All times Eastern. FRIDAY, April 23Shadow and BoneNew series (based on fantasy-adventure books by Leigh Bardugo) about a teenage orphan in a Russia-inspired land who discovers a life-changing power that might finally reunite her country. Starring Jessie Mei Lei, Ben Barnes and Freddy Carter (Netflix). Great Performances: Romeo & JulietJessie Buckley (from the latest season of TV’s Fargo) and Josh O’Conner (from The Crown) star in this modernized spin on Shakespeare’s timeless tale star-crossed young lovers (9 p.m., PBS). SATURDAY, April 24Beware of the MidwifeA scheming midwife (Raven Duada) interrupts the plans of a young couple (Mouna Traoré and Michael Xavier) to start a family by stealing their new baby from the hospital to raise as her own grandchild (8 p.m., Lifetime). The SwimDocumentary follows long-distance swimmer Ben Lecomte as he embarks on his historic 5,000-mile, six-month trek across the Pacific Ocean to draw awareness to the toll of pollution on the health of the Earth’s waters (Discovery+). SUNDAY, April 25My Grandparents’ WarPromising Young Woman star Carey Mulligan kicks off this new series of Hollywood actors re-tracing the footsteps of their grandparents and learning how World War II changed their lives of their families…and the world (8 p.m., PBS). 93rd Annual Academy AwardsMank leads the way with 10 nominations for the most highly regarded of all the movie awards, the Oscars. The Father, Judas and the BlackMessiah, Minari, Nomadland, Sound of Metal and The Trial of the Chicago 7 follow with six each. Nominees and their guests—and the presenters—will appear live from the Los Angeles Union Station, with linkups to the show’s long-time home at the Dolby Theater (8 p.m., ABC). MONDAY, APRIL 26BäckstromSpice up your TV life with this Swedish series based on the crime novels by Leif GW Persson about smug detective Evert Bäckstrom (Kjell Bergqvist), famous for solving 99 percent of all cases he’s taken on. But a bullet-ridden skull found on a Stockholm archipelago presents him with an inexplicable mystery (Acorn TV). In Search of Darkness IITake a deeper dive into ‘80s horror flicks that changed the course of movie history, featuring brand-new interviews with such icons as Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill) and special-effects wizard Tom Savini (Friday the 13th) and much more (AMC+) TUESDAY, APRIL 27When Philip Met MissyA love story turns out too good to be true in this real-life, two-hour true-crime special about a couple in a small Ohio town, a wife’s sudden disappearance, a mysterious new woman and a swirl of suspicion and a police investigation. But hang on—nothing’s quite as it seems (Discovery+) FatimaBased on historical events, this 2020 film dramatizes the story of three children in the Portuguese town of Fatima in 1917 whose reports of visions of the Virgin Mary inspire believers but anger religious officials and the government, who try to force them to recant their stories. With Harvey Keitel and Sðnia Braga (Netflix). WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28The Handmaid’s TaleJune (Elisabeth Moss) strikes back against the dystopian society of Gilead as a fierce rebel leader, but her quest for justice and revenge threatens to destroy her most cherished relationships (Hulu). SexifyPolish-import comedy series about a sexually inexperienced student and her friends (Aleksandra Skraba, Maria Sobocinska and Sandra Dryzmalska) who explore the daunting world of intimacy after building an innovative sex app to win a tech competition (Netflix). THURSDAY, APRIL 29Let’s Be RealFollowing last fall’s comedy special, the satirical puppet show returns with all-new episodes featuring characters from the worlds of entertainment and politics, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Ted Cruz, Kim Kardashian, Lebron James, President Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and one-time presidential wannabe Kanye West. No one is safe from the flying barbs! (8:30 p.m., Fox). The Bad SeedLife begins to fall apart for two brothers (Matt Minto and Dean O’Gorman), who’ve raised themselves from the desperate days of their early childhood, when one becomes a murder suspect and the ensuing police investigation draws the entire larger household into a blizzard of scandal (Sundance Now and AMC+). NEW ON DVD If you missed it in theaters or on a streaming service, now you can see why Nomadland (Disney Home Entertainment) is one of the most lauded—and award-winning—films of the year. Frances McDormand stars in director Chloé Zhao’s stirring tale of a woman who packs her van and sets out across the American West after the loss of her job and the economic collapse of her hometown. AT THE MOVIESBased on the video game franchise of the same name, the martial arts fantasy action film Mortal Kombat—a reboot of the former 1990s film series—stars Lewis Tan as a washed-up MMA fighter with special powers who seeks out other champions of the Earth to stand against the forces of Outworld in a battle for the universe. Ed Helms and Patti Harrison team up for Together Together, a comedy about two strangers who agree to partner in a gestational pregnancy to have a baby. Next, These Are Some of the Best Movies to Learn About Black History
