, 10pm
Season Finale!
In “I’ll Be Your Shelter,” the Season 4 finale, as a monster hurricane approaches New York, Bloom (Janet Montgomery) and the team scramble to put preparations in place. Meanwhile, Max (Ryan Eggold) and Helen (Freema Agyeman) make plans for an intimate New York wedding as she returns from London; Iggy (Tyler Labine) and Martin (Mike Doyle) reach a crossroads; and Reynolds (Jocko Sims) finally makes contact with his father. The medical drama will return for a fifth and final season.
Rich & Shameless
TNT, 10:30pm
Season Finale!
The true-crime series scrutinizes Peter Nygard, the fashion industry bigwig who, among other transgressions, allegedly used “pamper parties” at his Bahamian estate to target and assault women.
Wednesday, May 25
Somebody Feed Phil
Netflix
Season Premiere!
Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal returns for Season 5 of his series in which he travels the globe to take in local cuisine and culture. This five-episode season finds Phil heading to Oaxaca, Maine, Helsinki, Portland and Madrid.
The Great American Tag Sale With Martha Stewart
ABC, 8pm
Martha Stewart, known for turning everyday living into an art form, is ready to part ways with pieces from her vast collection of furniture, art and housewares in this new one-hour special. She will regale viewers with fond memories of how these beloved items were acquired and offer expert advice on how to execute a successful tag sale. Alongside her team of event planners, Martha will host a series of tag sale events including an exclusive cocktail party for celebrities and neighbors to preview the sale.
Music’s Greatest Mysteries
AXS TV, 8pm
Take a look at the Scorpions’ fight to end the Cold War and other topics in this episode.
Survivor
CBS, 8pm
Season Finale!
Before this breakneck 26-day season ends with a sole survivor winning $1 million, the final five take part in a nail-biter of an immunity challenge that comes down to just one puzzle piece.
The Flash: “The Curious Case of Bartholomew Allen”
The CW, 8pm
The Flash (Grant Gustin) gets blasted with a shockwave forcing his body to age prematurely.
Expedition Unknown
Discovery Channel, 8pm; also streams on discovery+
Season Premiere!
Adventurer Josh Gates is back for an 11th season of venturing into some of the world’s most mysterious places. The season premiere is the first part of a two-episode exploration that brings Gates and his crew into Poland to be the first people since World War II to enter a recently discovered hidden Nazi tunnel inside an extinct volcano. The team makes historic finds as they seek stolen art and uncover other dark secrets hidden away since the end of the war.
MasterChef: Back to Win
FOX, 8pm
Season Premiere!
Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich preside over MasterChef Season 12, dubbed “Back to Win.” MasterChef reopens the door to some of the most memorable and talented cooks in the competition’s history as 20 all-stars get a second chance to prove they have what it takes.
Chicago Med
NBC, 8pm
Season Finale!
The Season 7 finale, “And Now We Come to the End,” finds Will (Nick Gehlfuss) and Hannah (Jessy Schram) clashing over a patient in need of a kidney transplant; Crockett (Dominic Rains) facing a tough decision when Blake (Sarah Rafferty) is in surgery; Ethan (Brian Tee) and Archer (Steven Weber) treating the son of Med’s general counsel; and Med’s family growing. The series has been renewed for an eighth season.
