Nobody talks about the Emmys. They’re too important. In contrast, there’s a great deal of chatter about the Oscars, even though they’ve become all but meaningless.
Michael Che and Colin Jost of “Saturday Night Live” host the 70th Emmy Awards (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14). The awards arrive at a curious time, when television has long surpassed theatrical movies in both quality and in viewership. And at a time when it has become impossible to define just what “television” means.
It says something that “Roma,” the darling of the Venice Film Festival and the recipient of its top honor, the Golden Lion, is a Netflix film. Netflix productions have been nominated for 112 Emmys this year, topping HBO (108) for the very first time.
There was a time when the Emmys only recognized network broadcasts. Back in the 1980s a separate “Cable ACE” award was reserved for the efforts of fledgling outfits like USA and TBS.
Maybe it’s time to break up the Emmy Awards. Perhaps the streaming giants should have their own award. That might take a bite out of Oscar night as well. After all, “Roma” is hardly the first film from a streaming service to win an award. The 2017 Oscars were overshadowed by Amazon efforts, including “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight,” winner of Best Picture.
Having become afterthoughts at Emmy time, the networks are still given the responsibility of airing the ceremonies. The traditional Sunday night Emmy broadcast clashes with NBC’s lucrative “Sunday Night Football” franchise. So that explains this year’s Monday night awards date. In the past, NBC has solved the problem by relegating the Emmys to the last week in August, when nobody was watching.
— The awards crossover confusion didn’t start with Amazon and Netflix. Films screened on “POV” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) have received 36 Emmys as well as three Oscars.
Tonight’s “POV” presentation, “93Queen,” follows a group of Hasidic women in an insular Brooklyn community who organize a volunteer ambulance corps, much to the chagrin of the men who see their strident independence as a departure from traditional maternal roles, even an affront to the Torah.
If you miss tonight’s broadcast, you can stream “93Queen” at pbs.org/pov/.
— Nearly a half century after the Tate-LaBianca murders, “Inside the Manson Cult: The Lost Tapes” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) purports to hold shocking new information about the 1969 crime.
— The series “Sacred Sites” (8 p.m., Smithsonian) concludes with a visit to Germany’s Teutoburg Forest, where Nazi propagandists, led by SS commander Heinrich Himmler, created fake archaeological “discoveries” of places linked to the Holy Grail, ancient Germanic victories over the Roman Empire and “proof” of a pure Aryan civilization.
— TCM celebrates director Martin Scorsese with three of his early films: 1974’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (8 p.m.); the 1973 drama “Mean Streets” (10 p.m.) and 1976’s “Taxi Driver” (12:15 a.m.). “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” inspired the sitcom “Alice” (8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Antenna).
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— On two helpings of “Castaways” (ABC, TV-PG), Terry enjoys leftovers (8 p.m.), sunsets and long walks on the beach (9 p.m.).
— “Antiques Roadshow” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings) celebrates Latino heritage.
— The Chicago Bears host the Seattle Seahawks in “Monday Night Football” (8:15 p.m., ESPN).
— Saving the world seems to be the only option on the season finale of “Salvation” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Jimmy’s business has growing pains on “Better Call Saul” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
— An investigation comes between Watson and Holmes on the season finale of “Elementary” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— A young patient hides the reasons behind his injuries on “The Good Doctor” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
— An Iowa schemer rigs a state lottery in his favor on “American Greed” (10 p.m., CNBC, TV-PG).
— A sudden departure shakes the fraternal order on “Lodge 49” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
A giant flying insect sets out to destroy Godzilla and avenge its mother in the 1962 Japanese shocker “Mothra” (3:30 a.m., TCM).
SERIES NOTES
Relationships get messy on “Young Sheldon” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … A pantheon of superheroes crosses over on “Supergirl” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) and “Arrow” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) … Christy backslides on “Mom” (8:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) is pre-empted … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Reese Witherspoon and Lenny Kravitz on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Julianne Moore, Sturgill Simpson, Khaled Hosseini and Sean Kinney visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC).
(Kevin McDonough can be reached at [email protected].)
