Bet+ streams ‘Madea’s Farewell Play’
It’s never easy to say goodbye. Particularly when you keep a social distance. “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Farewell Play” was a soldout hit in live theaters in 2019 and ran through February of this year, when it was forced to close due to COVID-19.
The stage production will stream on the BET+ app starting today. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, “Madea” stars Perry as the large (6’2”) and larger-thanlife elderly grandmother given to sage advice and cutting commentary.
The Madea character has been around at least since the 1999 play “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” and has appeared in dozens of theatrical and movie incarnations, including an animated film, “Madea’s Tough Love,” and guest appearances on “House of Payne,” “Meet the Browns” and “Love Thy Neighbor.” Perry has also appeared as Madea on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Clearly beloved, Madea has been criticized for furthering minstrel drag stereotypes found in movies like “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son” (9 p.m., BET, TV-14), starring Martin Lawrence. Whatever people write, Madea and Perry remain essentially critic-proof.
› HBO Max begins streaming “Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness.” This four-part travelogue takes Patel to countries all over the world, where he encounters friends and strangers to discuss life’s really big questions.
Patel was the subject of the 2014 documentary “Meet the Patels,” directed by Ravi and his sister, Geeta. It offered a charming look at a 30-year-old immigrant straddling the social mores of 21st-century America while trying to please his traditional family.
› Coverage of the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention (8 p.m., PBS; 10 p.m., CBS, NBC and ABC as well as continuing coverage on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC). Livestreams of the RNC should also be available on Amazon, Roku and elsewhere.
The political convention and the forthcoming electoral battle will generate endless commentary. As I have in the past, let’s look at tonight’s movie listings to sift the tea leaves of political prognostication.
Do the candidates command affection? Or inspire “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” (6 p.m., BET, TV-14)? Will the news media affect “Total Recall” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14) of both candidates’ records? Will the poll bounce from this convention be “Big” (8 p.m., CMT)? Should a female vice presidential candidate “Think Like a Man” (9 p.m., Starz Encore)? Will the president’s records remain “Hidden Figures” (8 p.m., FX)? Which candidate comes across better as “The Family Man” (6:50 p.m., MoMax)?
Whoever wins, one side will claim they got the “Shaft” (9 p.m., HBO). Will the loser “Fly Away Home” (8 p.m., TMCX) after election night?