Vinnie Chase flopped with his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in a fake film called “Medellin” on “Entourage,” and there have been a number of other films about the Columbian drug lord and some being made including two different ones in the making one with Javier Bardem, the other with Tom Cruise. But they’ll all have to beat “Narcos” (Netflix, streaming), the new series from Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padilha that traces the beginnings of the empire from small scale Latin American smuggling to full scale global cartel.
The key to the success is both the series format that allows the story to spread out, the writing of Padilha who displays how Escobar’s blend of charm and menace led him to be so powerful in his country, the remarkably controlled performance of Brazilian actor Wagner Moura in the lead role, and the laconic narration providing the point of view of the saga — a DEA agent (Boyd Holbrook) who sees his work in Miami go from chasing pot-selling hippies to gun-toting Colombians.
The best of “Narcos” brings to mind the complex storylines and turf wars from “Breaking Bad,” delivered in a way that makes the recent history even more compelling. And because all of its episodes drop at once, it can be addictive as the drug they’re packaging.
On “Great Performances” (PBS, 9 p.m.) Zubin Mehta conducts the Vienna Philharmonic at Austria’s Schonbrunn Palace Gardens.
A third season finale comes with a big mission on “Defiance” (Syfy, 8 p.m.). A two part episode also closes the season on “Dark Matter” (Syfy, 9 p.m.).
Rick Santorum, Wendy Davis, Robert Costa, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Michael Weiss are guests on “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Dean Cain presents another raft of magicians in “Masters of Illusion” (The CW, 8 p.m.).
The problem for the “Treehouse Masters” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.) going to Nebraska is trying to find a tree out there.
It’s 24 hours of Ingrid Bergman on Turner Classic Movies with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (6 a.m.), “Under Capricorn” (8 a.m.), “Stromboli” (10 a.m.), “Journey to Italy” (11:45 a.m.), “Fear” (1:15 p.m.), “Elena and Her Men” (2:45 p.m.), “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweller” (4:30 p.m.), “Autumn Sonata” (6:15 p.m.), “Casablanca” (8 p.m.), “Gaslight” (10 p.m.), “Europa ’51” (midnight), “Rage in Heaven” (2 a.m.) and “Saratoga Trunk” (3:30 a.m.).
Preseason football has Detroit at Jacksonville (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Baseball includes Red Sox at Mets (MLB, 7:10 p.m.) and Cubs at Dodgers (MLB, 10:10 p.m.).
In the WNBA its Los Angeles at Tulsa (NBA, 8 p.m.) and San Antonio at Seattle (NBA, 10 p.m.). Second round play contines at The Barclays (Golf, 2 p.m.).
Canadian football has Toronto at Edmonton (ESPN2, 9 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Joe Manganiello, Common, Kate McKinnon. The View: Carly Fiorina, Aziz Ansari, JoAnna Garcia Swisher (rerun). The Talk: Vin Diesel, Boy George, Jenny Hutt, Alejandra Schrader (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Idina Menzel, Adam Lambert (rerun). Wendy Williams: Chanel Iman (rerun). Meredith Vieira: Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Paula Deen, Mario Lopez, Courtney Mazza (rerun).
Late Talk
Jimmy Kimmel: Johnny Knoxville, Steph Curry, Kelly Clarkson (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Barbra Streisand (rerun). Seth Meyers: Ice-T, Coco, Lucy Hale, Andy Daly, Brad Wilk (rerun). James Corden: Jim Gaffigan, Shiri Appleby, Best Coast (rerun). Carson Daly: Paul F. Tompkins, Misterwives, Billy Corben (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Mark Ruffalo (rerun).