Thursday TV: Smart People Are Tested
It’s the unusual night on TV where being smart counts. First the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee (ESPN, 10 a.m., 8 p.m.) has its finals today at National Harbor, four…
Wednesday TV: Pines, Ever Wayward
“Wayward Pines” (Fox, 9 p.m.) winds its way back for a second season. Produced by M. Night Shyamalan, it told the story in Blake Crouch's series of books in season…
Tuesday TV: Profiting from the Hurricane
Who made money from Hurricane Sandy? A number of insurance companies for one, according to a new report on “Frontline” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) titled “Business of Disaster.”…
Puppet Takeover at Helen Hayes Awards
Constellation Theatre’s adult puppet musical “Avenue Q” swept the 32nd annual Helen Hayes Awards honoring professional theater in Washington, D.C., on Monday with seven awards including outstanding musical. Two other…
Stage Review: Robin Hood in a Bar
Close-up magic, where the cards and tricks fly right under a viewer’s nose, is always quite effective. So why not close-up theater? That’s what’s going on in the Petworth bar…
Monday TV: Prisoners, Shows Return
The 29th season of “POV” (PBS, 10 p.m.) starts with an in-depth look at the result of prison reform, specifically the “three strikes” law adopted in California more than 20…
‘Preacher,’ Latest Comic Book Adaptation
AMC must buy its blood by the tanker truck. So after amassing huge audiences for “The Walking Dead,” it’s about to spill some more, amid explosions, elaborate fights and other…
Also On Sunday: Billboard Music Awards
Ludacris and Ciara co-host the three hour Billboard Music Awards (ABC, 8 p.m.) from Las Vegas, where performers include Demi Lovato, Meghan Tranor, Rihanna, Fifth harmony, Justin Bieber, DNCE, the…
As LBJ, Cranston Goes ‘All the Way’
Bryan Cranston already won a Tony for his work portraying President Lyndon Baines Johnson on Broadway. He goes a step further in the film version of “All the Way” (HBO,…
Also on Saturday: Insurance Adjusters
Who says insurance isn’t an intriguing field? Well, most everybody. But there have been a few films about insurance investigators. Turner Classic Movies has four of them: “Double Indemnity” (8…