Missing-person drama ‘Found’ debuts
Few stories generate more news coverage, viewer obsession and social media memes than those of missing-person cases. Every year more than 600,000 people go missing. Many are children who are the subject of custody battles or teen runaways who quickly return. But some linger and grow cold.
And it’s long been observed that news coverage of these cases tends to accentuate missing teen girls who are white, blond cheerleader-types. Missing children who happen to be Black or brown tend to be ignored.
That sad reality forms some of the inspiration for “Found” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14), a forensic procedural starring Shanola Hampton as Gabi Mosely, a dynamic private investigator out to redress the balance by searching out the victims the police have overlooked.
Vivacious, attractive and seemingly unafraid to challenge the media and cops while disregarding a dozen laws about breaking and entering and violating privacy, Gabi gets results and taunts the authorities with her accomplishments.
This does not sit well with the thin blue line. And Gabi doesn’t care, because she was once an abducted young girl and the cops didn’t come for her, either.
“Found” is either enhanced or made ridiculous by a staggering array of high-tech gadgetry. Apparently, a young tycoon is around to fund her massive operation. This gives her private firm all of the resources that Jack Bauer had at his disposal as a federal agent on “24.” It’s a tad preposterous and a bit too slick to take seriously.
CBS imports “FBI True” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) from Paramount+. Now in its third season on that streaming platform, “True” interviews real agents about some of the agency’s more recent cases, recalling successes and failures in fighting criminals and terrorists.
› Long considered the national pastime, baseball, more than any other sport, has been held up as a mirror to the American character. Baseball as morality play returns on tonight’s “Frontline” (10 p.m., PBS, check local listings) installment, “The Astros Edge.” It recalls the 2017 World Series when the Houstonbased team found a way to steal opposing pitchers’ signs, giving them an enormous advantage over the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Edge” begins with clips of Blue Jays pitcher Mike Bolsinger giving up one hit after another. After the game, he remarked, “(I)t was as if they knew what I was throwing.” And they did.
Beginning the story with Bolsinger’s bad night, easily the most humiliating game of his professional career, “Edge” shows how remarkably painful it can be to be on the receiving end of a cheat. The scandal would have profound consequences for the Astros, its management and players, some who will remain tainted for life and be denied Hall of Fame status.
Six years after the 2017 scandal, “Astros Edge” coincides with the beginning of the 2023 MLB playoff schedule with a wild card game (7 p.m., ESPN).
› Tempestt Bledsoe hosts the comedy/game show/horror spoof special “Make Me Scream,” streaming on Prime Video. Three teams of wisecracking celebrities will confront terrifying scenarios while trying not to scream. Help yourself.