For those who still haven’t cut the cord, here is a selection of cable and network TV shows, movies and specials that broadcast this week, April 15-21. Details and times are subject to change.
Monday
WNBA DRAFT 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. It’s been a thrilling and buzzy season for women’s college basketball. Largely driven by the star quality of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the viewership for the title match between Iowa and South Carolina peaked at a staggering 24.1 million, making it the most-watched basketball game (men’s or women’s, college or pro) on ESPN since 2019. On Monday, Clark is expected to be the first pick, but which team she’ll join will be a mystery until then.
Tuesday
AN AMERICAN BOMBING: THE ROAD TO APRIL 19TH 9 p.m. on HBO. A new HBO documentary examines the lead-up and aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which remains one of the largest terrorists attacks in the U.S. The film, which features interviews with the likes of Bill Clinton and the journalist Jeffrey Toobin, goes into the anti-government motivations of the bomber Timothy McVeigh, who sought revenge on the 1993 federal siege of the Branch Davidians’ compound in Waco, Tex. For companion viewing, check out the fictional Showtime series “Waco: The Aftermath.”
Wednesday
FAMILY GUY 9:32 p.m. on Fox. Season 22 is ending after just 15 episodes, but don’t fear: This animated family sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane has already been renewed for another. While it’s not yet as long-running as “The Simpsons,” it has clearly proved its staying power — if largely living in out-of-context clip compilations floating around the internet.
Thursday
THE THIN MAN (1934) 8 p.m. on TCM. Though the title may sound like a sinister horror movie, this is actually a charming comedy-mystery, starring the husband-and-wife crime-solving duo Nick and Nora Charles (plus their adorable terrier Asta). The power couple’s flirty repartee — not to mention a style of cocktail glasses named after them — is as essential to the movie as the clues. If you’re like me, you’ll also recognize the couple’s names from the deliciously twee 2008 rom-com “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” Though there’s no Vampire Weekend in this one, there’s plenty of the magnetic romance.
Friday
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010) 6:07 p.m. on Cinemax. The blueprint for manic-pixie-dream-girls who frequently dye their hair, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) will grace our screens on Friday. This coming-of-age film is jam-packed with killer tunes (Brie Larson’s version of “Black Sheep,” anyone?) and quirky effects that mimic the graphic novel it’s adapted from. But there’s heart underneath the flair — “a disarming sincerity,” as A.O. Scott put it in The New York Times — that makes it more than just an aesthetic romp.
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE 8 p.m. on MTV. In the finale of the latest season of this drag competition show, Nymphia Wind, Plane Jane and Sapphira Cristál will battle it out for the crown. Whoever the champion is, though, Plane Jane has already won fans over with her meme-able message of sharing and self-acceptance: Mama, kudos for saying that, for spilling.
Saturday
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (2008) 10 a.m. on CBS. For the unofficial high holiday 4/20, CBS is airing one of the most famous stoner comedies since Cheech and Chong’s “Up In Smoke.” “Pineapple Express,” which features two potheads on the run from hit men after witnessing a murder, solidified the co-writer and star Seth Rogen’s reputation as a cannabis spokesman.
Sunday
SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS 8 p.m. on NGC. The third installment of National Geographic’s “Secrets of …” franchise will premier on Sunday, with Paul Rudd narrating and James Cameron producing. It’s the latest in a series of nature documentaries narrated by A-listers, following Angela Bassett for “Queens” and Awkwafina for “A Real Bug’s Life.” Rudd and these eight-legged creatures of the sea make another inspired pair: both surprisingly intelligent and exceedingly charming.
TALK TO ME (2022) 4:20 on HBO. If you haven’t yet caught this teen-horror stunner about a group of friends who discover they can summon spirits with a mysterious relic, now is your chance to light some candles and let the dead talk. Where other horror films mock teenage recklessness, “Talk to Me” understands and empathizes with its character’s choices, which makes it all the more terrifying.
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