‘Blood & Money’: ‘Law & Order’ - actors
As television entertainment continues to evolve, some roles have been reversed. Time was, we watched cop shows for the actors they cast and watched game shows featuring regular people. But that’s not the case anymore.
Few series have showcased as many emerging actors as Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order.” Produced in New York, it treated the New York stage as a feeder for its casting department, providing rising stars with paychecks and credits needed to secure their SAG cards and health insurance. “Law & Order” was so associated with Broadway that it was recognized at the Tony Awards in 2016 and was the subject of an extended routine by host James Corden.
CNBC introduces “Blood & Money” (10 p.m., TV-14), a true-crime docuseries dedicated to stories of murder inspired by money and greed.
What distinguishes this from the thousands of hours of true crime docuseries on ID, Netflix and elsewhere? It’s from Dick Wolf and it’s presented in the style of a “Law & Order” spinoff, complete with that franchise’s signature “clung-clung” introduction. But it’s composed of news footage, photographic stills, court documents and interviews with real participants (lawyers, friends of the deceased and investigating officers) years and decades after the events discussed.
Tonight’s debut installment recalls murder allegations against Robert Durst, heir to a New York real estate fortune, who evaded justice for decades.
His story was the focus of the Emmy-winning HBO series “The Jinx,” which may have sparked the docuseries craze back in 2015. So not only does this “Law & Order” spinoff dispense with actors, its subject has been well-covered. But that’s never stopped a true-crime binger before.
On the opposite end of the entertainment spectrum, game shows used to give ordinary people a chance to shine on “Let’s Make a Deal” or spout inappropriate confessions on “The Newlywed Game.” But that was another era. Now we only want to watch famous people playing games.
Jimmy Fallon hosts the music, dance and trivia contest and celebrity hangout showcase “That’s
My Jam” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG), returning for a second season with guests Jason Derulo, Nicole Scherzinger, Kelsea Ballerini and Julia Michaels. Fallon introduces a new challenge: Don’t Fear the Speaker.
› While “Law & Order” may be moving away from scripts and actors, the Fox legal drama “Accused” (9 p.m., TV-14) has been churning through talent with its defendant-of-theweek format.
Tonight, Whitney Cummings stars as a comic assaulted by a fellow performer, who exacts vengeance in her act. In the course of its season, the anthology series features performances by Michael Chiklis, Margo Martindale, Abigail Breslin,
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Rachel Bilson, Wendall Pierce, Rhea Perlman, Betsy Brandt and Keith Carradine, among others.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Not unlike the justreturned “Perry Mason” (10 p.m., HBO), the
1974 thriller “Chinatown” (6:30 p.m., Showcase) explores the seamy side of Los Angeles history and the corruption of its elites.
› A cartel’s accountant is slain after testifying against it on “FBI” (8 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).
› Have passport, will travel on “FBI: International” (9 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).