What’s On: Ann Curry’s ‘We’ll Meet Again,’ WGNA’s ‘Bellevue,’ Return of ‘Detour,’ ‘Bellevue,’ ‘Quad,’ and More
We’ll Meet Again (8/7c, PBS): Ann Curry returns to TV for a docu-series that plays to her strength in telling stories with an emotional and personal core. Each episode features people whose lives were impacted by historical events and their desire to reconnect with someone from that time. In the opener, we meet two people in their 80s: Reiko, a Japanese-American woman who spent part of her childhood in an internment camp in the 1940s, and who’s looking for the classmate who stood up for her against the prejudice of the times; and Roger, a German Jew who fled with his family in 1938 and found sanctuary in the Shanghai Ghetto, who hopes to meet a child born of the family that befriended him in those dark hours. The reunions are, as expected, tear-jerkers.
Bellevue (10/9c, WGN America): Having scrapped all of its original programming, including the acclaimed Underground, the channel is now looking to less expensive acquisitions from abroad to boost its profile. First up: a dreary eight-part crime drama from Canada’s CBC that’s all gnarly edge with little else to commend it. Anna Paquin stars as a troubled (what else) detective in a rural burg that is rocked by the disappearance of a transgender teen and hockey star. Could this be connected to a 20-year-old murder case? And who’s taunting our heroine with creepy mind games? Not sure it’s worth the effort to find out.
Back for More: It’s a banner day of shows returning for new seasons. A sampling: BET’s The Quad (10/9c) is back in session for a second season, with Georgia A&M president Dr. Eva Fletcher (Anika Noni Rose) hoping to raise money to keep the university independent. … TBS’s The Detour (10:30/9:30c) sends the embattled Parker family off to small-town Alaska to seek refuge in the third season of the raucous comedy. … FX’s Baskets (10/9c) opens its third season with the hopeless Baskets clan in hapless business together, operating the Baskets Family Rodeo. … Comedy Central’s Drunk History (10/9c) wobbles into a fifth season with stories of historic heroines: Tiffany Haddish narrating the story of museum curator Rose Valland (Busy Phillips), who saved art treasures from the Nazis, Paget Brewster introducing us to Revolutionary War martyr Deborah Sampson (Evan Rachel Wood), and Amber Ruffin saluting American Red Cross founder Clara Barton (Mandy Moore). Followed by the third-season premiere of costume-drama parody on Another Period (10:30/9:30c), with sisters Lillian (Natasha Leggero) and Beatrice (Riki Lindhome) still seeking fame commensurate with their decadent fortune.
Inside Tuesday TV: Kudos to NBC’s This Is Us (9/8c) for its ensemble cast win at the SAG Awards. Not much information about this week’s episode, except that Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) are contemplating their future, while fans no doubt get misty-eyed knowing how short-lived that future will be. … PBS’s essential documentary series Frontline (9/8c, check local listings at pbs.org) delivers a powerful two-hour special, Exodus: The Journey Continues, profiling refugees and migrants caught in a political vise as borders in the U.S. and Europe tighten. … Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern (9/8c) chows down in the host’s adopted home state of Minnesota, with bear pastrami, duck stew and muskrat with gravy among the items on the menu.
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My second busiest night! Watching: Lethal Weapon, This Is Us, and Undercover High. Recording: Flash, Black Lightning, and Baskets. Will catch the Fox comedies on demand tomorrow.
I have a feeling they haven't released much information about tonight's episode of This Is Us because they're finally going to reveal what exactly happened in the big fire. The ads have been hinting at something major in the episode without showing anything.
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Tonight I guess I'll watch NCIS, and then Black Lightning. Since seeing the ads, I've been considering checking into Bellevue (ha), but not sure yet. I'd prefer to have Underground back, but I just might check this out. (ALthough after The Alienist, I'm not sure I can handle another 'gritty' drama, the very next night.)
So... how about The Alienist? I'm very surprised that Sunday's "preview" turned out to be the actual premiere episode. Why would they do that, I wonder?? Seems kind of dumb. Anyway, I thought the episode was quite good. Pilot episodes are sometimes a little clunky, as characters are introduced and backstory revealed, but I didn't find this one overly burdened or weighted down. I'm nervous to see what happens as the story unfolds. Nervous in a good way, of course, as that'll keep me tuning in, but still--nervous.
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I saw some scenes from Bellevue and thought it seemed rather boring. I'm not going to bother with it.
I found parts of The Alienist somewhat murky plotwise but not so much as to leave me completely confused. I thought it might be a bit too gory for the average person. I didn't really mind. I also thought the bordello sex scenes were gratuitous and could have done without them.
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"too gory"..."gratuitous sex scenes"...sounds pretty INTERESTING (to me)...
(But...if by "too gory" you were referring to Global Warming or "It's My Party"...then I may have misunderstood your Comment.)
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To me the bordello sex scenes were only interesting for one reason: why does the man (Moore, I believe his name is) have the woman wear a diamond/engagement ring while she 'services' him? There's a story behind that, and that's the only thing of interest about those scenes. (Plus, I think he has a thing for the young police woman, so I'm sure that will develop at some point.)
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I wondered about the ring too. It must be something important since they kept zooming in on it. Still, I'm sure it's an unnecessary side plot. I can't see her having much interest in him knowing his history with prostitutes. Maybe, he'll keep pursuing her, and she'll keep rejecting him.
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I'm watching NCIS, and a new Conan episode tonight on TBS.
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Yawn! 😉
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I'll DVR:
Bellevue...to check it out and see how True Blood's Anna Paquin is doin' these days...
The Detour...Interesting story...occasionally humorous...
Baskets...Occasionally interesting story...very humorous...
Another Period...Often not even sure what's going on...VERY humorous...
LA to Vegas...OF COURSE...
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