“American Masters” (9 p.m., PBS) presents the documentary “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes,” a profile of the percussionist who lent his sophisticated backbeat to jazz ensembles dating back to the bebop era of the 1940s and ’50s, and continuing until late in life. He died in 2007.
Like many musicians in the mid-20th-century, Roach absorbed ideas from Afro-Cuban percussionists. He worked on many of the records that legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker cut on the Savoy label and was closely linked to musicians Clifford Brown and Richie Powell, whose lives and careers were cut short in a 1956 car accident.
“Waltzes” reminds us of the remarkable discipline and intellectual rigor of many musicians of this era. Roach studied at the Manhattan School of Music, a conservatory known for classic training. Similarly, Miles Davis attended Juilliard.
Their sophisticated efforts would alienate some jazz buffs at precisely the moment when mass pop culture was moving toward more primitive and “danceable” rock ‘n’ roll records. As Chuck Berry observed, bop and “modern jazz” artists changed “the beauty of the melody until they sound just like a symphony.”
The film also reminds us of Roach’s lifelong efforts on behalf of the civil rights movement, and how his embrace of sounds and influences from around the world informed that passion. While many contemporary histories see the civil rights movement as an American phenomenon, those in the midst of that struggle were influenced and encouraged by the decolonization of African and Asian nations. Bus boycotts and lunch counter sit-ins did not occur in a vacuum. And that’s what made them so dangerous and even “communist” to critics.
“Waltz” is co-directed by Sam Pollard, best known as a film editor who has worked on such notable movies as “A League of Their Own” and “The Stepfather.”
— The (stupid) things we do for love. Prime Video debuts the awkwardly titled three-part docuseries “Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe.”
We hear from former subscribers to the notion that somewhere out there you have a “twin flame,” an idealized soulmate that an organization run by Jeff and Shaleia Divine can help you discover.
But first you have to attend their increasingly expensive seminars, and adhere to their peculiar notions about your identity and accept their dictatorial authority.
Some “twins” anointed by the Divines were told that they were a perfect match but that their genders were somehow reversed and that they should undergo transition — or lose their “flame.”
Interviewees confess just when it occurred to them that they might have joined a cult. Some balk at the price of admission. Others thought the Divines’ bossiness was a bit much. And some followed the program up until the Divines suggested that they might be gods.
A little gullibility goes a long way.
— Speaking of gullibility, “The Proof Is Out There” (10 p.m., History, TV-PG) enters its fourth season with new theories about Bigfoot.
— Paramount+ streams the new horror film “Pet Sematary Bloodlines.”
— Shudder streams the 2023 shocker “V/H/S/85,” not to be confused with the 2021 horror movie “V/H/S/94” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14). Be kind, rewind.
— An eccentric millionaire extends a “Deadly Invitation” to attend a yacht party in the 2023 shocker streaming on Netflix.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— The OL Reign hosts the Washington Spirit in NWSL Soccer (8 p.m., CBS), live from Seattle.
— After ingesting poison, a journalist faces a ticking clock on “The Irrational” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
— When a royal prince visits the New York City borough of Queens, a spunky outer-borough girl insists he appear in her charity pageant in the 2021 romance “A Royal Queens Christmas” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— William Shatner hosts the sixth season of “The UnXplained” (9 p.m., History, TV-PG), featuring a look at the mysteries lurking beneath Earth’s surface.
CULT CHOICE
Nineteenth-century illusionists (Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale) become deadly rivals in the 2006 period sci-fi drama “The Prestige” (6:45 p.m., Showcase). David Bowie plays Nicola Tesla. The film is very similar in tone to the period romance “The Illusionist,” released the same year and streaming on Amazon’s FreeVee, Tubi, Roku, Pluto and other FAST platforms.
SERIES NOTES
“WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Shark Tank” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC) … Opportunity knocks on “The Neighborhood” (10:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Jimmy Fallon welcomes Killer Mike, Robert Glasper and Eryn Allen Kane on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Matt Damon, Kristin Chenoweth and Brann Dailor visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC), a repeat from before the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike … David Brenner, Dane Cook, Carol Leifer and George Wallace appear on “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” (12:35 p.m., CBS, r).
