One of the beauties of streaming television is that it offers so many chances to find interesting performances from favorite performers, even in questionable productions.
Jessica Walter, who died on March 24, enraptured a whole new generation of fans with her performances as a hardened woman of a certain age in both “Arrested Development” and “Archer.”
Curiously, her obituaries tended to cite her performance in the 1971 thriller “Play Misty For Me” as her first notable screen role. But thanks to Amazon Prime, you can stream a performance from a 25-year-old Walter in the 1966 adaptation of Mary McCarthy’s popular novel “The Group.”
A dishy page-turner with intellectual pretensions, “The Group” recalled the Vassar class of 1933 as they made their way in the world during the years between graduation and Pearl Harbor.
The cast included Candice Bergen, Joan Hackett, Elizabeth Hartman, Shirley Knight, Hal Holbrook, Carrie Nye, James Broderick, Larry Hagman and Richard Mulligan. Many of them are gruesomely miscast as downtown intellectuals, womanizing playwrights, neurotics or budding Communists deep into psychotherapy. The movie is a bit of a mess, perhaps due to the direction of prolific filmmaker Sidney Lumet (“Dog Day Afternoon,” “Serpico”). Is it just me, or is the director of “12 Angry Men” a bad choice for a “women’s picture”?
Walter portrays Libby, the class gossip, always offering nasty observations about her colleagues as they marry, or don’t; succeed, or better yet, fail; have children, or worse, “breed” too many. Walter was a young actress in this, a veteran of stage and television (including “Flipper”!). Nevertheless, she’s assured in her role, clearly channeling Rosalind Russell from “The Women.” Given the size of this impressive ensemble, Walter appears to get the most screen time. Or perhaps she just seems the most defined and amusing in a movie with so many underdeveloped characters.
The presence of this 1966 movie on Prime suggests to this viewer that perhaps “The Group” is ripe for a makeover. Its scandalous tale of madness, marriage, adultery, lesbianism and political deviations seems custom-made for the miniseries treatment. At the very least, it would be a field day for set designers and hair and makeup people. And isn’t that half the reason most people watch historical costume dramas?
— Summer television season begins in earnest as Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and host Terry Crews return for the 16th season of “America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
— The docuseries “Mike Tyson: The Knockout” (8 p.m., ABC) recalls the champion’s precipitous downfall, his marriage to Robin Givens and the awkward joint television interview with Barbara Walters that followed, and his conviction for rape in 1992.
— The timely four-part series “Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) concludes with a look at the role of public health, education and public behavior in fighting diseases. The recent pandemic has shown how difficult it can be to convince some people that wearing masks and keeping social distance play a role in eradicating a communicable disease.
Over the centuries, gradual changes in public behavior have contributed to longevity. Behaviors that used to be considered commonplace, like smoking in closed spaces and spitting in the streets and into spittoons, were slowly modified. Each change was met with dissent by some who resented an abridgment to their individual liberty. Recent efforts to weaponize resistance to public health measures to gain political advantage are hardly new.
— Hulu begins streaming the documentary “Changing the Game,” which follows three transgender high school athletes over the course of a sports season as they compete in their field while facing public and political resistance to their participation.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Will Arnett returns to host the second season of “Lego Masters” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
— A school bus hijacking needs the efforts of agents from “FBI” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) and “FBI: Most Wanted” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Rob Lowe hosts “Mental Samurai” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).
— Max decides Luna’s fate on “New Amsterdam” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Jimmy Kimmel, Andrea Savage and Sherri Shepherd appear on “To Tell the Truth” (10 p.m., r, ABC, TV-PG).
CULT CHOICE
— Considered by some to be the greatest movie musical, “The Band Wagon” (8 p.m., TCM, TV-G), from 1953, stars Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.
SERIES NOTES
Stiff competition in the food truck business on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) … Domestic woes on back-to-back helpings of “Superman & Lois” (8 p.m., r, and 9 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Nasim Pedrad is booked on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, r) … John Krasinski and Yo-Yo Ma appear on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Rob Lowe, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian Gleeson and Emerald Fennell visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r).
