Amazon streams marathon Grateful Dead doc
We live in an age when the old saying “coming soon to a theater near you” means arriving in your living room. Or perhaps on your phone. For the second week in a row, a celebrated film arrives on a streaming service almost immediately after its bigscreen debut.
The fourhour Grateful Dead documentary “Long Strange Trip” was released to generally positive reviews last week and begins streaming on Amazon Prime today.
Director Amir Bar-Lev (“The Tillman Story”) set out to make a 90-minute film about the long-touring jam band. But he gathered so much material that he found that the film was running more than two hours long, and he had not gotten halfway through the 1970s.
A marathon movie about the Grateful Dead seems entirely appropriate, given the meandering nature of the group’s songs and concerts. The film covers the band’s experiences in the heady days of 1960s San Francisco when LSD had not yet been declared illegal and concludes with the death of guitarist Jerry Garcia in 1995.
The Dead attracted legions of followers who made pilgrimages to countless concerts. While certainly not for every taste, the Grateful Dead went on to influence generations of jam bands and fans of roots music. Members of the Dead also encouraged fans to record their concerts and swap the cassettes with one another, a free music culture that long predated the file-sharing economy of Napster and the digital music revolution.
Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer on this film. Scorsese has been involved in rock ‘n’ roll movies since the beginning of his career, having served as an editor on the 1970 documentary “Woodstock” years before “Mean Streets” and “Taxi Driver” made him a household name as a director.
MORE MUSIC
› On a similar musical theme, Viceland launches the series “Earthworks” (11 p.m., TV-14), showcasing artists in an environment they have chosen. First up: The group Animal Collective records songs from its EP “Meeting of the Waters” in the Amazon.
› While not quite as exotic, Irish rockers U2 sit down to chat on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:35 p.m., ABC, repeat) and perform a few songs.
HELP THYSELF
The recovery comedy-drama “Flaked” returns for a second season, streaming on Netflix. Will Arnett stars as Chip, a self-help guru and irresponsible storyteller who may have burned one too many bridges in his Venice Beach community. The central problem for Chip and for “Flaked” is that he is a tad too long in the tooth to get away with his dishonesty and self-destructive shenanigans. At 20, such behavior can be “interesting,” if not endearing. At 40-plus, it’s annoying and tragic.
PEABODYS BESTOWED
Rashida Jones hosts the 76th Annual Peabody Awards (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› “America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m., NBC, repeat, TV-PG) returns for a 12th season.
› Home cooks vie for a spot in the top 20 on “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-14).
› On two helpings of “Shark Tank” (ABC, repeat, TV-PG): pet sounds (8 p.m.), greased lightning (9 p.m.).
› Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes star in the 2012 fantasy “Wrath of the Titans” (8 p.m., TBS).
› A poor boy and several spoiled children win a tour of an eccentric’s (Johnny Depp) workplace in the 2005 fantasy “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (8:30 p.m., Syfy), based on a book by Roald Dahl.
› Contestants set out to impress a mercurial chef and his celebrity entourage on “The F Word With Gordon Ramsay” (9 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-14).
› A witness is silenced on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).
› On the track of a rogue agent on “MacGyver” (8 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-PG).
› Klaus draws his loved ones close on “The Originals” (8 p.m.,
CW, TV-14).
› A stolen arsenal on “Hawaii Five-0” (9 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).
› Mary seeks vengeance on “Reign” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14).
› “Dateline” (10 p.m., NBC).
› “20/20” (10 p.m., ABC). Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.