TV picks for Jan. 25-27: 'Rent,' 'Doubt,' 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,' Jena Friedman

January 24, 2019 at 10:04PM
Matthew Worth as Father Brendan Flynn, a parish priest and Adriana Zabala as Sister James, a teacher and a nun in Minnesota Opera's Doubt music by Douglas J. Cuomo   libretto by John Patrick Shanley after his play © 2005 and film © 2008 world premiere a New Works Initiative Production January 26, 29, 31, February 2, and 3, 2013 Ordway, Saint Paul sung in English with English captions CREATIVE TEAM: conductor - Christopher Franklin stage dire
Matthew Worth and Adriana Zabala in the Minnesota Opera’s 2013 production of “Doubt.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Shadow of a doubt

If you didn't catch the Minnesota Opera's original production of "Doubt" back in 2013, now is your chance. PBS will present a national broadcast of the critically acclaimed production at Ordway Center as part of its "Great Performances" series. The opera is based on John Patrick Shanley's Tony Award-winning play, which also became a movie that received Oscar nominations for its four stars: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis.

8 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2

Anything for a laugh

No sitcom in the past four years has delivered more solid laughs per minute than "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," which has just dropped its final seven episodes. Creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock exit as they entered, using every weapon in their well-stocked comedy arsenal. Some of the material feels dated — do we really need a one-hour spoof of "Sliding Doors"? — but the brilliant cast, led by the unsinkable Ellie Kemper, makes every zinger feel fresh as a daisy.

Now streaming on Netflix

Tick tock

If your favorite segments on "The Daily Show" are the field reports, you'll want to check out "Soft Focus With Jena Friedman," whose host somehow maintains a straight face as each guest gets hoisted by his or her own petard. In the second-season premiere, political activist John McAfee appears blissfully unaware that the bomb is ticking below his feet.

11 p.m. Friday, Adult Swim

Dear landlord

I'm not a big fan of "Rent," but I fully support each network effort to bring the thrill of live theater to the masses. Brandon Victor Dixon, Tinashe, Vanessa Hudgens and Jordan Fisher help share the fact that a year consists of 525,600 minutes.

7 p.m. Sunday, KMSP, Ch. 9

Neal Justin

Ellie Kemper in UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT.
credit: Eric Liebowitz/Netflix
Kemper (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
RENT: Tinashe as Mimi Marquez in RENT airing Sunday, Jan. 27 (8:00-11:00 PM ET LIVE/PT TAPE-DELAYED) on FOX. ©2019 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Pamela Littky/FOX
Tinashe (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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