Flix, 8:00 p.m. ET
Reservoir Dogs is an adult now – 21 years old. And though that somehow makes me feel a lot more ancient, watching Quentin Tarantino’s breakout movie, even now, makes it still seem fresh. Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth, in particular, are great, and Michael Madsen’s Mr. Blonde is truly unforgettable. He may even be unwatchable, except through the cracks between your fingers.
HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET
Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey play male strippers in this 2012 comedy-drama – which I highlight here because it’s directed by Steven Soderbergh, who tomorrow presents his latest film, HBO’s Behind the Candelabra biopic about Liberace. So consider this an appetizer to Sunday’s main meal, with both Memorial Day weekend courses serving lots of beefcake.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
Gary Cooper, four years after starring in the seminal High Noon, starred as a Quaker farmer in this 1956 drama by William Wyler. It’s set in 1860s Indiana, so maybe it’s a Western – but mostly, it’s a thoughtful, gorgeously photographed character study of a tight-knit family and some tough times. Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins and Marjorie Main co-star.
ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET
Chew on this: This new prime-time ABC offering features the stars of ABC’s The Chew traveling the country seeking some of the best cookout BBQ. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the search, other than to introduce The Chew crew to those who have never seen the show (which is mostly everybody) – but if you tune in, you will get to see, for example, Mario Batali showing up to check out the fare at a Talladega tailgate party.
BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET
Tonight is the penultimate episode for this initial season of Orphan Black – and by now, it’s tricky to decide which characters should be rooted for, and which ones should be rooted against. Tonight, for example, one character cages another and threatens her at gunpoint – and both roles are played by Tatiana Maslani.