Score by Jerry Goldsmith
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Jerry Goldsmith ranks as one of Hollywood’s most prolific, innovative and influential composers and conductors; over his six-decade career, he scored everything from episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Waltons (along with that series’ theme music) among his television work, to feature films across various genres, including horror movies (like Gremlins and his Oscar-winning score for The Omen), dramas (such as Rudy and his Oscar-nominated score for Patton), thrillers (including Basic Instinct and his Oscar-nominated score for Chinatown), action flicks (such as Rambo: First Blood Part II and Air Force One); sci-fi/fantasy films (his Oscar-nominated scores for the original Planet of the Apes and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, among those); and more. Goldsmith racked up 18 Academy Award nominations and one win over his career, and he is one of only five composers — along with fellow film-scoring legends Elmer Bernstein, Bernard Herrmann, Max Steiner and John Williams — to have had more than one score selected for inclusion on the American Film Institute’s 2005 list of the 25 greatest film scores in American cinema. Tonight’s lineup on Turner Classic Movies celebrates the diversity and enduring legacy of Goldsmith with four films for which he composed the scores. The evening starts with Seven Days in May (1964), director John Frankenheimer’s political thriller, featuring a screenplay by Rod Serling, about a military-political cabal’s planned takeover of the U.S. government. Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March and Ava Gardner star. Up next is the inspired-by-a-true-story prison break classic Papillon (1973), which stars Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, and which earned Goldsmith an Oscar nomination for his emotional score. Following that is a film that boasts one of Goldsmith’s finest scores of the 1980s, and one that earned him yet another Oscar nod: Poltergeist (1982). Producer/cowriter Steven Spielberg’s haunted house thriller is greatly enhanced by Goldsmith’s memorable music, not only through the more exciting and fast-moving parts of the score, but also via the more quietly ominous elements of the movie’s main theme, the simultaneously soothing and creepy, lullaby-like “Carol Anne’s Theme.” The Goldsmith celebration concludes with The Wind and the Lion (1975), the action-packed Sean Connery and Candice Bergen-led war film that boasts another Oscar-nominated score by Goldsmith, who earned praise for incorporating a large and diverse ensemble of instruments for this music, including many from Morocco, the movie’s setting.
The American Rescue Dog Show
ABC, 9pm
The American Rescue Dog Show is the preeminent dog competition featuring rescued companions as they strut their fluff, competing for a slew of “best in” titles while stealing America’s hearts. In the two-hour special, rescued dogs from all across the country will compete in seven categories including Best in Underbite, Best in Snoring, Best in Belly Rubs and more.
Expedition X
Discovery Channel, 9pm; also streams on discovery+
Season Premiere!
In Season 5 of adventurer Josh Gates’ Expedition Unknown spinoff series, Gates and his team of investigators continue to explore the stranger side of the unknown. The premiere episode kicks off in the notorious Ring of Fire, where scientist Phil Torres and paranormal researcher Jessica Chobot investigate videos and eyewitness reports of mysterious objects flying around Mexico’s tallest active volcano. Later, Phil and Jess test a bold scientific theory at the site of America’s deadliest avalanche and train wreck, where witnesses report bizarre apparitions and rumors swirl about a shocking coverup.
Buy It or Build It: “Making a Modern Farmhouse”
HGTV, 9pm
Alex and Dave need a new home and are open to either buying it or building it. Their dream is to have an open floor plan with a rustic modern kitchen and space to entertain. Calvin and Chris LaMont want to deliver everything on their wish list on time and on budget, but that becomes easier said than done.
Chicago Fire
NBC, 9pm
Season Finale!
In the Season 10 finale, “The Magnificent City of Chicago,” the big wedding day arrives, and Firehouse 51 welcomes Casey (Jesse Spencer) back to celebrate the joyous occasion. Meanwhile, Emma’s (Caitlin Carver) plans to replace Violet (Hanako Greensmith) come to a shocking end. The drama will return for Season 11.
NOVA: “Ice Age Footprints”
PBS, 9pm
Thousands of prehistoric footprints left by Ice Age humans and animals stretch for miles across the blinding white surfaces of New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. In this episode, find out how this phenomenal collection of prints preserves a unique series of snapshots of life and behavior, capturing moments when humans crossed paths with extinct beasts and providing important new evidence about the peopling of the Americas.
Josh Gates Tonight
Discovery Channel, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Discovery’s Wednesday evening Josh Gates programming lineup concludes with the Season 5 premiere of Gates’ talk show, which features an eclectic group of celebrity guests, original cocktails and trademark excursions into the field, as well as Gates’ insights into his Expedition Unknown and Expedition X adventures. Guests this season include Evangeline Lilly, LeVar Burton and more.
