‘Grown & Gospel’ and generic, too

Reality television promises to document various subcultures and invite us into worlds we might have never imagined. So why do so many of these shows look alike?

I have zero familiarity with the world of Black gospel music or the families and dynasties that have contributed to that enduring musical genre. So I was intrigued by “Grown & Gospel” (9 p.m., WE, TV-14), a series that follows the children of gospel legends and examines how they define themselves in the shadows of their famous parents.

We first meet Elijah Connor, who has come to define himself as a secular pop star and has enjoyed some degree of social media fame. He has a beard that appears to change colors from scene to scene, particularly when he uses his phone to engage with fans while taking some elaborate bubble baths.

Why is it that people in reality shows insist on having enormous bathrooms the size of twobedroom apartments? You would think that people raised around music, faith and culture would have developed a distinctive style. But the rooms, houses and studios we see in “Grown & Gospel” look like those featured in so many similar series — as if they were just ordered from some big box store. Television is still a visual medium, isn’t it? Why does it seem like we’ve seen this countless times before?

› For more exalted mediocrity, there’s “Queen’s Court,” streaming on Peacock. It’s a dating show “from producer Will Packer.” Whenever a show is promoted with its producer’s name, you know you’re in cookiecutter country.

Here, three largerthan-life and reportedly famous single women — Tamar Braxton, Evelyn Lozada and Nivea — embark on a romantic journey that has them dating some 21 worthies over 10 episodes. Hosted by Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete.

› Proof that there’s more to Scandinavian television than Nordic noir mysteries, Viaplay, the new streaming service, presents the historical epic “Margrete: Queen of the North.” Danish actress Trine Dyrholm stars in the title role as the Danish queen (1353-1412) who joined Norway, Sweden and Denmark into the Kalmer Union, intimidating hostile neighbors and bringing peace and prosperity to the region.

The feature film follows her court intrigue as she rules in the name of her son Erik. A tale of a strong mother and ruler complete with period battle scenes and all the attendant hacking, whacking and going medieval, “Margrete” is a curious combination of the austere and cerebral Netflix Danish import “Borgen” and HBO’s blood-soaked blockbuster “Game of Thrones.”

› BET+ streams season two of “Tyler Perry’s Zatima,” a spinoff of his series “Sistas.” What did I just say about shows where the producer gets the star billing?

› The fantasy series “Shadow and Bone” streams its second season on Netflix.