I want something behind the scenes |
 | | Art handlers move a stone megalith through the European sculptures galleries at The Met, as seen in "Inside the Met."Eddie Knox/© Oxford Films, 2021 |
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When to watch: Now, on the PBS website or PBS App (free). |
This three-part documentary is a combo peek behind the curtain at one of the most significant cultural institutions in the country and a snapshot of New York City in 2020. There's plenty of fun detail to enjoy, and some poignant reflections on such a strange and awful time, but in some cases the series seems to replicate the exact colonialist exoticizing that critics of the Met wish the museum would correct. (Could we hear more from people whose cultures are represented in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, rather than from Mary Rockefeller?) |
But man, I could watch the heavy objects team wrap and wrangle immense sculptures and artifacts all dang day, or listen to all the intricate methods deployed in the restoration and conservation departments. Grand proclamations about the future of the institution — and frankly of any institution — feel premature at best, and like marketing at worst. But "Inside" is its most intriguing and special when it highlights ostensible mundanity, simple human tasks, individual employees or visitors. The fancy folks at the Met hang pictures just like the rest of us, with one person standing back and saying "up a little on the right." |
The first two episodes are available to stream, and the third episode airs Friday on PBS. (Check local listings.) |
I'm hungry … for knowledge |
 | | Stephen Satterfield, left, and Jessica B. Harris on the first episode of "High on the Hog."Netflix |
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'High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America' |
When to watch: Arrives Wednesday, on Netflix. |
If you're tired of the same gee-whiz food shows, or if you've already watched "Taste the Nation" on Hulu and want something in that vein, watch this fascinating and challenging new series based on the 2011 book by the historian Jessica B. Harris. Harris appears in the first episode, but the show is hosted by Stephen Satterfield, a food writer, publisher and former sommelier, who is instantly, easily the first breakout TV star of 2021. The first episode takes Satterfield and Harris to Benin, and subsequent episodes cover a lot of ground in the United States. "Hog" impresses on several fronts; it covers history with more depth and context than perhaps any other food show, and it doesn't confuse restaurant culture with food culture. |
 | | The reboot of "Rugrats" is here.Paramount+ |
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- The series finale of "Black Lightning" airs Monday at 9 p.m. on the CW.
- It's that time of year. This week's network season finales include: "9-1-1," "9-1-1: Lonestar," "NCIS," "The Voice," "FBI," "This Is Us," all three "Chicago" shows and "The Masked Singer."
- Season 5 of "The Bold Type" begins Wednesday at 10 p.m. on Freeform.
- The long-awaited — sort of — "Friends" reunion arrives Thursday on HBO Max.
- The reboot of "Rugrats" arrives Thursday on Paramount+.
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| MORE ON 'INSIDE THE MET' AND 'HIGH ON THE HOG' | | | |
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