Chicago P.D.
NBC, 10pm
Season Finale!
In the ninth season finale, “You and Me,” after an explosion rocks the case, the team scrambles to finally take down Escano (José Zúñiga) as everyone nears their breaking point. The series has been renewed for Season 10.
Colombia — Wild and Free
PBS, 10pm
Series Finale!
The series finale, “From the Pacific to the Andes,” journeys to the largely uninhabited Pacific coast of Colombia, where humpback whales give birth and fish hunt crabs in the mangrove forests. It then ascends to snow-capped Andean volcanoes, which are home to stunning spectacled bears, condors and hummingbirds.
Thursday, May 26
The Unauthorized History of the Vietnam War
FOX Nation
Chief political anchor Bret Baier showcases how the Vietnam War left an indelible mark on a generation of Americans and changed the course of human events across the globe. New evidence provides a different perspective on key events and pivotal decisions from the largely misunderstood conflict.
Fight or Flight
discovery+
New Series!
For more than 15 years, Bollywood-star-turned-human-rights-advocate Somy Ali and her groundbreaking nonprofit No More Tears have rescued thousands of men, women and children from domestic violence and sex trafficking. Now, this unflinching docuseries intimately follows Somy’s intense, complex and sometimes heartbreaking work as she illustrates the horrors and frequency of abuse, profiling the very real dangers and emotional impact of transforming a victim into a survivor. In every episode, the clock is ticking as she works with real victims. It’s a race against time to extricate them from the situations they seek to escape; secure legal, medical and educational counsel; and find them a safe place to stay while working alongside them to rebuild their lives. Viewers will go along with Somy as she navigates the best way to help these victims, experiences the emotional highs and lows of advocacy, and discusses her own journey as she reckons with her traumatic past and the abuse she herself suffered as a young woman. The first three episodes are available today; subsequent new episodes are available Thursdays.
Mountain Trails
discovery+
This immersive program takes viewers on excursions to key mountain ranges around the world.
Look at Me: XXXTentacion
Hulu
This documentary explores how Florida teenager Jahseh Onfroy became SoundCloud rapper XXXTENTACION, one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. Through frank commentary from family, friends and romantic partners, and unseen archival footage, director Sabaah Folayan offers a sensitive portrayal of an artist whose acts of violence, raw musical talent and open struggles with mental health left an indelible mark on his generation before his death at the age of 20.
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark
Netflix
This 44-minute special serves as a teaser for the upcoming eight-episode series of the same name that is slated to premiere on Netflix this September. The special and the series are created with 3D computer animation and follow My Little Pony’s Mane 5 on a journey of self-discovery through action-packed, hilarious and heartfelt stories. Featured among the voice cast is Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, star of Netflix’s hit series Never Have I Ever.
The Dreamers
Sundance Now
New Series!
This hit crime/comedy series from Israel is set in 2008 against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Gaza Strip. It tells the story of three young Palestinian students — Warda (Maisa Abd Elhadi), Kayes (Riyad Sliman) and Salah (Aiman Daw) — who travel to Tel Aviv and try to establish a new and liberated Palestinian community for themselves. When they attempt to buy drugs and get high at the end of a long day, they find themselves caught in a drug deal with a Palestinian crime family who ultimately see the three indebted students as ideal accomplices for getting their goods distributed among local youth. This gets them into trouble with the local crime world, the police and their own families. The trio realizes that, in order to unload the drugs, they have to create the “new Palestinian scene.” In their own unique way, they decide to initiate an anti-war protest in the form of a large music festival featuring Jews and Palestinians together. In the process, they create a historic moment in the Palestinian and Jewish underground scene. The series is in Arabic and Hebrew languages, with English subtitles. All 10 episodes are available today.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Second Round
ESPN, beginning at 7pm Live
A pair of Stanley Cup playoffs conference semifinal games air tonight on ESPN.
Grey’s Anatomy: “Out for Blood/You Are the Blood”
ABC, 8pm
Season Finale!
