Apple TV+ streams “Lady in the Lake,” an ambitious seven-part period mystery. Based on a 2019 novel by Laura Lippman, the story is set in mid-1960s Baltimore and unfolds in overlapping tales of two murders that take place in two societies that uneasily share the same city.
Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) stars as Maddie Schwartz, an affluent upper-class Jewish wife and mother seemingly suffocated by her marriage and the increasingly strident religious pretensions of her controlling husband. Not to give too much away, but in the first episode, she’s seen buying kosher lamb for a Thanksgiving feast. The meat is so fresh that its blood drips all over her expensive coat. Despite all her efforts, her husband throws out her Thanksgiving meal because she mistakenly served it on the wrong set of dishes, violating a religious rule about separating meat from dairy.
If this weren’t enough to enrage Maddie, her family also shows little interest in the disappearance of a neighbor, a young Jewish girl who had wandered away from her parents during the Thanksgiving Day parade.
“Lady” follows Maddie as she leaves her home to become an investigative reporter, following the disappearance of both her young neighbor and Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram, “The Queen’s Gambit”), a young Black mother who straddles the line separating the city’s numbers rackets and mobbed-up nightclubs and burgeoning political scene, inspired by the civil rights movement.
“Lady” is narrated by the disembodied voice of Cleo from beyond the grave. The effect is a tad heavy-handed. Add that to the “blood of the lamb” symbolism in the opening episode, and you have some less-than-subtle moments.
Cleo’s narration never tires of announcing the series’ paradoxical theme. Is the suddenly independent Maddie really interested in her story and her murder, or is Cleo’s disappearance merely a catalyst for Maddie’s liberation and her ability to plumb long-buried (or is that drowned?) memories and possibilities? Along the way, “Lady” explores the uneasy relationship between the Black and Jewish communities during the civil rights struggle.
An unabashedly ambitious and evidently expensive undertaking, “Lady” does not skimp in production values and period details. In the opening episode, it recreates an entire parade, a crowded charity banquet and a nightclub filled with patrons, musical and comedy acts. Not to mention a numbers racket boiler room in the basement. That’s a lot of sets, costumes and extras — something you just can’t whip up with CGI wizardry and AI.
— Also streaming on Apple TV+, “Omnivore” explores the people and cultures of the world, one ingredient at a time.
Hosted by chef Rene Redzep, it begins with a look at chiles, the spice that ranges from mild paprika to a forbidding plant called ghost pepper. Further installments examine the cultures that have revolved around catching, cultivating and cooking tuna. Another episode examines humanity’s relationship with the pig. There’s a whole hour dedicated to salt — not to mention, rice, bananas, coffee and corn.
— Prime Video imports “Betty la Fea, the Story Continues” a sequel to the Colombian telenovela, an international hit and the series that inspired ABC’s Americanized version, “Ugly Betty.”
Much of the original cast returns for “The Story Continues.” Apparently, a lot can be changed by wearing and/or removing eyeglasses.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A young woman uses holiday missives to reach out to five people who have shaped her life in the 2019 romance “Write Before Christmas” (7 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— “Today Show” correspondents interview and profile some of the most promising American athletes going to the Paris Games on “Inspiring America: Team USA” (8 p.m., NBC).
— Having reached college age, Andy leaves his playthings behind in the bittersweet 2010 sequel “Toy Story 3” (8 p.m., Disney, TV-G).
— A dedicated detective vanishes on the anniversary of one of his biggest cases on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
Shot in black and white, director Peter Bogdanovich’s 1973 comedy “Paper Moon” (8 p.m., TCM, TV-14) evokes the spirit of Depression-era road movies. Tatum O’Neal, who starred with her father, Ryan, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Aged 10, she remains the youngest person to ever receive an Academy Award in a competitive category.
SERIES NOTES
“Lingo” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Jeopardy! Masters” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) … Snipers abound on “S.W.A.T.” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) …”Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC).
LATE NIGHT
Tyler Perry and Alex Cooper visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Taylor Tomlinson hosts “After Midnight” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
