Black History Month closes out with the musical special ”Black Broadway: A Proud History, A Limitless Future” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings). Recorded at Howard University last fall, it features performances including Stephanie Mills, Nova Payton, Corbin Bleu,Tiffany Mann and Peppermint, pictured above, singing from shows like “The Wiz,” “The Color Purple,” “Company,” “Porgy […]
Monthly Archives: February 2023
Capital Radio 2-27: Steinbeck, Train Wrecks
The birthday of John Steinbeck brings a lot of songs associated with his literary output. We remember Chuck Jackson who died Feb. 16, including a couple of his singles written by Burt Bacharach, who also died this month. The Ohio train disaster brought back a bunch of classic train wreck songs, from the “Wreck of […]
Monday TV: The Legacy of Black Cowboys
One more story before Black History Month ends: “American’s Hidden Stories: The Black Wild West” (Smithsonian, 9 p.m.) about the sheer number of American cowboys at the end of the 19th century — estimated to be one in four. “NCIS” (CBS, 9 p.m.) reaches its 450th episode. The finale of “America’s Got Talent: All Stars” […]
Sunday TV: Final Season for ‘The Blacklist’
James Spader dons his hat for the last time as the 10th and final season for “The Blacklist” (NBC, 10 p.m.) begins on a new night. Anya Banerjee joins the cast, whose returning members also include Diego Klattenhoff, Hisham Tawfiq and Harry Lennix. Season finales come for two first season shows: “1923” (Paramount+, streaming) and […]
Saturday TV: 54th NAACP Image Awards
The 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards (BET, MTV, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Paramount, POP, Smithsonian, TV Land, 8 p.m.) are presented live from Pasadena. Queen Latifah hosts. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” leads nominations with 12, followed by “Abbot Elementary” with nine. Among those receiving special awards are Gabrielle Union, Dwayne Wade and Rep. Bennie G. […]
Friday TV: ‘Party Down’ Comes Back
Few comebacks are as welcome as that of “Party Down” (Starz, 9 p.m.), the beloved two season catering comedy from more than a decade ago that returns with its stellar cast of Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr and Megan Mullally. Alas, Lizzy Caplan couldn’t fit it in her schedule, but new cast […]
Thursday TV: ‘Black Snow’ Cold Case
Travis Fimmel of “Vikings” stars in the new series “Black Snow” (Sundance Now, AMC+, streaming) playing a cold case investigator looking into the death of a teen 15 years earlier that shook the Australian South Sea Islander community Apple’s first French- and English-language series is a six-episode thriller “Liaison” (Apple TV+, streaming), starring Vincent Cassel […]
Wednesday TV: More, More Murdaugh
There probably couldn’t be a better time to introduce yet another new documentary series involving a sinisterly powerful family in South Carolina’s Low Country. “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” (Netflix, streaming) has another advantage: full cooperation of the young people who survived the deadly boat crash by the young Murdaugh that begins the complicated tale […]
Tuesday TV: Listening to Young Ukraine
The former music channel pauses its “Ridiculousness” and “Teen Mom” (MTV, 8 p.m.) reruns with a timely report on a group of teenage refugees from Ukraine a year after the invasion there in the documentary “Don’t Leave Me Behind: Stories of Young Ukrainian Survival” (MTV, 10 p.m.). Back-to-back episodes conclude the documentary series “Fight the […]
Capital Radio 2-20: Mardi Gras, Presidents
The death last week of Huey “Piano” Smith at 89 brought to light how much he brought to the New Orleans sound, just in time for Mardi Gras. He also played piano on key tracks from Smiley Lewis to Little Richard, and his “We Like Birdland” echoed years later in Patti Smith’s debut. Saluted Tugroy […]