In Hour 1 of the two-part season finale, Grey Sloan Memorial is setting up a voluntary donation center due to a blood shortage. Meanwhile, Nick (Scott Speedman) asks Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) for help with his patient, and Winston (Anthony Hill) is hung up on his relationship with his brother. In Hour 2, Meredith makes a risky decision regarding a patient, and Owen’s (Kevin McKidd) actions to help his fellow veterans come to light.
MasterChef Junior Edition: “The Restaurant Takeover”
FOX, 8pm
The top six junior chefs put their professional skills to the test during a restaurant takeover at the luxury hotel NoMad in downtown Los Angeles in the new episode “The Restaurant Takeover.”
Celebrity Escape Room
NBC, 8pm
In celebration of the Red Nose Day fundraising initiative to raise awareness of, and money to help combat, child poverty, NBC airs a rebroadcast of this hourlong special starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Adam Scott.
This Old House: “Saratoga Springs: Raise the Roof”
PBS, 8pm
The original foundation of the house in Saratoga Springs needs repainting; a steel beam is installed in the new basement; trends in plumbing fixtures are explored; and a truss system is the solution for the third-floor living space, which leads to a visit to the manufacturer.
Star of the Month: Anna May Wong
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Thursday night celebration of the films of pioneering Asian American actress Anna May Wong concludes tonight with three of her later movies. First is the network premiere of Lady From Chungking (1942). This was produced during a period when Wong was not making many movies, instead focusing her attention on events and appearances in support of China’s struggle against Japan; while Japan’s war with the United States was just beginning in 1942, its military aggression toward China had been ongoing since the ’30s and was a cause toward which Wong was passionate about bringing attention. Lady From Chungking was one of two anti-Japanese propaganda war films she starred in that year, donating her salary from both toward relief for China. In its tale of Chinese guerrillas fighting against Japanese occupiers, Lady From Chungking differs from the many other war films that filled theaters during this time in that the Chinese characters are portrayed as empowered heroes rather than victims awaiting rescue by Americans; in fact, one of the plotlines here finds the guerrillas, led by Wong’s character, trying to rescue two downed American pilots from Japanese custody. Wong did not appear in another film until seven years later, when she took on a small role as a housekeeper in tonight’s next movie, the B-movie film noir Impact (1949). In the 1950s, Wong went on another movie hiatus and instead focused on television appearances — including as the title character in the 1951 detective drama The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong, the first U.S. television series with an Asian American as the lead. She returned to the big screen in tonight’s final film in TCM’s lineup: Portrait in Black, a 1960 thriller led by Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn that marked Wong’s final film appearance.
Welcome to Flatch
FOX, 9pm
Season Finale!
Back-to-back episodes wrap up Season 1 of Welcome to Flatch tonight. In “Pyramid Scheme,” Kelly (Holmes) accidentally gets involved in a green juice pyramid scheme. Then in “Merry Flatchmas,” disaster ensues when Kelly is put in charge of the Flatch Christmas celebration. FOX has renewed Welcome to Flatch for Season 2.
Windy City Rehab: “Suburban Jungle”
HGTV, 9pm
Alison Victoria takes on a project to rescue her clients from a bad floor plan in the Chicago suburb of Evanston. She will have to juggle a huge budget, tight timelines and demanding homeowners as she struggles to keep the renovation on track.
Alone
History, 9pm
Season Premiere!
In Season 9 of this survival competition series, for the first time ever, 10 contestants fight to survive in the bitter wilderness of Labrador, on Canada’s northeast shores — a location known as a hunting ground for polar bears. In “Drop Shock,” the 90-minute premiere episode, shortly after dropoff, the survivalists are forced to make quick decisions in the face of imminent bad weather. One participant finds creative ways to make a home, while another faces pressure early as a predator encircles their camp.
Bull
CBS, 10pm
Series Finale!
The legal drama starring Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull of the Trial Analysis Corporation concludes tonight after six seasons with the series finale “Goodbye.”
