National Theatre at Home, 12:00 a.m. ET
Every week for a while, England’s National Theatre is excavating TV versions of stage productions and presenting them for free, on its National Theatre at Home YouTube channel. It’s a wonderful service, and unexpected gift, for those of us who are shut in for so long – and that should be all of us. The only trick is, National Theatre at Home swaps out its offerings at midnight Friday, so each free production is available only for seven days. If you didn’t follow, remember or read my recommendation last week, you’ve missed the chance to see James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors, a broad farce that eventually won him a Tony Award when imported here in a limited run. But now, another National Theatre play is available, until next Friday: Sally Cookson’s adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, starring Madeleine Worrall in the title role.
TCM, 7:00 p.m. ET
How time flies – at least when you can go outdoors. This documentary was made on the golden anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, still the best family movie of all time. (Number two: The Princess Bride.) And since The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939, that means this celebration, hosted by Angela Lansbury, was first televised in 1989. And that, dear friends, was 31 years ago.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
And here’s the movie itself, one of the finest films to share, as a family, under any circumstance. These circumstances especially. And what person, watching today, can fail to relate in a new way to Dorothy’s classic realization: “There’s no place like home”? These days, that’s a government mandate.
HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET
Last week, Bill Maher pulled off a (very) remote show, hosting from his back yard. This week, he plans another socially distanced recap of the week’s news. Tonight’s scheduled guests include New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and a formerly prominent politician used to speaking of inconvenient truths: Al Gore.
Disney+, 12:00 a.m. ET
A last-second treat from Matt Groening, the Simpsons gang, and Disney+: This animated short film, which just appeared in theaters as a bonus prefacing the new Pixar full-length animated film Onward, has been added to the Disney+ library, effective today. Enjoy.
The Shows Must Go On!, 2:00 p.m. ET
Jane Eyre isn’t the only filmed production of a British stage production being offered today for a limited time. Today at 2 p.m. ET through Sunday – Easter Sunday, naturally – the newly established YouTube channel The Shows Must Go On!, an Andrew Lloyd Webber giveback to the people during the current pandemic, presents London’s recent West End production of his and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar. Last week, this channel premiered with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but it escaped my attention entirely. But now, I know… every Friday, it’s one more place to look for a very limited edition TV treat.