Worth Watching: Acorn’s ‘Queens of Mystery,’ ‘Jesus’ as Seen by Judas and Pilate, ‘Hostile’ Ocean Life, the NCAA Championship

Matt Roush April 8, 2019, 7:00 am

A selective critical checklist of notable Monday TV:

Queens of Mystery (streaming on Acorn TV): This light-hearted new British mystery series, premiering with three two-part movies (over three Mondays), is so fluffy it makes Acorn’s superior Agatha Raisin look like Law & Order. Juliet Stevensondelivers suitably wry narration for the campy exploits of newly promoted detective Matilda Stone (Olivia Vinall), who returns to solve crimes in her bucolic village of Wildemarsh, where she was raised by three meddling crime-novelist aunts: Beth (Sarah Woodward), Cat (Julie Graham) and Jane (Siobhan Redmond). The family is haunted by the disappearance of Matilda’s mother when the girl was just 3, a mystery looming over the season as Matilda and her aunts embark on Murder, They Wrote escapades. In the opener, “Murder in the Dark,” the death du jour has literary roots, when a fellow crime novelist is impaled by the very Golden Pick Axe Award he was about to receive.

3 Reasons Why 'Jesus: His Life' Stands Out From Other Biblical Biopics

Jesus: His Life (8/7c, History): The fate of Jesus rests on the decisions of two men in new chapters of the series that examines the story of Jesus Christ from various historical figures’ viewpoints. First, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who ultimately betrays Jesus, as the series moves into Passover and depicts what will become known as the Last Supper. The second hour takes the perspective of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, who infamously washes his hands of responsibility for the controversial preacher when he sends Jesus to be crucified.

'Hostile Planet' Host Bear Grylls on Nat Geo's 'Brutal' New Docuseries

Hostile Planet (9/8c, National Geographic): The most harrowing of nature series takes a deep dive into the world’s oceans, where climate change is just one of many challenges for underwater denizens. Among the conflicts caught on camera: seals fending off sharks, turtles risking everything to spawn a new generation and orca finding ingenious ways to survive.

'American Idol' vs. 'The Voice': Which Are You Watching This Season? (POLL)

Inside Monday TV: CBS Sports presents the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship (9/8c). Who will take the title when No. 1 seed Virginia goes up against Texas Tech?… By the end of a second night of duets on ABC’s American Idol (8/7c), the Top 20 will be whittled down to a more manageable 14. But first, the remaining 10 singers are paired with celebrity guests including Julia Michaels, Lukas Graham, lovelytheband, Ben Harper, Chris Isaak and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo… The Starz documentary White Boy (9/8c) investigates the facts behind the urban legend of Richard Wershe Jr., a teenage FBI informer who allegedly ran a sophisticated cocaine operation in inner-city Detroit. (He was the basis of the 2018 feature film White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey.)

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RedQuill
Apr 8, 2019
Legends of Tomorrow...although everyone seems to have lost their "powers"...(outside of time travel and Constantine)…

The Fix...am a little surprised that I'm still finding this engaging...
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  GoldSubmarine
  Apr 8, 2019
  Same here, The Fix has me addicted. I might watch it live tonight instead of Enemy Within. Depends on my mood after American Idol.
  
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PurplePizza
Apr 8, 2019
Legends and The Voice in terms of new shows here.
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GoldSubmarine
Apr 8, 2019
A bit less crowded tonight because Magnum is done for the season. Watching American Idol live until 10:00, then I'll either leave it on ABC for The Fix , or switchover to NBC for Enemy Within. If I can stay up, I would like to watch both shows. Just in case, I have the entire night set on the DVR.
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RedCupcake
Apr 8, 2019
Since Magnum's done for the season, I'll just watch Legends tonight.

BTW, I was looking at some ratings info the other day, specifically for Friday night. I found it interesting that, in the much-desired 18-39 demographic (or whatever the exact ages are), shows like Blue Bloods and Cool Kids beat out the millennial-filled MacGyver. Things that make you go "hmmm".....
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  CyanCoathanger
  Apr 8, 2019
  But unlike most evenings, the numbers on Fridays go up the later it gets. That's because most of the people that age go to the grocery store, a restaurant, or both after work. By the time Blue Bloods comes on, they're back home and settled down for the evening.
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CyanCoathanger
Apr 8, 2019
It's Monday again! I'm watching Legends of Tomorrow, Hostile Planet, The Enemy Within, Knightfall (which is really good this season!), and Into the Badlands (which I'm getting sort of bored with)!