Kings of Pain
History, 10:30pm
Season Premiere!
Wildlife biologist Adam Thorn and professional animal handler “Caveman” Rob Alleva are back for Season 2, continuing their scientific journey to get bitten and stung by some of the most dangerous creatures in the world to create history’s complete and comprehensive guide to pain that will ultimately help save lives. In the season premiere episode, “The Scorpion King,” the men take on America’s biggest and deadliest scorpions, resulting in a hugely painful wake-up call.
Friday, May 27
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Apple TV+
Season Premiere!
The Emmy-winning series returns for Season 5, and over the first few installments, the stars sharing a car, singing along to their personal playlists and embarking on adventures, include Simu Liu and Jessica Henwick; White Lotus costars Murray Bartlett, Alexandra Daddario and Sydney Sweeney; Anitta and Saweetie; Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott, who first met on Carpool Karaoke; CM Punk, Britt Baker, Christian Cage, Bryan Danielson, MJF, Will Hobbs and Ruby Soho of All Elite Wrestling; and Marc, Heidi, Dixie and Charli D’Amelio. Additional episodes will debut later this year.
Helpsters
Apple TV+
Season Premiere!
Season 3 of the award-winning live-action preschool series from the makers of Sesame Street features guest appearances from Bradley Cooper, James Monroe Iglehart, Daphne Rubin-Vega and more.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney+
New Series!
Ewan McGregor reprises his role as Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader in this six-episode Star Wars series, set 10 years after the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Kenobi lives in exile in the deserts of Tatooine, keeping watch over young Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely) as he’s raised by Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Aunt Beru (Bonnie Piesse). Meanwhile, the Empire has assembled an elite group of warriors, the Inquisitors, to hunt down Kenobi and the few Jedi who escaped the Purge. Rupert Friend, Benny Safdie, Indira Varma, Kumail Nanjiani, Simone Kessell, Moses Ingram and Sung Kang also star. The first two episodes are available today; subsequent new episodes will be available Wednesdays beginning June 1.
We Feed People
Disney+
Following a festival run that began at this year’s SXSW, this feature documentary from National Geographic and director Ron Howard makes its small-screen premiere on Disney+. The film follows renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés and his inspirational World Central Kitchen as they travel the globe responding to crises the best way they know how: using the power of food to nourish the world.
Shoresy
Hulu
New Series!
This half-hour comedy is a spinoff of Letterkenny, with Jared Keeso reprising the fan-favorite title character.
Stranger Things
Netflix
Season Premiere!
The first half of Season 4 (the second half premieres on July 1) of the penultimate season of Stranger Things picks up six months after the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Separated for the first time, the young heroes struggle with high school as a new and terrifying supernatural threat surfaces. Stars David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer and Joe Keery.
Kick Like Tayla
Prime Video
This Australian Amazon Original documentary celebrates the career of one of that country’s most recognizable athletes, Australian rules footballer and pro boxer Tayla Harris, as she strives for sporting greatness amid ever-increasing media and social scrutiny, including sexist online harassment. With unprecedented access into her life, the hourlong film chronicles the public and personal challenges Harris has faced, and both she and her inner circle provide insights into how she has chosen to use her platform as a power for good.
Quest for the Stanley Cup
ESPN+, 2pm
Season Premiere!
Season 7 of this docuseries takes a behind-the-scenes look at the remaining eight NHL playoff teams vying for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup — Calgary Flames, Caroline Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning. New episodes air Fridays at this time through July 8.
The Prison Breaker
Investigation Discovery, beginning at 8pm
New Series!
This four-part series, with all four hourlong episodes airing back-to-back tonight (episodes previously streamed on discovery+), tells the true story of fugitive Richard McNair. McNair’s friends and family, the law enforcement officers he betrayed and the journalists pursuing the truth recall the man’s 1992 jailbreak and his astonishing time on the run.
Mom Made Me Do It
LMN, 8pm
Original Film!
