TV picks for June 1: 'Billion Dollar Propertie$,' Sarah Silverman, National Spelling Bee

May 31, 2017 at 8:22PM
-- PHOTO MOVED IN ADVANCE AND NOT FOR USE - ONLINE OR IN PRINT - BEFORE MAY 28, 2017. -- Kulap Vilaysack, a showrunner for ìBajillion Dollar Propertie$,î in Burbank, Calif., April 25, 2017. As the number of scripted TV shows has risen, networks and streaming services have been mining the improv comedy, film, theater and digital video worlds for creative and writing talent. (Brad Torchia/The New York Times)
Vilaysack (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Professor Silverman

Sarah Silverman proved long ago that she's one of comedy's smartest talents and, more recently, that she's a heck of an actress. But her new stand-up special, "A Speck of Dust," suggests she might also make a dynamite teacher. The concert is top-notch, as usual, but Silverman occasionally takes a break to dissect her act, welcome tutorials for anyone with interest in the art of cracking people up.

Now streaming on Netflix

Coming home

Kulap Vilaysack, the talented writer who grew up in the Twin Cities, returns with her series "Bajillion Dollar Propertie$," a not so gentle skewering of the real estate game. Vilaysack's playful set and her time at the Upright Citizens Brigade explain how anyone might end up knocking on the door. Past guest stars include Zach Galifianakis, Patton Oswalt and Randall Park.

Now streaming on Seeso

Breaking it down

Dust off your dictionaries and see if you flip to the right page before the contestants blurt out the answers during the "2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee." Coverage of the final round begins at 9 a.m. with really ambitious viewers invited to play along at ESPNU. The last kids standing will have a "spelldown" around 7:30 p.m.

ESPN

Neal Justin

Michael Rowe
"Sarah Silverman: A Speck of Dust."
Sarah Silverman stars in a Netflix comedy special. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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