Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Tuesday, March 23. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Superman & Lois (The CW, 9 p.m., mid-season finale): If you spent 8.333% of your weekend watching the Snyder Cut, you might be Superman-ed out. We get it. But if you’re not, could we suggest spending an hour with a slightly less punchy version?
That’s not to say that Tyler Hoechlin’s Kal-El doesn’t have his share of sturm und drang with which to contend. But at the very least we can promise you that “The Best Of Smallville,” the show’s first midseason finale, will come in at well under four hours. Watch for Caroline Siede’s recap.
Regular coverage
The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.)
This Is Us (NBC, 9 p.m.)
Wild cards
Time for another wild card lightning round.
Who Killed My Son? (Discovery+, 3:01 a.m., two-hour special, premiere): Sound the true-crime klaxon once more. Soledad O’Brien narrates and executive produces this look at the death of college student Pravin Varughese, whose family had to fight “prejudice, deception, and a flawed legal system at every turn” to uncover the truth.
Loyiso Gola: Unlearning (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., premiere): Netflix continues to beef up its library of comedy specials with this set from South African standup Gola, who as it happens has a pretty good bull impression.
Pig Royalty (Discovery+, 3:01 a.m. and Discovery, 9 p.m.): Discovery contains multitudes. After you’re done watching the grueling doc about a grieving family’s quest for justice, check out this series about the cutthroat world of competitive pig shows.
Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil (YouTube, 12 p.m., docuseries premiere, first two episodes): “On one level, it’s impressively forthright, as Lovato describes the heroin and crack cocaine addiction that almost killed her and the sexual trauma that has fueled her lifelong desire for escape. Asked if she’s sober now, Lovato hesitantly says she’s off of opiates forever, but she can’t make any promises beyond that—a statement that feels much more genuine than the expected ‘yes, and it’s amazing.’” Read the rest of Katie Rife’s coverage of this series, which premiered last week at SXSW.
American Masters: Flannery (PBS, 8 p.m.): This PBS tentpole turns its gaze to “the writer from Georgia” to explore her undeniable skill, troubled life, and complicated (and sometimes pretty racist) legacy.
Genius: Aretha (NGC, 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.): Suzan-Lori Parks’ Aretha Franklin bio-series continues with chapters five and six.
6 Comments
So, the SyFy series Krypton is kaput for good, correct? But the actor that played Lobo was as good as any? It might be fun to see him show up in Superman and Lois.
Midseason finale for Superman & Lois after five episodes? Terrible decision IMO that is going to derail some of the momentum the show has.This is why traditional TV blows in comparison to streaming. They still make decisions based on old-school advertiser thought processes.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and assume that this weirdness has to do with COVID. I work in TV, and we had almost *just* finished shooting our midseason finale on March 13 of 2020. We only had a couple pick up shots and some VFX to finish it. Then we were all out of work for months, and the show began to air its season in October, as was originally planned, but we had only returned to work at the end of October, so the “mid season finale” was actually only the 7th, not the actual 8th episode- and we only just finished shooting that season a few weeks ago, (and of course shows are contending with making up for lost time, *AND* dealing with the potential changes when/if a cast or crew member gets sick) and immediately began the next to make up for lost time. Due to that, there’s a significant break in our season, that normally would not have been that long. So, I’d say you’re going to see a lot of this in the near future, so it’s best to cut some slack for the time being.
I guess it’s possible but this show didn’t start filming until last Fall. I would have been fine with them delaying the season premiere and just airing it all at once, I just don’t like that they chose to split up the season. Which is something they do normally for most of their shows. It kills any momentum that a show has.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and assume that this weirdness has to do with COVID.
And you’d be wrong. Shows have been doing this for years, and it’s been stupid from the beginning.
I work in TV
Then you should know that this isn’t a COVID thing. How long have you worked in tv?
So, I’d say you’re going to see a lot of this in the near future, so it’s best to cut some slack for the time being.
We’ve been seeing it for years, and we’re fucking tired of it.
the show’s first midseason finale
This shit really has to stop. Just show the fucking season. When it’s over, show something else.Show two episodes, break for a few weeks, show one more, take a week off, show a bunch more, break again, back from break to air 3 more, week off for a holiday… Such bullshit.