Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, April 15th, 2025:
DEPARTMENT OF MISSING THE POINT
CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King and several other celebrities - including pop star Katy Perry and fiancee of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos took part in an all-woman space flight Monday morning.
But on today's show, King blasted critics of the 11-minute flight, many of whom described the flight as a "publicity stunt:"
“So what do you think when people say, ‘Oh, it’s frivolous’? Number one, they call it a ride, which I find very irritating because they never say men went for a ride. What do you say to people who think that this was frivolous or just a ride? You know, I think the message that it sends is very, very powerful; and the people that say that, by the way, weren’t there."
There is so much wrong to unpack in those comments. But while King seemed to have memory-holed previous Blue Origin flights that included male celebrities and public figures, those flights were also described as publicity stunts. Because that is what they are.
Why does King think Katy Perry was on the flight? Or for that matter, why does King think she was part of the flight? Of course, it was a publicity stunt. It wasn't an example of women power. Women have a substantial role in space flight already.
And King deftly dodges the biggest question about the flight? Who paid for her seat? It's a multi-million dollar expense. And given that CBS News guidelines prohibit King from accepting a gift of that size, the question of how she received her seat remains? Was it an in-kind gift from Blue Origin in exchange for favorable coverage on CBS? If so, that opens up a different set of questions.
WHAT'S ON BROADCAST TV TONIGHT?
One of the fascinating things about the broadcast TV primetime schedule in 2025 is how insulated it is from everything else that is going on in the television world. There's an audience for broadcast television, but if you are someone who relies primarily on a virtual cable or SVOD services in order to watch broadcast shows on a delayed basis, you likely have no idea what shows are on what nights.
For instance, what shows aired on the big four broadcast networks on Tuesday night? I'll wait....
You might remember that Tuesday night is the FBI show block, with CBS airing FBI/FBI International/FBI Most Wanted. And maybe that NBC is airing The Voice. But I suspect that is the extent of your knowledge without a bit of prompting.
FWIW, ABC aired new episodes of Will Trent and The Rookie, along with something called Bad Romance: A Special Edition Of 20/20. Fox aired new episodes of The Cleaning Lady and Alert: Missing Persons Unit.
WHAT TO WATCH
If you're a fan of classic Nordic Noir shows, I'll recommend The Glass Dome, which premiered Tuesday on Netflix. Léonie Vincent stars as Lejla Ness, a criminologist who now lives in America after growing up in the small Swedish village of Granås. She returns to her hometown after her adoptive mother dies and we learn that as a child, she was abducted and confined in a glass cage for weeks before escaping.
While there, one of her childhood friends dies in what looks to be a suicide. But when her young daughter disappears in what seems to be a kidnapping, Lejla finds herself drawn into the case as she wonders if this kidnapping and hers might somehow by related. The six-episode series has a great cast, some interesting plot twists and while it arguably doesn't quite stick the ending, it's a great example of the genre and well worth watching.
And that is more than I can say for the stand-up special Tim Dillon: I'm Your Mother, which also premiered Tuesday on Netflix. Dillon is another one of those Joe Rogan Austin-based comics and the best thing I can say about this special is that isn't as insufferably white power-adjacent as his podcast.
Aside from the fact the special's runtime is pretty short - just over 40 minutes - the comedy is this bizarre mix of topics that I suppose are designed to "offend" people, but also aren't especially clever or funny. He opens his set with four minutes of discussing how modern-day homeless people aren't as loveable as the ones he used to see when he was a kid. Then it's on to some stories about hanging out with JFK Jr. And the last extended bit in the special is this long riff on trans kids, which is similar to jokes I've heard from other Austin comics, which center around having to pay for transition surgery for kids who won't then do everything you want them to do, like some trans trained monkey. He ends with the comment "I understand these jokes might not be for everybody," and that's really the point of the set. He's just trying to be offensive. And yet, he can't quite pull that off either. Hit the hate button and move on.
ODDS AND SODS
* Kevin Costner's The West will premiere Monday, May 26th on The History Channel. Here is the logline: "Kevin Costner’s The West takes viewers on an epic journey through the birth of the American West, examining the relentless competition for land, power, and identity that forged our nation’s history. With legends born from figures such as Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea to the clashes between lawmen and outlaws, the rise of cowboys and ranchers, the resilience of trailblazing women, and the fervor of fortune seekers and abolitionists, this series spans a century of pivotal events. By presenting these stories from diverse perspectives, the series illuminates both the indelible contributions of the pioneers who shaped the dream of the American West and the courageous resistance of Native American tribes who valiantly defended their ancestral land."
* Andy Dehnart's Reality Blurred has a fascinating look at the behind-the-scenes workings at the Fox game show The Floor.
* Season three of the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That will premiere Thursday, May 29th on Max.
* America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons, a new three-week event series hosted by Fox News Channel anchor Harris Faulkner, will premiere Monday, April 28th on Fox. The network will also air the special John Walsh’s Dirty Dozen, on Wednesday, May 14th.
* BET+ has ordered the Martin spin-off series Vernell Hill, headlined by actor-comedian Tommy Davidson.
* The crime drama Smoke will premiere Friday, June 27th on Apple TV+.
* The stand-up special Atsuko Okatsuka: Father will premiere Friday, June 13th on Hulu.
TWEET OF THE DAY
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
TUESDAY, APRIL 15TH, 2025:
Behind The Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Netflix)
Caught In The Act: Unfaithful Season Premiere (MTV)
100 Day Dream Home Season Premiere (HGTV)
1000-lb Sisters Season Premiere (TLC)
The Carters: Hurts To Love You (Paramount+)
The Dark Money Game (HBO)
The Glass Dome (Netflix)
The Valley Season Premiere (Bravo)
We Got Time Today Season Finale (Tubi)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16TH, 2025:
Agatha Christie's Towards Zero (BritBox)
Expedition Files Season Premiere (Discovery)
Ghost Adventures Season Premiere (Discovery)
Government Cheese Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
I Am Not Mendoza Series Premiere (Netflix)
LOL: Last One Laughing Colombia Season Premiere (Prime Video)
No Man's Land Season Two Premiere (Hulu)
Project UFO (Netflix)
Sherlock & Daughter Series Premiere (The CW)
Synduality Noir Season One Premiere (Hulu)
The Diamond Heist (Netflix)
The Stolen Girl (Freeform)
SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY!
Too Much TV: Can You Tell Me What Was On Broadcast TV Tonight?
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- By Rick Ellis
