Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, November 14. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Underfire: The Untold Story Of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro (HBO, 8 p.m.): Tonight’s HBO documentary profiles Tony Vaccaro, a U.S. Army private who took about 8,000 combat photos during WWII. If that sounds like a particularly stressful time to take photos, that’s because it was: “This documentary examines the difficulties Vaccaro encountered as a wartime photographer, follows him as he returns to the sites he captured in his work and explores the impact that combat photography can have on public perception of wars.”
Hoosiers (HDNet Movies, 9 p.m.): This is certainly a different type of choice for top pick, but sometimes you’ve just got to think outside the ball. The basketball, that is. Tonight marks exactly 30 years since Hoosiers’ original release, which seems pretty top-pick-worthy. For those who haven’t seen the film, you’ve probably seen a riff on it in some TV show: “A disgraced basketball coach (Gene Hackman) takes a job at a small Indiana high school and leads the small squad on an improbable run for a state championship.”
Timeless (ABC, 10 p.m.): We now round out our pretty historical night of top picks with this week’s Timeless, “The Watergate Tape.” Now, we know everyone is burnt out on politics, but come on: Timeless is going Watergate, people. Will this live up to the standards set by Dick? That’s absolutely impossible. But there’s no way this won’t be more fun than the Alamo, and reviewer Allison Shoemaker will appreciate that.
Premieres and finales
The Real Housewives Of Orange County (Bravo, 8 p.m.): We’re at the midway point of this reunion, with part two of three. What’s in store for the ladies tonight? “Heather has a showdown with Kelly, who reveals shocking secrets about her past; Shannon casts light on her vow renewal; and Vicki’s daughter discusses her mother.” Ah, just vague enough to require a third part.
Love & Hip Hop Hollywood (VH1, 8 p.m.): So ends the Love & Hip Hop Hollywood reunion show—at episode two of two, by the way. “The reunion continues with Masika and Hazel facing off. Later, Willie and Kyesha’s texts are revealed; Rosa accuses Safaree of being cheap; and Moniece makes a shocking allegation that one of the guys has a child with a mistress.” Wow. Do you guys really think Safaree is cheap?
The 1980s: The Deadliest Decade (Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.): Great, now Investigation Discovery is trying to make us terrified when it comes to our nostalgia for the 1980s. “San Junipero,” give us strength. ID’s latest nightmare fuel, a “true-crime series about notorious murders in the 1980s,” premieres tonight with “The Yuppie Murder”: “the story of Charles Stuart, who claimed he and his pregnant wife Carol were robbed and shot by a black assailant in Boston. Carol and her unborn baby did not survive.” ID, you’ve done it again.
Mars (NatGeo/Science Channel, 9 p.m.): As we all know, Mars is so hot right now, though not literally. So now Mars has its own NatGeo show as proof of its hotness. “Meet the scientists, entrepreneurs, and modern-day explorers determined to send humans to Mars within the next several years.” This is basically a guarantee that if you watch, you’re going to Mars. Keep that in mind when you choose what to watch tonight, although TV editor Erik Adams had some issues with the show’s competing missions in his pre-air review.
Soundbreaking: Stories From The Cutting Edge Of Recorded Music (PBS, 10 p.m.): And now for one last series premiere, as PBS takes “an in-depth look at the art of music recording and how it’s evolved.” This eight-part series begins with “The Recording Artist,” which is actually about “some of music’s greatest producers.” According to TV Guide, this episode will focus on “the contrasting styles of such producers as George Martin, Sam Phillips, Tom Petty and Dr. Dre.” In his pre-air review, music editor David Anthony found the show’s all-encompassing attempts a bit scattershot
Regular coverage
The Crown (Netflix)
Supergirl (The CW, 8 p.m.)
Gotham (Fox, 8 p.m.)
WWE Monday Night RAW (USA, 8 p.m.)
Jane The Virgin (The CW, 9 p.m.)
Lucifer (Fox, 9 p.m.)
People Of Earth (TBS, 9 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Hoop Dreams (Amazon Video/iTunes/Google Play/YouTube): We’ve got documentaries and basketball movies on the brain because of tonight’s top picks, so what better way to keep that going than with a basketball documentary for streaming pick? If we could find a way to involve Richard Nixon in this, we would. Plus, A.A. Dowd gave this an A.