Star student Jade (Lizzie Boys) and her mother Frida (Kate Drummond), a crime author, have a great relationship. But when she discovers Frida’s secret financial problems, Jade joins her bad-boy crush Rick (Tyson Arner) in a series of high-profile burglaries that net enough cash to pay off Frida’s debts. However, when she tries to quit the criminal world, Rick’s gang has other ideas — and now both Jade and Frida must fight for their very lives.
The Blacklist
NBC, 8pm
Season Finale!
It was Marvin Gerard (Fisher Stevens)! Now that Reddington (James Spader) knows his lawyer was behind the death of his beloved Elizabeth (Megan Boone) and the blackmail of ex-task force chief Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix), “Red wants to kill Marvin for what he did to Liz,” says executive producer John Eisendrath. “Cooper will go to prison, unless he can capture Marvin and make a case against him.” So Cooper and Red have the same target — but conflicting agendas. Who will get to Marvin first? Whatever happens, Eisendrath says, “the season ends with a revelation that puts Reddington in greater peril than ever before!” The series has been renewed for Season 10.
Memorial Day Movie Marathon
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Starting tonight, and running all the way through Memorial Day (Monday, May 30) into the early morning hours of May 31, Turner Classic Movies airs a nonstop, 82-hour marathon of memorable war and military-themed films to commemorate the holiday on which Americans remember the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. The weekend’s complete lineup of movies beginning tonight, in order, features the following titles: Friday, May 27 (primetime and late-night) — Twelve O’Clock High (1949); The Young and the Brave (1963); Battleground (1949); Go for Broke! (1951); Torpedo Run (1958). Saturday, May 28 (beginning early morning and running all day through late-night) — Darby’s Rangers (1958); Flying Leathernecks (1951); Thunder Afloat (1939); For Me and My Gal (1942); See Here, Private Hargrove (1944); Up Periscope (1959); Attack (1956); From Here to Eternity (1953); Fighter Squadron (1948); Bad Day at Black Rock (1955, airing as part of the Noir Alley programming block); Breakthrough (1950); Hell to Eternity (1960). Sunday, May 29 (beginning early morning and running all day through late-night) — Ace of Aces (1932); They Were Expendable (1945); Bad Day at Black Rock (encore Noir Alley showing); The Great Escape (1963); The Steel Helmet (1951); Action in the North Atlantic (1943); December 7 (1943); Destination Tokyo (1943); The Red Badge of Courage (1951); The Big Parade (1925, airing as part of the Silent Sunday Nights programming block); The Cranes Are Flying (1957); Imitation General (1958). Monday, May 30 (beginning early morning and running all day through late-night) — Till the End of Time (1946); Battle of the Bulge (1965); One Minute to Zero (1952); Merrill’s Marauders (1962); The Naked and the Dead (1958); Sergeant York (1941); The Longest Day (1962); Bataan (1943); The Dirty Dozen (1967); Take the High Ground (1953).
Vacation House Rules: “Historic Lodge”
HGTV, 9pm
Husband and wife Sean and Cindy have a 150-year-old cabin that they are hoping could help generate some additional income. But with so much work to be done, they lean on contractor Scott McGillivray and designer Debra Salmoni to help preserve the historic feel and create a classic homestead experience for renters.
Great Performances: “Keeping Company With Sondheim”
PBS, 9pm
This documentary, airing as part of Great Performances’ “Broadway’s Best” lineup, explores the legacy of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Company. Filmed over two years, it takes an inside look at director Marianne Elliott’s creative process in bringing the reimagined gender-swapped production to Broadway during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film features rehearsal and performance footage, plus new interviews with Elliott, stars Katrina Lenk and Patti LuPone, Sondheim (who passed in late 2021) and members of the original 1970 cast.
Saturday, May 28
Heroes Honor Festival
FOX Nation
This Memorial Day, FOX Nation will live stream the Heroes Honor Festival to celebrate our valiant Vietnam veterans and listen to Toby Keith and more musical artists sing about America from Daytona Beach, Florida.
