Two documentary events premiere today, highlighting stories of the forgotten, overlooked and invisible.
Paramount+ streams “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken,” a documentary series following the singer as she plans a prison concert in her home state of Kansas.
Etheridge embarked on the project after receiving letters from inmates at Topeka Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Kansas. Raised in Leavenworth, Etheridge grew up in the shadow of prison facilities.
This project profiles several inmates and explores staggering statistics about the number of women locked up in America. Decades of “war on drugs” policies have seen the rates of imprisonment rise 700% for American women.
Etheridge became acutely aware of society’s problems with addiction after the death of her son from an opioid overdose.
— The PBS series “VOCES” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) enters its fifth season with the program “From Here/From There.” It profiles Luis Cortes Romero, an immigration lawyer who argued before the Supreme Court in defense of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
Romero’s defense of DACA was particularly relevant because it applied to his own situation. Raised in Redwood City, California, he attended a high school for gifted students. Luis did not learn that he had been born in Mexico until he attempted to get a passport for a class trip to Europe. When his father attempted to explain and rectify Luis’ status, he was instead arrested by ICE and deported to Mexico. Without DACA, Luis would face a similar fate, deported to a country he has never known.
— In anticipation of the Paris Olympic Games, “American Experience” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) repeats “Boys of ‘36.” A recent History Channel special recalled the often-told tale of Jesse Owens’ track triumphs at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. There, a Black man winning gold medals seemed a proud rebuke to Hitler’s master race ideology.
“Boys” recalls a more obscure sports story, that of an underdog crew team from the University of Washington. While crew has long been associated with Ivy League schools, University of Washington’s varsity heavyweight eight had a decidedly blue-collar feel. Several of the oarsmen suffered deprivation during the Depression. One was literally homeless through high school, and others joined the college team simply because it guaranteed them three square meals.
“Boys” recalls a bygone era when rowing races could draw crowds of more than 75,000 spectators and coast-to-coast radio broadcasts. It’s interesting to speculate that crew’s decline in popularity may be attributed to the fact that regattas make for less-than-compelling television.
“The Boys of ‘36” can also be streamed at PBS.org, or more specifically, at https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/boys36/ — Speaking of streaming, I stumbled across a vanished relic on Tubi, a FAST (Free, Advertising-Supported Television) platform owned by Fox. Released in 1975, the drama “That’s The Way of the World” stars Harvey Keitel (“Taxi Driver”) as an idealistic record producer excited to make the Group (a fictionalized version of Earth, Wind & Fire, playing themselves) into stars.
But his mobbed-up record label insists that he ignore them and produce a hit for the Pages, an untalented family band from Florida with Christian overtones. Look for Miss America host Bert Parks as their thuggish manager.
The dialogue is shaky, but “Way” is filled with fun period details, like an Earth, Wind & Fire concert at a roller-skating arena!
“Way” was never released on video or DVD and essentially lost to pre-disco history. But now it can be streamed!
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Denmark becomes a graveyard for cyber experts on “FBI: International” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Armed guards repatriating stolen African art are ambushed on “FBI: Most Wanted” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
Aliens transform airline crash victims into vampires in the 1968 Japanese horror movie “Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell” (1:30 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). While not released in the United States until 1977, the movie has gained a cult following and was even included in a Criterion Collection DVD anthology of Japanese horror.
SERIES NOTES
Federal agents on “FBI” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … “America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … “Beat Shazam” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Three episodes of “Celebrity Family Feud” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14), the last one being a repeat … “The Quiz With Balls” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Password” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Serena Williams and Andrew McCarthy are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Ray Romano, Rita Ora and Hannah Berner on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Rashida Jones, Antony Starr and Julia Phillips visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Taylor Tomlinson hosts “After Midnight” (12:37 a.m., CBS).
