TV best bets for the week of April 21
Sunday, April 21
“Beverly Hills Dog Show”
NBC, 1 p.m.
This third annual event features more than 1,200 dogs representing 175 eligible breeds and varieties competing for the coveted Best in Show title. The canine competitors will also mingle with two- and four-legged celebrity guests and strut their stuff on the red carpet. For the main event, each group winner will walk the runway before the Best in Show judge. John O’Hurley and David Frei host, with Maria Menounos reporting from the red carpet, Mary Carillo inside the show ring and Akbar Gbajabiamila reporting from behind the scenes.
“American Idol: Disney Night”
ABC, 8 p.m.
The top 10 contestants, joined by celebrity mentor Rebel Wilson, head to Disneyland to prepare Disney-themed performances for the next phase of the competition. Actress Lea Michele performs “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid,” and past “Idol” stars return to the stage for a special duet.
“Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration”
CBS, 8 p.m.
Cedric the Entertainer and Smokey Robinson host this musical celebration honoring Motown Records’ 60th birthday. The tribute to the iconic sound that changed America features appearances by Boyz II Men, Chloe x Halle, Ciara, Lamont Dozier, Fantasia, Brian and Eddie Holland, Thelma Houston, Tori Kelly, John Legend, Little Big Town, Ne-Yo, Pentatonix, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross, Valerie Simpson, Mickey Stevenson, Meghan Trainor and Stevie Wonder.
Monday, April 22
“The Last Animals”
National Geographic, noon
As part of National Geographic’s Earth Day programming, the network presents the U.S. broadcast premiere of celebrated war photojournalist Kate Brooks’ gripping documentary, where she turns her lens onto the ivory trade. She and her camera bravely follow conservationists, scientists and activists as they battle poachers and criminal networks in an effort to save elephants and rhinos from extinction.
“The Neighborhood”
CBS, 8 p.m.
Season finale
Season 1 wraps up with the episode “Welcome to the Conversation,” in which Dave (Max Greenfield) is thrilled when Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer) invites him golfing, confident that it represents progress in their relationship, but Calvin may have another motive.
“Gentleman Jack”
HBO, 10 p.m.
New series
Based on the coded diaries of Anne Lister, a real-life 19th-century British landowner, this is a costume drama with a twist. The gender-bending Lister (Suranne Jones), a powerhouse in a top hat, defies the era’s expectation of women by smoking cigarettes, collecting her own rents and looking for a wife to share her life with.
Tuesday, April 23
“Being Mary Jane”
BET, 8 p.m.
Series finale
Will it be happily ever after for ambitious broadcast journalist Mary Jane Paul (Gabrielle Union)? She might choose her Mr. Right in producer Justin (Michael Ealy), who proposed in 2017’s Season 4 finale. But what will he think about those frozen embryos she just had implanted?
“Boss: The Black Experience in Business”
PBS, 8 p.m.
Learn about the untold story of African American entrepreneurship, where skill, industriousness, ingenuity and sheer courage in the face of overwhelming odds provide the backbone of this nation’s economic and social growth.
“1969”
ABC, 10 p.m.
New series
ABC debuts its new docuseries about the year 1969 with the episode “Moon Shot,” which includes accounts from the unsung women who helped make the moon landing possible.
Wednesday, April 24
“A Life Among Monkeys”
Smithsonian Channel, 9 p.m.
This documentary chronicles the journey of Smithsonian scientist Wolfgang Dittus, who ventured into the jungles of Sri Lanka to study toque macaques in 1968. Dittus remains there to this day, having charted the lives of more than 5,000 individual monkeys and shedding new light on a complex social world.
“Brockmire”
IFC, 10 p.m.
It’s a hilariously uncomfortable family reunion when Alice’s Linda Lavin guest stars as the mother who abandoned Jim (Hank Azaria) and his sister (Becky Ann Baker) when they were children. Without spoiling mom’s backstory, we’ll just say her visit threatens not only Jim’s relationship with his sibling but also his sobriety.
“Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World”
PBS, 10 p.m.
Take to the sky with the dreamers whose work gave humans the ability to fly. Without inventions from Leonardo da Vinci’s “flying machines” to the modern commercial plane, we may have never left the ground.
Thursday, April 25
NFL Draft: Round 1
ABC, ESPN & NFL Network, 5 p.m. Live
The Arizona Cardinals have the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in Nashville, and they’ll have their eye on top prospects such as Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray, Ohio State DE Nick Bosa and Kentucky LB Josh Allen. The draft continues with Rounds 2-3 on Friday in prime time and the remaining rounds Saturday.
The Big Bang Theory: “The Decision Reverberation”
CBS, 8 p.m.
Penny (Kaley Cuoco) encourages Leonard (Johnny Galecki) to stand up for himself when he wants to be the principal investigator on a new physics study in the new episode “The Decision Reverberation.”
“Gotham”
Fox, 8 p.m.
Series finale
Batman begins just as “Gotham” ends! After five seasons, the entertaining saga jumps ahead 10 years as now-Commissioner Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) gets some much-needed help from the Caped Crusader he once knew as young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz). Good thing, because executive producer John Stephens says we’ll see “fully realized” versions of Penguin and the Riddler (Robin Lord Taylor and Cory Michael Smith), as well as a Jeremiah (Cameron Monaghan) fans have been waiting for. And that’s no joke.
“I Was a Child Bride: The Untold Story”
A&E, 9 p.m.
Elizabeth Vargas investigates the disturbing issue of children who are forced into marriage in America. Each of them suffered years of pain and hardship, and because they were younger than 18, they had no legal way to escape. These women are survivors who want to give a voice to the voiceless and end child marriages in America once and for all.
Friday, April 26
“BarkFest”
Nat Geo Wild, 8 p.m.
This fifth annual event — running through Saturday — celebrates our furry BFFs with puppy-centric episodes and sentimental specials. Highlights include tonight’s new edition of Howie Mandel’s Animals Doing Things with epic dog fails.
“The Blacklist”
NBC, 8 p.m.
In the first of two back-to-back episodes, the discovery of a frozen corpse draws the task force into the investigation of an old case that has gained notoriety due to a popular true-crime podcast. In the second episode, Katarina Rostova (guest star Lotte Verbeek) is alone and on the run in a foreign country after a mission goes catastrophically wrong. Out of options, she seeks the only person she trusts, a man who has vowed to always protect her.
“Portals to Hell”
Travel Channel, 10 p.m.
New series
Host/executive producer Jack Osbourne and paranormal investigator Katrina Weidman explore locations around the world that, due to their sordid pasts and dark histories, are purported to be doorways to the spirit underworld. Over eight hourlong episodes, the duo explores legendary spooky spots like New Orleans’ LaLaurie Mansion, Bobby Mackey’s Music World in Kentucky, Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, the Alaskan Hotel in Juneau and more.
Saturday, April 27
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
HBO, 8 p.m.
Honorees include the Cure, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, the Zombies, Radiohead, Janet Jackson and Stevie Nicks, who makes history as the first woman to be inducted twice (Fleetwood Mac has been a member since 1998). Nicks opens the show singing “Stand Back” (in a cape she wore in the ’80s music video) and proves her timelessness by singing duets with both Don Henley and Harry Styles.
“Smart Justice: The Jayme Closs Case”
Lifetime, 8 p.m.
Abduction survivor and victims’ advocate Elizabeth Smart interviews key players in the case of the Wisconsin 13-year-old. Closs was kidnapped from her home last October after her parents’ murder and then held captive in a cabin for 88 days before she escaped.
“The Son”
AMC, 9 p.m.
Season premiere
Season 2 will conclude the journey of the “First Son of Texas,” Eli McCullough (Pierce Brosnan), as he attempts to secure his legacy in the early 20th-century oil industry. Henry Garrett, Jacob Lofland and Lois Smith also star in this series based on Philipp Meyer’s New York Times best-selling novel, a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
