Garry Shandling’s HBO Documentary, ‘The Terror,’ Hollywood Week on ‘Idol,’ ‘Good Doctor’ Finale
A selective critical checklist of notable Monday TV:
The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (8/7c, HBO): Writing in his extensive journals, the great stand-up comedian-turned-TV star Garry Shandling once revealed: “As with all the other comedians, insecurity is a prime factor.” Even so, he would create and star in two of TV’s most influential and groundbreaking comedies: It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and HBO’s unequaled fictional late-night exposé The Larry Sanders Show. When he died in 2016 at 66, shocking fans and friends alike, this meditative and self-deprecating comic remained a mystery even to those who knew him best, including filmmaker Judd Apatow, who got his start writing jokes for Shandling and considers him his mentor. As a tribute, Apatow has assembled a two-night, four-and-a-half-hour, exhaustively personal documentary incorporation home movies, excerpts from personal journals and private letters, vintage clips and insightful interviews with colleagues, loved ones and famous friends including Jim Carrey, Jay Leno, Kevin Nealon, Conan O’Brien, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman and Jerry Seinfeld. This is biography on an epic yet granular scale: funny, moving, illuminating, inspiring for anyone who seeks to pursue a dream yet remain true to oneself.
The Terror (9/8c, AMC): Imagine Masterpiece producing a monster movie to get an idea of the brainy, brawny impact of this literally chilling 10-part series, which manages to be both philosophical yet terrifically scary in its two-hour opener. This hybrid of historical epic and horror saga is based on Dan Simmons’ blockbuster novel, starring Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones) and Jared Harris (The Crown) as captains of Royal Navy exploration vessels stranded in the Arctic ice in the 1840s. Adding to the jeopardy: supernatural forces alerting them to the fact that they’re not welcome in this strange, frigid land.
American Idol (8/7c, Fox): Idol hasn’t fared so well in head-to-head competition with NBC’s The Voice, but with the auditions over, things tend to heat up when the process turns to Hollywood Week. This is when all those hopeful singers hoisting their Golden Tickets get their first reality check that competing on Idol takes more than just a memorable voice. As they compete in the cavernous Dolby Theatre in solo and group performances, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie will begin to thin the herd.
The Good Doctor (10/9c, ABC): The season’s biggest new hit leaves fans wanting “More”—which happens to be the episode title for the first-season finale of this emotionally charged medical drama. Promos depict a traumatic showdown between Dr. Shaun Murphy (the ethereal Freddie Highmore) and his mentor, Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff), who is dealing with a health crisis we can only hope the crack team at St. Bonaventure is prepared to handle. Fragile Dr. Shaun needs all the friends he can get, and losing this one could be devastating.
One Strange Rock (10/9c, National Geographic Channel): That “rock” is our home planet Earth, celebrated in all of its variety in a 10-part “cinematic event” series hosted by Will Smith, directed by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and featuring the perspectives of astronauts who may best be able to appreciate why life as we know it thrives here. The opener, titled “Gasp,” explores and explains how our oxygen-rich atmosphere sustains life. Takes a deep breath and enjoy.
Inside Monday TV: Celebrating 45 years of glossy soap opera sturm und drang, CBS daytime staple The Young and the Restless (check local listings) promises a week’s worth of game changers and the return of some longtime favorites, including Jaime Lyn Bauer and Janice Lynde as Lorie and Leslie Brooks. … PBS’s Into the Night: Portraits of Life and Death (9/8c, check local listings at pbs.org) is filmmaker Helen Whitney’s (Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero) latest documentary spiritual journey, a meditation on mortality told through nine personal stories of people facing death, either their own or of those they love. Sharon Stone narrates. … TNT’s handsomely produced but dramatically challenged period mystery The Mentalist (9/8c) comes to an end, with time of the essence as Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) and his team zero in on the killer.
Conversation24 Comments
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Pretty much the same as last week for me. Watching Lucifer, The Alienist, and The Good Doctor while recording Legends, iZombie, and Scorpion.
I haven't quite decided on The Terror yet. I recorded the first hour which they previewed last night but only watched a few minutes of it so far. What I saw didn't look too interesting to me.
One Strange Rock sounds like it could be interesting. I'll try to catch it when it repeats after 11:00.
