A mouthwatering trip to Italy, and 6 other things to watch this week
Our weekly picks to lift your spirits and expand your pandemic playlist.
Plenty of series have offered tours of the culinary world's paradise, but few have been as delightful as the experience of being guided by this Oscar-nominated actor. Tucci has all the right friends — and taste buds — to make this an adventure to savor. The feast he enjoys outside Naples while waiting out a severe storm will remind you of the mouthwatering final scene from his 1996 movie "Big Night." Buon appetito! 8 p.m. Sunday, CNN
'Hip Hop Uncovered'
This six-part series focuses on the power brokers that rap artists initially emulated in their music and eventually abandoned after their mentors entered the industry. You may not recognize their names, but their personas will be familiar to fans of everyone from Tupac Shukar to Nicki Minaj. Stick through all the six episodes to discover the largely unknown roles Madonna and Minneapolis played in hip-hop history. 9 p.m. Friday, FX; on Hulu starting Saturday
'Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella'
Whitney Houston and Bernadette Peters pop up in this 1997 version of the beloved fairy-tale musical, finally available for streaming. But the real belle of the ball is Brandy Norwood in the title role. Her performance of "In My Own Little Corner," dreamily walking through her home and fantasizing about escape, is more dazzling than all the film's cartoonish sets and special effects. It's perfect for kids who have watched "Frozen" a dozen times and are looking for something new. Disney Plus
'Tapestry'
Before the album "Tapestry" was released 50 years ago this week, Carole King was known as the composer who penned such 1960s hits as "Up on the Roof," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." The world didn't hear her voice and lyrics until this Grammy-winning blockbuster that helped usher in the era of singer-songwriters. It shows the author putting her own touch on tunes including "So Far Away," "You've Got a Friend" and "A Natural Woman." Spotify and streaming services
Food for Love concert
One of the most promising all-star music stream-a-thons of late will feature David Byrne, the Chicks, Jackson Browne, Alejandro Escovedo, Shawn Colvin, Nathaniel Rateliff, Kurt Vile, Marcia Ball, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and other friends of Texas Panhandle artist and musician Terry Allen. All money goes to New Mexico's food banks, particularly near Navajo and other Native Nation lands hit especially hard by the pandemic. 6 p.m. Saturday, Foodforlove.org
'Meltdown'
This film is largely concerned with how climate change is affecting the glaciers of Greenland, but it also manages to pay a warm tribute to photographer Lynn Davis, who grew up in the Twin Cities and attended the University of Minnesota. Her story, which includes a friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe and marriage to screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer ("Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid") deserves its own documentary. Premieres Friday via various video-on-demand outlets
'Fireside Sessions'
One of America's most satisfying live groups, the bluesy, jammy, rocking Tedeschi Trucks Band is kicking off a new series of streamed concerts from the home of married guitar stars Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Each of the six episodes will offer the musicians in a different combination — duo, quartet, sextet and full-on octet. Tedeschi and Trucks even promise new songs written during the pandemic. 7 p.m. Thursday, Nugs.net
about the writer
Sin City attempts to lure new visitors with multisensory, interactive attractions, from life-size computer games to flying like a bird.