Your TV GPS, Globe critic Matthew Gilbert’s guide to what’s on television, appears at the beginning of each week at BostonGlobe.com. Today’s column covers April 20-26.
BUH-BYE
This is the tragic story of two shows that are leaving this week. Sometimes, cancellation is tragic because it arrives too soon, before a good show has the chance to thrive; but in this case the shows in question — “Will & Grace” and “Homeland” — are leaving long past their peaks. Alas, it’s a common way to go, as TV outlets and producers opt for more, more, more of a good thing, only to let that thing turn bad, bad, bad before our eyes.
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For “Will & Grace,” this is the second ending; the show left for the first time in 2007, after an eight-season run that had seen the show devolve from a sharp, groundbreaking comedy that used humor to defuse the topic of sexual orientation into an mediocre sitcom that relied on guest stars and dumb plot twists. The finale was bloated and lousy, and it did not do justice to the years of often great work that had preceded it.
Now, after exhuming the show for a seriously uneven three-season run, the last season of which was at times painful to watch, the show is ending all over again. It will air on Thursday at 9 p.m. on NBC, with a retrospective half-hour beginning at 9:30.
The story of “Homeland” is a little less wretched, since it was not a revival. But still, the show began as a stunning look into terrorism, moral bearings, and mental illness. The acting was strong, as Damian Lewis and Claire Danes played out a very dangerous game of romance and betrayal. But eight seasons is a long time to try to maintain even little bits of believability and resonance. The show seemed to morph into a kind of high-end “24,” where things happened simply to keep the pace moving. You really couldn’t think too much about the plots and the characters. It hasn’t been completely awful, but it’s nonetheless a shadow of its former self.
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“Homeland” ends for good on Showtime Sunday night at 9 — or at least until some genius decides to get the old gang back together for a revival.
WHAT I’M WATCHING THIS WEEK
1. The Boston-iest miniseries of the year is here, on Friday. Apple TV+ is premiering the eight-part “Defending Jacob,” an adaptation of Boston author William Landay’s bestselling 2012 novel starring local boy Chris Evans that was filmed here. The story, set in Newton, has Evans’s assistant DA and his wife, played by Michelle Dockery, dealing with the accusation that his 14-year-old son murdered a classmate. Don’t have Apple TV+ and don’t want to pay for another streamer? Maybe only get it for a month or two (it’s $4.99 per month) and catch up on the goodies, including the lovely “Little America.” The first three episodes (as well as my review) are available on Friday, and new episodes will premiere weekly thereafter on Fridays.
2. When it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, “Bad Education” was well-received. Based on a true story about an embezzlement scandal in a Long Island, N.Y., school district and starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, the movie is coming directly to HBO on Saturday at 8 p.m. It’s directed by Cory Finley (“Thoroughbreds”), written by Mike Makowsky (“I Think We’re Alone Now”), and the cast includes Ray Romano, Stephen Spinella, and Geraldine Viswanathan.
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3. This could be special. CBS is airing the star-studded January concert “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Sheila E. will be the bandleader for the night, and she’ll perform some of the songs Prince wrote for her. Mavis Staples and the Revolution will do “Purple Rain,” Usher will perform “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Kiss,” Miguel will do “I Would Die 4 U,” Beck will cover “Raspberry Beret,” and Foo Fighters will do “Darling Nikki.” Also taking the stage: John Legend, Chris Martin, Gary Clark Jr., H.E.R., St. Vincent, and Common. The host for the night is Maya Rudolph.
4. Why on earth is Netflix premiering the new series “Cooked With Cannabis” on Monday, April 20? Can someone please explain it to me? On this new cooking competition show, chefs work to get the hosts and special guests high on cannabis cuisine. Kelis, the singer of “Milkshake,” will host along with a chef from Oregon, and guest judges will include Ricki Lake and Mary Lynn Rajskub.
5. Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”) and Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”) have been doing long-form stage improv together for years. On Tuesday, Netflix is releasing “Middleditch & Schwartz,” three episodes featuring their recent New York performances of completely improvised shows.
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6. We’ve been seeing wall-to-wall coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak, but “Frontline,” one of TV’s best documentary series, usually has something interesting to say. This week’s episode, “Coronavirus Pandemic,” looks into the forces and choices that have helped and hindered the US fight against the pandemic. Correspondent Miles O’Brien gives us a tale of two Washingtons — the federal government in D.C. and the government in Washington state, which had very different responses to the virus. It’s on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on WGBH 2.
7. This documentary sounds fascinating. Called “Circus of Books,” it’s about the gay porn shop of the same name that was part of the Los Angeles LGBT scene for more than 35 years. Turns out, the store was owned by Karen and Barry Mason, a straight couple with three children who kept their work life — they became the biggest distributor of gay porn in the United States — relatively secret. The movie, which has a 79 rating at Metacritic after its festival appearances, is from the Masons’ filmmaker daughter, Rachel Mason. It comes to Netflix on Wednesday.
CHANNEL SURFING
“Extraction” An action movie with Chris Hemsworth trying to rescue the kidnapped son of a crime lord. Netflix, Friday
“The Plot Against America” David Simon and Ed Burns’s masterful six-part adaptation of Philip Roth’s what-if novel about fascism and anti-Semitism has its finale. HBO, Monday. 9 p.m.
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“Beastie Boys Story” Spike Jonze directs this documentary about the band, including surviving members Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond. Apple TV+ Friday
“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” Natalie Dormer and Daniel Zovatto star in this follow-up series set in late-1930s Los Angeles. Showtime, Sunday, 10 p.m.
“After Life” Did Ricky Gervais’s fine grief dramedy need a second season? Find out. Netflix, Friday
“The Last Kingdom” The fourth season of the historical drama set in the 9th century. Netflix, Sunday
“RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race” A four-episode spin-off, with former contestants mentoring still-unannounced celebs. VH1, Friday, 9:30 p.m.
RECENTLY REVIEWED
“Unorthodox” A beautiful, absorbing four-episode miniseries about a 19-year-old married woman who leaves her Satmar Hasidic community in Brooklyn. Netflix
“Ozark” The third season is the best yet from this tale of a family turned bad starring Laura Linney and Jason Bateman. Netflix
“Masterpiece: World on Fire” A sweeping ensemble drama set against the early years of World War II. WGBH 2
“Feel Good” Comic Mae Martin’s six-episode charmer about her relationship with a British woman who, until their romance, considered herself straight. Netflix
“My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name” The gorgeously filmed Italian adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels returns with a compelling second season. HBO
“The Plot Against America” A powerful miniseries adaptation of Philip Roth’s alternate history in which the 1940 election of Charles Lindbergh as president ushers in fascism and anti-Semitism. HBO
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at matthew.gilbert@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewGilbert.
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