This is the second time in about a week that Matt has called a show the wrong name. He called The Alienist The Mentalist! Maybe he needs a break. 😉
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Hahaha, I thought we were in some sort of time warp, with him mentioning The Mentalist. YES, I'd love Simon Baker back on my TV, but for tonight I'll look forward to the finale of The Alienist. 😀
Speaking of The Mentalist, I see more than a little connection between that show and Instinct.
And hey, at least this site finally specified when One Strange Rock is going to be on. 🙂
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The same is true about The Mentalist and Deception.
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Did you watch the final moments of Timeless last night? My mouth dropped !
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I haven't seen Deception, but I'll take your word that it has a similar concept. Back in the day, Psych used to occasionally take a swing at The Mentalist too. 😀
BTW, I've noticed, over the past 5-6 years or so, how many TV shows are going with the one-word titles, which are usually just vague descriptors. Instinct, Deception, Revolution, Limitless, Resurrection, Frequency, Notorious, Revenge, Rise, Timeless, Taken.... the list goes on. Can't tell much from most of these titles.
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BTW did you watch Trust last night? (Another single-word title,) I found it over-the-top and uninteresting, and didn't have a problem changing the channel. Especially after the car/swan incident. :'(
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Also above it states that American Idol airs on FOX. ABC paid a pretty penny for the rights against FOX and some other networks.
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I only watched the endless promos while I watched American Crime Story season 2. I do admire Donald Sutherland. However the premise is overly familiar. The very recent Christopher Plummer movie All The Money In The World already covered the incident (only watched very long previews- feel like I watched the entire movie)
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Pretty comprehensive "One-Word Titles" list...Jena...
Might I add one of MY all time favorites to it..."Legion"...
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Yes, I watched the whole thing. I think it's interesting enough to stick with for now.
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Since I haven't seen the movie (or even knew what it was about), the TV show was all fresh material to me. Although I remember reading about the kidnapping many years ago, I never knew about the grandfather's quirky behavior.
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Who was that woman? Was it his supposedly dead wife? She looked like she either didn't recognize him or didn't have that close of relationship with him. Maybe she'll be married or engaged to someone else.
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I didn't even notice that.
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In Deception, the lead is a magician. Simon Baker was a bit of a magician as well as a supposed psychic.
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Yeah, his character grew up as a "carnie," and he did pretend to be a psychic at that time, and also when he was making money as a "psychic to the stars." But after his family was killed and he began working for the cops, he never again claimed to be one and in act admitted he'd been pretending.
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I predict either she is married or engaged to someone else. Not sure if she recognized him, she may have just thought he looked familiar and went along with the hug. Or she might have something to do with Rittenhouse.
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I just watched the first episode of FX's Trust. I enjoyed it more than I though I would.
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See...you need to listen to me...not Jena...she's too picky. 😉
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I take some of your recommendations and others here too. Its just that sometimes the previews for some shows are off putting. Such as NBC's The Brave. I had absolutely no intention of starting that based on the awful promos. However after sampling the first few episodes it quickly became my favorite new show this season. Designated Survivor , Timeless , Frequency (RIP)and Time After Time (ABC treated this one like a troubled step child) were my top new shows last season.
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Watching the new series "The Terror" tonight, and also watch the new series episode, "Trust," that I DVR'd last night. Then, "For the Love of Spock," airs tonight on Syfy at 10pm (Leonard Nimoy's birthday was today); and my favorite Elvis Presley movie, "Flaming Star" is airing on the Retroplex Movie channel at 7:250pm.
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I watched the first hour of The Terror (from Sunday) and didn't like it. I liked Trust. Spock could have been reduced to a one hour episode of Biography.
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If you're NOT an avid follower of The Young and the Restless...but set your DVR just to record this week's 45th Anniversary "return of some longtime favorites"...(having just finished it)...TODAY's episode has NO past stars...(or even hints to their return)...
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I wouldn't know who was a past star to begin with. I'll pass.
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My great grandma used to watch Young and the Restless. But her favorite was Day of Our Lives. I remember her screaming at the TV in the 80's . Her daughter grandma wasn't into soaps at all, she liked action adventure shows . My mom still loves General Hospital to this day. But will tell her about The Young and the Restless, I think she used to watch it along with All My Children.
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