Disney kid-com stars Broadway veteran
Disney introduces TV viewers to 13-year-old actress/musical artist Ruth Righi (Broadway’s “School of Rock the Musical”). She’s the title star of “Sydney to the Max” (8:25 p.m., TV-G). A teen comedy about living with three generations under a single roof, “Sydney” also stars Ian Reed Kesler as her father, Max, who is also seen in flashbacks as his teenage self in the 1990s, played by Jackson Dollinger.
Look for Caroline Rhea (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) as Judy, Sydney’s spunky grandmother, who’s always ready to offer anecdotes (that spark a flashback) showing how the young teen’s concerns aren’t that different from her own experiences, or her son’s.
Series creator Mark Reisman is no stranger to generations sharing tight spaces. His writing credits include “Frasier.” This G-rated comedy is aimed at young people ages 6 to 14.
› Fans of period dramas should note that Netflix begins streaming the second season of “Medici” (TV-14). The Italian-British drama features an impressive cast, including Julian Sands as Piero de Medici. Dustin Hoffman appeared in season one (“Medici of Florence”) as Piero’s father.
› A period piece of another sort, Netflix imports “Kingdom” (TVMA), from South Korea. Set in Korea’s medieval Joseon period, it involves a prince’s efforts to investigate a mysterious plague only to discover the contagion has arrived in the form of vampires. Six episodes in all.
› John Goodman (“The Conners”) can be seen in the limited, eight-episode British series “Black Earth Rising” (TV-MA), a co-production between the BBC and Netflix. An American lawyer based in London, Michael Ennis (Goodman) comes to the aid of his research assistant, Kate Ashby (Michaela Coel), when the 28-year-woman, adopted as a child, begins to look into her real roots. After learning that she is a survivor of a mass genocide in her native Rwanda, her past becomes inescapable after Kate’s adoptive mother, Eve (Harriet Walter), begins
a case against an African militia leader.
A legal thriller set in international tribunals, “Rising” examines thorny issues of international culpability for African tragedies costing millions of lives.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Ryan Gosling stars in the 2017 reboot “Blade Runner 2049” (7:15 p.m., Cinemax), a technically and visually dazzling effort.
› The 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships (8 p.m., NBC), live from Detroit.
› Kyle’s first day at work takes him through
a political minefield on “Last Man Standing” (8 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-PG).
› The Houston Rockets host the Toronto Raptors in NBA action (8 p.m., ESPN).
› The nature of analog videotape looms large in the narrative of the 2008 shocker “Cloverfield” (8:30 p.m., Freeform).
› The final five vie to survive on “Hell’s Kitchen” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC) recalls multiple murderer Cary Stayner, who terrorized Yosemite National Park in 1999.
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin .tvguy@gmail.com.