Given enough time, I always knew the chaos of the streaming universe would congeal into something vaguely resembling cable TV. It’s well on its way!
IMDb TV, streamed with commercials on Amazon Prime, doesn’t even hide its cable roots. It has relaunched “Leverage,” an old TNT series that aired between 2008 and 2012. For those who have forgotten, “Leverage” starred Timothy Hutton as Nate Ford, an insurance investigator who cobbled together a squad of geeks, grifters, thieves and a hit man to fight on behalf of individuals and institutions hoodwinked, swindled or bamboozled by rich corporations or nefarious tycoons.
Not unlike the “blue sky” era of programming on USA that aired series including “Monk,” “Royal Pains” and “Suits,” “Leverage” did not attempt to compete with dark, “peak TV” series like “Mad Men” or “Breaking Bad,” but offered viewers a throwback to a time when James Garner walked the Earth, pleasant procedurals that wrapped up tidily in 45 minutes or so. A heist-of-the-week, “Leverage” offered fairly easy-to-follow intrigue heavy on wisecracks, quirks and camaraderie.
The new incarnation “Leverage: Redemption” reunites the old team with one major exception. Hutton’s Nate has died, and the squad (Beth Riesgraf, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane and Aldis Hodge) gather around his tombstone in the early going. There they talk about how fun it would be to get the old gang back together.
And gosh almighty, doesn’t a case fall into their lap in the person of Harry Wilson (Noah Wyle). He’s the former lawyer for a nefarious big pharma villain, clearly modeled on the Sackler family of Purdue Pharma, profiled in the HBO series “Crime of the Century.”
Convinced that his client is out to whitewash its role in the opioid crisis by endowing museums and accumulating a matchless art collection, Harry joins the gang to plan a heist that just might be a masterpiece. “ER” star Wyle, who was appearing in “The Librarians” around the time of the original “Leverage,” will join “Redemption” as a regular.
— The Founding Fathers become the Founding Bros in “America: The Motion Picture,” streaming today on Netflix. This dude-centric historical calamity features a chainsaw-wielding George Washington teaming up with Sam Adams (there will be beer jokes) and Thomas Edison and Geronimo to fight Benedict Arnold. Help yourself.
— Netflix imports the Polish feature film “Prime Time,” about an armed young man who invades a TV studio on New Year’s Eve, takes the producer and a security guard hostage and demands that the station air his manifesto. If only he knew what to say.
— Netflix also streams “Ray,” a four-episode series adapting the short stories of Satyajit Ray, who became famous internationally in the 1950s for his “Apu Trilogy” films. “Ray” stars some of the most acclaimed actors now working in India.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— 2021 Stanley Cup final (8 p.m., NBC).
— A cynical reporter goes undercover at a boot camp for the lonely and single in the 2021 romance “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (8 p.m., Hallmark).
CULT CHOICE
A 1970s teen (Lucas Jade Zumann) grows up in the orbit of his single mother (Annette Bening) and two female tenants (Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig) in the 2016 drama “20th Century Women” (8 p.m., Sho2). Inspired by writer/director Mike Mills’ own experiences. His original screenplay received an Oscar nomination.
SERIES NOTES
Drew Carey hosts “The Price Is Right at Night” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … Pastry chef Sherry Yard visits “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Press Your Luck” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Major changes on “Kung Fu” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … On two helpings of “S.W.A.T.” (CBS, r, TV-14): extremists seek to disrupt the funeral of a police critic (9 p.m.); Hondo becomes the face of outreach (10 p.m.).
“Crime Scene Kitchen” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … “The $100,000 Pyramid” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-14) … One step at a time on “In the Dark” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) … “Card Sharks” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Harvey Keitel and Randall Otis are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Kristen Bell, Dane DeHaan and Migos on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., r, NBC) … Rob McElhenney and Ryan O’Connell visit “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Ed Sheeran continues his musical residency on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:37 a.m., CBS).
