TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
This month, TCM is celebrating the 100thanniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers with a slew of special programming – and the tip of the spear of that slew is this new documentary, which looks at America’s history of early filmmakers behind the camera. Competing with groundbreaking counterparts from France, these early camera artistes broke away from the Edison company, made their own increasingly fluid narrative films, and helped build and revamp the cinema industry – including the transition from silent to sound films.
AXS TV, 9:00 p.m. ET
Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers recorded and released their third album in 1979, showcasing such instant classic rockers as “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl,” and “Don’t Do Me Like That.” When MTV launched two years later, Petty was an early staple – and this edition of Classic Albums deconstructs the Damn the Torpedoes tracks and explains precisely how and why they were recorded.
HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET
Subtitled
The Soul of American Culture, this new HBO Documentary film, directed by Roger Ross Williams, gives the Harlem theater showcase its due – and better than ask which great acts have passed through that venue, it’s easier to ask which ones haven’t. Start with James Brown, who alone would be enough for celebration, and go from there.
For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.
Sundance, 11:00 p.m. ET
Episode 3. This is where this psychological mystery gets even deeper, and somewhat creepier. And Jenna Coleman, in the leading role, plays her part so subtly, you don’t know, for the longest time, whether she’s the victim of her baby’s disappearance – or the culprit. Her performance will stick with you, as will this four-part miniseries.