Dad lets others shine on ‘Meet the Smiths’
Why do some rich people insist that their house look like an Olive Garden restaurant? These and other questions rebound in my mind when I watch reality shows like “Meet the Smiths” (8 p.m., TBS).
Following a format largely unchanged since “The Osbournes,” this reality series documents former NBA star and TV talking head Kenny Smith and his attractive family as they try to pass themselves off as regular folk.
In the beginning at least, Kenny does most of the talking, inspiring eye rolls and smirks from his stepdaughters. Raising a blended family of children aged 2 to 21, Smith insists that he is the coolest dad on earth.
No stranger to public spectacle, Smith is clearly playing a role here, namely the fool, all the better to show off the cool intelligence of his beautiful wife, Gwendolyn OsborneSmith, and their children. So you can say that there is a great generosity to his belabored routine, no matter how tiresome or familiar.
“Derek,” the offbeat comedy series starring Ricky Gervais as an innocent working at a retirement home, streams its finale on Netflix. Poignant humor is not Gervais’ strong suit.
Good Friday programming includes three hours of “Jesus: The Untold Story” (7 p.m., Discovery Family).
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
A detour for Bavaria’s Oktoberfest on “The Amazing Race” (7 p.m., WREG-TV Channel 3).
Murder on two wheels on “Grimm” (7 p.m., WMC-TV Channel 5).
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star in the 2012 adaptation of the old Fox series “21 Jump Street” (7 p.m., WHBQ-TV Channel 13). The 2014 sequel “22 Jump Street” (8 p.m., Starz) also airs.
The voices of Danny Kaye, Casey Kasem and Vincent Price animate the 1971 fantasy “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” (7 p.m., WLMT-TV Channel 30).
Brad Pitt stars in the 2004 sword and sandal epic “Troy” (7 p.m., BBC America).
Tim Allen appears as Mike Baxter from “Last Man Standing” on a crossover episode of “Cristela” (7:30 p.m., WATN-TV Channel 24).
A friend of Grover’s plunges to her death on “Hawaii Five-0” (8 p.m., WREG-TV Channel 3).
Six “Sharks” convene to glance back at the series on the 100th episode of “Shark Tank” (8 p.m., WATN-TV Channel 24).
“Mysteries at the Museum” (8 p.m., Travel) returns with a look at the discovery of Richard III’s bones in England.