Thursday TV: Final Glimpses of Bill Paxton
It’s sad that the last work Bill Paxton was doing when he died Saturday at 61 was the terrible “Training Day” (CBS, 10 p.m.). The show’s first season was complete,…
Wednesday TV: ‘National Treasure,’ UConn
Robbie Coltrane, who himself portrayed a beloved character in movies (Hagrid!) portrays half of a beloved UK comedy team in “National Treasure” (Hulu, streaming) who is suddenly the target of…
Tuesday TV: ‘Thank God for Jokes’
In his latest stand up special, “Mike Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes” (Netflix, streaming), he talks about the limits of humor among his many routines. But the director and star…
Monday TV: Ambitious ‘When We Rise’
“When We Rise” (ABC, 9 p.m.) is a high minded and generally recommended history of the gay rights movement, a sincere effort by Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter of “Milk” to…
Sunday TV: Oscars and Surrounding Hype
The practically unflappable Jimmy Kimmel hosts The 89th Academy Awards (ABC 8:30 p.m.) and he’ll probably do a pretty good job. “La La Land” leads all films with 14 nominations, tying…
Saturday TV: Independent Spirit Awards
The best thing about Oscar weekend for true film buffs is the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards (IFC, 5 p.m.), shining a line on less well known films of the…
Friday TV: Quirky New ‘Patriot’
The appealing new “Patriot” (Amazon, streaming) takes a quirky road to spy thriller as an intelligence officer played by Michael Dorman goes undercover, just barely makes his assignment to pose…
Thursday TV: ‘Sun Records’ Gets a Spin
I was the worst audience for the hit musical “Million Dollar Quartet” despite my love for the music, because I had serious issues with all its changed details about the…
Tuesday TV: Maya Angelou’s Long Life
More than a year after it premiered at Sundance, “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” gets a Black History Month showcase on “American Masters” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings).…
Monday TV: ‘The Talk’ and ‘The Breaks’
Most black and Latino parents have to, at some point, sit down their children, especially their sons, and have “the talk.” That is to say, how to behave when stopped…