‘Murders’ Finale, ‘Shadows’ Spoofs HGTV, ‘Cinderella’ Reunion, BritBox’s True-Crime ‘Thief’

Hulu’s Emmy-nominated Only Murders in the Building reveals who done it in the Season 2 finale. What We Do in the Shadows mercilessly spoofs the HGTV home-renovation genre. ABC celebrates the BrandyWhitney Houston Cinderella 25 years later with a reunion special and a replay. Ray Donovan’s Eddie Marsan stars as a man who (badly) fakes his death in the fact-based The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe.

Only Murders in the Building
Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

Only Murders in the Building

Season Finale

Winking at itself to the end, the Emmy-nominated mystery-comedy wraps its second season by throwing a killer reveal party at the Arconia. All are invited, and much will be explained in a classic Agatha Christie-style denouement—by way of Inspector Clouseau. Lots of self-referential jokes about finales (someone remarks it’s all “very end of a Scooby Doo episode”) as Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) show they have a few more tricks up their sleeve. And don’t be surprised when another fatal act sets up Season 3. Can’t wait.

Matt Berry in What We Do in the Shadows - Season 3
Russ Martin/FX

What We Do in the Shadows

In another brilliant outing for TV’s funniest vampires, their crumbling Staten Island manor becomes the latest project for the fictional home-improvement show Go Flip Yourself—hosted by the unctuous Dalton Brothers (played by the Sklar brothers, Jason and Randy). As the spot-on spoof of HGTV-style TV ensues, the bros are welcomed by super-fan Laszlo (Matt Berry), though not so much by Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), until they tempt her with a gold-plated “throne.” They’re not lying when they call this their “toughest renovation yet,” starting with the pervasive smell of sulfur with “notes of decomposing animals.” And don’t get loyal human sidekick Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) started on their plans to open the place up to “tons of natural light.”

Victor Garber, Brandy Norwood, Whoopi Goldberg in Cinderella
© ABC /Courtesy Everett Collection

Cinderella: The Reunion

Special

Today’s “time flies” moment: It has been 25 years since The Wonderful World of Disney premiered its charmingly color-blind production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Brandy and the late Whitney Houston (as the Fairy Godmother) to an audience of some 60 million viewers. To mark the anniversary, ABC replays the movie (at 9/8c), preceded by a reunion special featuring interviews with original cast members, behind-the-scenes footage of Houston and commentary from entertainers influenced by the groundbreaking production, including Billy Porter and Todrick Hall.

The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe

Series Premiere

Ray Donovan’s Eddie Marsan stars in a bizarre and oddly affecting four-part true-crime drama as John Darwin, who faked his death in a canoe accident back in 2002 for the insurance money rather than subject himself and his loved ones to “the shame of bankruptcy.” This Darwin is a delusional figure, living above his means until the bailiffs come calling, and his well-meaning mania is balanced by the heart-tugging pathos of his long-suffering wife, Anne (the wonderful Monica Dolan), whom he ropes into the scheme despite her tearful protestations. What happens next defies belief, except you know from the start they don’t get away with it. How it all plays out will keep you watching.

Inside Tuesday TV:

  • Motherland: Fort Salem (10/9c, Freeform): The female-centric alt-history supernatural thriller ends its third and final season with an epic battle between the Camarilla, an ancient order dedicated to wiping the world of witches, and the Unit’s world-saving spellcasters and their allies.
  • Password (10/9c, NBC): JB Smoove, whose improvisational chops have spiced up Curb Your Enthusiasm for years, is the celebrity guest serving up word clues to contestants opposite Jimmy Fallon.
  • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (10/9c, HBO): Reports in the monthly sports newsmagazine include host Bryant Gumbel’s rare interview with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, Mary Carillo’s visit to the Senior Games and Jon Frankel’s feature on aerial athletes Richard Browning and David Mayman, who attach jet engines to their bodies so they can fly high. Don’t try this at home.
  • Untold (streaming on Netflix): The latest installment of the sports docuseries tells of “The Rise and Fall of AND1” and how the underground artform of streetball revolutionized the basketball industry.