Cynthia Erivo gets Aretha right in 4-night limited series
Don’t miss: “Genius: Aretha”: All hail the Queen of Soul. Cynthia Erivo delivers a spellbinding performance in this four-night limited series that delves into the life and incomparable career of the late Aretha Franklin. Airing during the week that would have marked Franklin’s 79th birthday, the saga begins with back-to-back episodes that toggle between her often turbulent formative years in Detroit (Shaian Jordan plays the young Franklin) and her artistic breakthrough in 1967, when she trekked to Muscle Shoals to record her first album with Atlantic Records. Throughout the series, Erivo, a Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner, performs songs from Franklin’s rich catalog. (9 p.m. today, National Geographic).
Other bets:
Today: “Q: Into the Storm” is a six-part documentary that follows filmmaker Cullen Hoback as he explores the forces behind QAnon, a fringe movement fueled by conspiracy theories. The film chronicles its evolution and reveals how “Q” uses information warfare to game the internet, hijack politics and impact public thought. (9 p.m., HBO).
Today: In the new drama series “The Gloaming,” political corruption and shady business dealings become entwined with sinister crimes and occult practices after a woman’s corpse is found. Two detectives who share a tragic past (Emma Booth and Ewen Leslie) try to figure it all out. (9 p.m., Starz).
Monday: In a pivotal episode of “The Good Doctor,” Shaun and Lea are forced to make a life-changing decision that will alter the course of their relationship. Are they really ready to be parents? (10 p.m., ABC).
Tuesday: “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” isn’t easy to watch, but you might not be able to look away. It’s a powerful, four-part documentary series in which the pop superstar looks back at some of the most trying times in her life — including the events that led to her nearly fatal overdose in 2018 — and how she reclaimed her physical and mental health. (YouTube).
Tuesday: The latest installment of “Frontline” — titled “Death Is Our Business” — is a poignant look at two of the oldest Black-owned funeral homes in New Orleans. The film spotlights the devastating impact of coronavirus on the Black community and how the pandemic has disrupted its beloved funeral rituals. (10 p.m., PBS).
Wednesday:: “The Day Sports Stood Still” is a documentary that recalls the unprecedented sports shutdown last March and the upheaval that followed. It chronicles the abrupt stoppage, the prominent role athletes played in social justice movements during the pandemic and the complicated return to competition. (9 p.m., HBO).
Thursday: It’s time to bid farewell to to the goofball employees at the big-box retailer Cloud 9. After six seasons, the workplace sitcom “Superstore” is closing and former star America Ferrera returns for the hourlong series finale. (8 p.m., NBC).
Friday: “The Irregulars” brings a fantastical twist to the Sherlock Holmes stories. The drama series follows a gang of troubled street teens who are manipulated into solving crimes for Doctor Watson and his business partner, the elusive British sleuth. The cases in this saga take on a horrifying supernatural edge as a dark power emerges. (Netflix).
Saturday: The new documentary “Tina” promises an “unvarnished” and “intimate” look at the life and career of musical icon Tina Turner. The film charts her improbable rise to early fame, her personal and professional struggles and her resurgence as a global phenomenon in the 1980s. (8 p.m., HBO).
Saturday: “The 52nd NAACP Image Awards” celebrate outstanding achievements by people of color in the arts. This year’s list of honorees includes two posthumous nominations for Chadwick Boseman for his work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Da 5 Bloods.” (8 p.m., CBS, BET, VH1 and MTV).