Do viewers want to watch rich people helping other rich people get rich again? Or richer? That is the premise of "Back in the Game" (10 p.m., CNBC), hosted by former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.
Once one of the highest-paid and most-loathed figures in Major League Baseball, Rodriquez has made a comeback of sorts as an astute broadcast analyst and successful businessman.
So, CNBC, a media company that celebrates wealth for its own sake, offered him a slot to promote financial comebacks for fellow athletes and also washed-up actors. Over the course of the series, A-Rod advises such well-known figures as Evander Holyfield, Ryan Lochte, Nicole Eggert and Brian Dunkleman. All of them had major paydays at the height of their fame, but could use A-Rod’s advice to right their financial ships.
A regular working person earning an average of $40,000 per year will make roughly $1.6 million over their entire working life, if they work for 40 years. Why should that person care about the hardships of boxer Evander Holyfield, who once had $250 million, but let it slip away? Why is his financial "redemption" of interest to that regular working person? Are such viewers of any interest to CNBC?
A-Rod isn’t the only former Major Leaguer to work as a financial adviser. Lenny Dykstra, a colorful player for the world champion 1986 New York Mets and pennant-winning 1993 Philadelphia Phillies, went on to manage a stock portfolio and earn the praises of TV business expert Jim Cramer.
His business adventures would later end in bankruptcy and too many legal problems to mention. All the same, I’d rather watch a show (preferably a movie, with Steve Zahn playing Lenny!) about Dykstra’s roller-coaster trajectory than listen to A-Rod advising the once well-heeled. In hiring Rodriquez, CNBC appears to have forgotten an essential fact about television: All the money in the world cannot make a boring personality interesting.
— The 2019 documentary "The Apollo" (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA) examines the history of the Harlem performance space as well as efforts to keep it relevant in the 21st century. The film contains great performance clips of jazz greats, including Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, as well as extensive footage of recent efforts to stage a reading of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ "Between the World and Me," a polemical letter to his teenage son discussing the hard truths of growing up black in America.
— TCM presents its own original documentary "Image Makers" (8 p.m.), a group profile of influential cameramen and cinematographers. Part of a day celebrating visually gorgeous films, including "North by Northwest" (noon, TV-PG), "The Searchers" (5:30 p.m., TV-PG) and the silent movie masterpiece "Sunrise" (1:45 a.m.).
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A crawfish boil has consequences on "Chicago Med" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Five perform under wraps on a two-hour helping of "The Masked Singer" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) that bumps "Almost Family" from the night’s schedule.
— "Nature" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings) explores the lower Okavango River.
— Temper tantrums on "Chicago Fire" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— A new narcotic hits the streets on "Chicago P.D." (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Dex’s ex arrives for a concert performance on "Stumptown" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— Three new terrors emerge on "American Horror Story: 1984" (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
James Caan and Kathy Bates star in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s "Misery" (7 p.m., Showtime, TV-PG). Characters and elements from the novel are also explored in the second season of "Castle Rock," now streaming on Hulu.
SERIES NOTES
Strategies abound on "Survivor" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … Two tickets to the ring on "The Goldbergs" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14) … Two trials commence on "Riverdale" (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) … Lainey’s sophomore slump on "Schooled" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
An assault on an ambassador on "SEAL Team" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … A secret sacrament on "Modern Family" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … George may be possessed on "Nancy Drew" (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) … Helping each other on "Single Parents" (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A surprise family reunion for Hondo on "S.W.A.T." (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen and "MasterChef Junior" contestants are booked on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Henry Golding, Noomi Rapace and Dan White on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC).
Jenny Slate, Muna and Brendan Buckley visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Zach Woods and Chris Garcia appear on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" (12:35 a.m., CBS).
