Outside of society: ‘Guerrilla’ on Showtime
The new import series “Guerrilla” (9 p.m. Sunday, Showtime, TV-MA) returns to 1970s England.
Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) and Babou Ceesay (“Getting On”) star as a nurse and fired English teacher radicalized by the pervasive racism of British society. “Guerrilla” recalls a tense era when British troops were occupying Northern Ireland and IRA bombings were a frequent occurrence. Members of Parliament proposed flagrantly racist immigration bills aimed at limiting the United Kingdom’s “brown” population and also allied themselves with white-supremacist regimes in South Africa and Rhodesia.
After watching their friend and radical colleague beaten to death at a peaceful rally, Jas (Pinto) and Marcus (Ceesay) arm themselves and decide to spring a political prisoner from a maximum-security facility. Idris Elba (“Luther”) stars as Kent, a friend and Jas’ former lover, who advises them from the sidelines as a photographer and artist.
“Guerrilla” is not so much a celebration of revolutionary politics as an exploration of a couple caught up in a terrifying and claustrophobic reality. In that way, it’s not unlike “The Americans.”
This six-part limited series will air weekly, as opposed to a miniseries that might unfold on successive evenings.
FEMALE POWER STRUGGLES
Speaking of limited series, Starz premieres “The White Princess” (8 p.m. Sunday, TV-MA), an eight-part sequel to its drama “The White Queen.”
Both are based on historical novels by Philippa Gregory. An ambitious costume drama, “Princess” puts the focus on female power struggles behind the throne in Tudor England. Not as violent as “Game of Thrones,” nor as cerebral as “Wolf Hall,” this period piece may hit a sweet spot for some.
POLITICAL WILDERNESS
“Veep” (10:30 p.m. Sunday, HBO, TV-MA) returns for its sixth season with Selena in the political wilderness and many of her former assistants scattered in much less prestigious jobs. “Veep” maintains its high-octane blend of physical comedy and strenuous obscenity.
The show’s biggest problem is that its tale of a preposterously unqualified, aggressively self-absorbed and utterly incompetent politician may have been overtaken by current events.
GOODBYE, ‘GIRLS’
“Girls” (10 p.m. Sunday, HBO, TV-MA) ends its sixth and final
season. Never hugely popular, the series provoked strong reactions. Its audience pretty much consisted of those who hated themselves for loving it; those who loved to hate it and those who simply hated it.
HELLO, DOCTOR
“Doctor Who” (9 p.m. Saturday, BBC America, TV-PG) enters its 10th season. The franchise actually dates back more than 50 years, but that’s another matter. It brings along the “Doctor Who” spinoff “Class” (10 p.m. Saturday, BBC America), set at Coal Hill Academy, where young students learn the dos and don’ts of time travel and fighting aliens.
EASTER EPICS
TCM devotes most of Easter Sunday to Hollywood epics and holiday musicals, including “Godspell” (8 a.m.), “Ben Hur” (2 p.m.), “Easter Parade” (6 p.m.),
“The Robe” (8 p.m.) and “King of Kings” (10:30 p.m.).
ENTER THE OSSUARY
“Biblical Conspiracies: Jesus Family Tomb?” (10 p.m. Saturday, Science, TV-PG) examines the recently discovered James Ossuary, considered an archaeological breakthrough by some and a hoax by others.
DOOMED EITHER WAY
Speaking of discoveries, recently examined photographs cast new light on an epic catastrophe. “Titanic’s Fatal Fire” (8 p.m. Saturday, Smithsonian) explores the notion that shoddy workmanship sparked a boiler fire that may have doomed the liner before it ever encountered an iceberg.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
› Charlton Heston stars in the 1956 Old Testament epic “The Ten Commandments” (7 p.m., ABC, TV-G), directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
› A hacker makes an explosive declaration on the season finale of “Ransom” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› The Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks clash in the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals (8 p.m., NBC).
› After her father’s fatal plane crash, a teen inherits his $40 million and a fateful battle with her “Killer Mom” (8 p.m., Lifetime).
› Eli is raised as a warrior on “The Son” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
› “Unseen Enemy” (9 p.m., CNN) explores killer pandemics.
› A reservation booking error forces opposites to share a vacation house (and pets) in the 2017 romance “Like Cats and Dogs” (9 p.m., Hallmark).
› “J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only” (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA) offers songs from the artist’s fourth album.
› Jimmy Fallon hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14), to be broadcast live in all time zones for the very first time. Harry Styles is the musical guest.
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.