CBS imports international ‘Love Island’
Sometimes it takes a show as dumb as “Love Island” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) to concentrate the mind. My first takeaway is a renewed appreciation for the fact that people who spend most of their time “sculpting” their abdominal muscles just aren’t likely to become sparkling conversationalists.
Asked to introduce the show, participants describe themselves as “a little bit of a flirt,” and capable of “keeping it so real.” And the always-reliable “let’s do it.”
Not unlike a gazillion shows dating back to “Temptation Islanda,” the participants are kept in isolation and forced to couple up in order to stay on the island for another week.
For reasons unknown, this has been a huge ratings smash in the U.K. Will it survive the transatlantic voyage? “Survivor” was an import, too. But so was “The Weakest Link.”
Ready to change the channel on this nonsense? “Let’s do it!”
› NBC launches yet another talent showcase. On “Bring the Funny” (10 p.m., TV-14), judges Kenan Thompson, Chrissy Teigen and Jeff Foxworthy evaluate up-and-coming comedy talent from every genre. Teigen is a fashion model. What’s she doing here?
Another new competition series, “The Next Big Thing” (10 p.m., BET, TV-14) affords R&B and hip-hop hopefuls a whole 30 seconds to prove that they have what it takes. Judges include Damon Dash, Tina Davis and Zaytoven.
› The second of the three-part “American Experience” presentation “Chasing the Moon” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) recalls the years 1964-1968, which culminated with Apollo 8’s Christmas Eve lunar orbit and dramatic broadcast, a moment that arguably made for “better television” than the 1969 lunar landing.
› The two-part documentary “I Love You, Now Die” (8 p.m., HBO, TV-MA) looks back at the 2014 suicide of 18-yearold Conrad Roy, a death that prosecutors blamed on alarming text messages from his “girlfriend,” Michelle Carter.
The series goes beyond the headlines to examine the mental health of both victim and the accused, and the psychological damage wrought by a “courtship” conducted almost entirely via smartphones. The couple had met in person only a half-dozen times or so. Their relationship was in many ways as “real” or as artificial as that between gamers or social media “friends,” replete with the kind of impersonal cruelty such mediums encourage.
Unspeakably sad and deeply disturbing, “Die” shows just how much documentary material a well-covered court case and a wealth of phone data can churn up. It feeds an almost unfillable desire for these voyeuristic truecrime efforts. Someday, somebody should create a documentary about the psychological impact of watching too many films like this!
› Speaking of documentaries and unhealthy habits, A&E dives into the morbid anniversary pool with “Biography: Farrah Fawcett Forever” (9 p.m., TV-14), marking the 10th anniversary of the “Charlie’s Angels” star’s passing. Next week, “Biography” reflects on the 20th anniversary of the death of a president’s namesake with “Biography: JFK Jr. — The Final Year.”
TV-themed DVDs available today include “Broad City: The Complete Series.”
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin .tvguy@gmail.com.