MLB Baseball
FS1 & FOX, beginning at 4pm Live
FS1 airs an afternoon MLB matchup with the Cleveland Guardians at the Detroit Tigers. FOX’s primetime regional game has the L.A. Dodgers at the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Philadelphia Phillies at the N.Y. Mets or the Chicago Cubs at the Chicago White Sox.
Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse
Cartoon Network, 6pm
Exclusive Film Premiere!
This movie reunites the heroes from DC Comics’ animated series Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls for an epic adventure. With the help of an ancient Kryptonian power, Lex Luthor unites the world’s supervillains to capture all of Earth’s superheroes until only the Super Hero Girls are left to stop Luthor and his Legion of Doom. They must cross dimensions to rescue their fellow superheroes from the Phantom Zone, but a fortuitous wrong turn leads them to Titans Tower, where they find much-needed allies in the Teen Titans.
Murdoch Mysteries: “Rawhide Ralph” & “It’s a Wonderful Game”
Ovation, beginning at 7pm
In “Rawhide Ralph,” when Harry Murdoch (Stephen McHattie) comes to visit, he and Ogden (Hélène Joy) are abducted by one of Murdoch’s (Yannick Bisson) crazed foes. Then, in “It’s a Wonderful Game,” Murdoch and his colleagues attend a charity basketball game where the coach is murdered. Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse makes a special guest appearance in this episode.
Old
HBO, 8pm
Imagine the Yelp review for the tropical beach in this thriller: “Perfect and secluded, but our visit felt like it was over in seconds.” No wonder — in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest, a dozen vacationers inexplicably age one year every 30 minutes!
Renovation Goldmine: “Original to Outstanding”
HGTV, 8pm
Joe and Meg Piercy break down the walls to give a Tudor-style home an updated layout that’s more practical for a family of five. Then, they must figure out how to rework the first floor of a couple’s historic greystone without losing their sentimental furniture.
I Won’t Let You Go
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
Angela West has always wanted a family, and now that she has one with her devoted husband, Keith, she couldn’t be happier. When an ex-boyfriend starts stalking her, Angela turns to Keith for protection. But no matter what she tries, she can’t seem to shake the stalker who is ruining her life. Paniz Zade and Luke Humphrey star. Inspired by true events.
Jeremiah Johnson
MOVIES!, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
If all you’ve seen of Robert Redford’s 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson is the ubiquitous “bearded guy nodding approvingly” clip from the movie that has been used as a popular internet reaction meme for about a decade, here’s your chance to check out the full, compelling source material. In director Sydney Pollack’s film — the first Western to ever be accepted into the Cannes Film Festival, where it was in competition for the highest prize, the Palme d’Or — Redford plays the title character, a veteran of the Mexican-American War who becomes an isolated mountain man enduring cruel winters alone in the Rockies, supporting himself as a trapper while engaged in a personal war with the Crow warriors responsible for the deaths of his common-law wife and adopted son. Based partly on the life of real-life mountain man John Jeremiah Johnson, the film features terrific location filming shot in many areas across Utah.
Transplant: “Scars”
NBC, 8pm
After a few weeks off, the Canadian medical drama returns with new episodes and moves to Saturday nights to round out its second season, beginning with this episode in which Bash’s (Hamza Haq) past weighs heavily on him as he fights for an emancipated teenager with a failing kidney; Mags (Laurence Leboeuf) treats a baby with a complicated heart condition; Theo (Jim Watson) is surprised by a young asthma patient’s brazen mother; and, after a patient’s parent makes waves, Bishop (John Hannah) advises Bash to play it safe.
Everything But the House
HGTV, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Clean up and cash in! Appraisers scour a New Jersey widow’s home from attic to basement in search of treasure to auction.
Portals to Hell: “Kreischer Mansion”
Travel Channel, 10pm; also streams on discovery+
Katrina takes Jack to Kreischer Mansion in Staten Island, New York, where a past paranormal experience has left her searching for answers. A new spirit has taken up residence since her last visit, but it may not be what the new owners think it is.