New this week: Morgan Wallen music, tiger cubs and ‘Herself’
MOVIES
— Vanessa Kirby, who many came to admire for her outstanding portrayal of Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of “The Crown,” gives another stellar (but very different) performance in “Pieces of a Woman.” In the film, which comes to Netflix on Thursday, Kirby plays a woman grappling with the loss of her first child during a homebirth.
— Pete Davidson may surprise you with his nuanced turn in Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island,” in which the SNL star plays a man still reeling from the loss of his firefighter father on 9/11 and drifting through his 20s without much of a plan. It’s loosely based on Davidson’s own life and childhood loss and the comedian gets a co-writing credit, too. It will finally be free starting Saturday for HBO Max subscribers.
— A woman (Clare Dunne) with two young daughters must escape from an abusive living situation in the Irish drama “Herself,” coming to Amazon Prime Video on Friday. Teetering on poverty and unable to secure appropriate housing from the local council, Sandra endeavors to build herself and her girls a home fit for a family with the help of the community.
MUSIC
— In just a few short years, Morgan Wallen has dominated the country music charts and even crossed over the pop world, launching six Top 40 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. It adds to the anticipation of his sophomore album, “Dangerous: The Double Album,” to be released Friday. It’s the follow-up to the platinumselling “If I Know Me” and includes 30 tracks, including the hits “7 Summers” and “More Than My Hometown.”
— On what would have been his son’s 39th birthday, Steve Earle is releasing a new album in tribute to Justin Townes Earle, who died in August. Steve Earle & The Dukes cover 10 songs from Justin’s catalog on “J.T.” The album was released Monday and 100 percent of the artist advances and
royalties will be donated to a trust for Etta St. James Earle, the 3-year-old daughter of Justin and Jenn Earle.
TELEVISION
— Here’s a rerun worth revisiting: “Underground,” which ran for two seasons on WGN and is being reintroduced on OWN with new material. Aldis Hodge and Jurnee Smollett star in the drama of African Americans seeking to escape slavery along the Underground Railroad — a 19th-century network of secret “safe houses.” Oprah Winfrey Network debut at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
— “PBS American Portrait,” a four-part docuseries debuting Tuesday (check local listings for time), has an ambitious goal: Discover what it means to be an American today and help foster ways of better understanding each other. Drawing on 11,000
plus stories submitted online by people nationwide, the series offers what PBS calls “a chorus of voices sharing both common and unique experiences.” The hourlong episodes are divided thematically, starting with how we pursue the American Dream and followed by the value and challenges of work; traditions and values; efforts to create a society that rejects racism.
— Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller’s series on black markets turns to the smuggling of tigers — and tiger parts — in the episode airing 9 p.m. Wednesday on National Geographic channel. The goal of “Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller” is to provide a comprehensive view of trafficking networks and the people who are pulled into the criminal enterprises, the channel said.