Grammys and CBS salute Elton John
Music legends never really go away. Frank Sinatra perfected the art of staging retirements followed by elaborately staged comebacks. Last December, Elton John announced he was retiring from live concerts by way of announcing a three-year(!) farewell concert tour.
“Elton John: I’m Still Standing — A Grammy Salute” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) offers a two-hour concert and salute to the 71-year-old pop star. Look for appearances and performances by young and contemporary artists influenced by his five-decade career, from Miley Cyrus to Ed Sheeran.
How long has Elton John been around? Even Elton John nostalgia seems old. In a 1991 episode (“The Way We Was”) of “The Simpsons,” Marge is seen attending the Springfield High School 1974 prom (without Homer). The event’s theme was “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” named after Elton John’s 1973 album.
Elton John can be seen in news clips in FX’s recent “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” attending the slain designer’s funeral with Princess Diana. She would die just months later, and John would adapt his 1973 song “Candle in the Wind” for her 1997 funeral service.
The song “I’m Still Standing” was released in 1983, when John was trying to adapt to the MTV era without seeming like a ’70s relic. Some 35 years later, people are still singing his songs.
‘TRUMP’S TAKEOVER’
By its very nature, “Frontline” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-PG) tends to take the long view, offering thoughtful takes on recent and contemporary events. But how do you assemble a serious narrative about a phenomenon defined by minute-to-minute tweets?
“Trump’s Takeover” examines the president’s relationship with his own party, covering the period from the moment in 2016 when he sewed up the nomination to the aftermath of the tax bill’s passage in December 2017.
Like many “Frontline” installments, “Takeover” remains tightly focused on Washington politics with contributions from D.C. insiders as well as journalists, mainly from The Washington Post and The New York Times.
While it discusses Twitter, this “Frontline” makes the curious choice to examine Trump’s relationship with the GOP without any mention of the role of older media, such as Fox News, Breitbart, Sinclair, thousands of hours of AM talk radio and personalities so well known that they go by single names: Sean and Rush and Laura.
As anybody who cares to listen already knows, their jeremiads are as often aimed at GOP leadership as at “liberals.” Trump has often used them to define, amplify and reverberate his message, over the heads (or below the belts) of the Republican leaders like Sen. Mitch McConnell.
You can’t really discuss a former reality TV star’s relationship to GOP politics without discussing these media outlets. But this “Frontline” has chosen to do so.
SEASON DEBUTS
Some series are on (and off) for so long that you can almost believe they’ve been canceled. Look for season debuts of “New Girl” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) and “Deadliest Catch” (9 p.m., Discovery, TV-PG), entering seasons seven and 14 respectively.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Tobias gets his marching orders on “Black Lightning” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14).
› “The Zimmern List” (9 p.m., Travel, TV-G) visits Branson.
› “Spring” cleaning on “Rise” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
› A patient’s mother believes her daughter is possessed on “Chicago Med” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
› A judge strays beyond the law on “For the People” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› David confronts an old foe on “Legion” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
› A killer cuts a deal on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
Kevin McDonough can be reached at kevin. tvguy@gmail.com.