The best films about the past proceed with the assumption that history has a history of its own. “An American Bombing: The Road to April 19” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA) offers more than an emotional recollection of the shocking events in Oklahoma City in 1995. It traces the roots of the bomber’s radicalism and sees the story of Timothy McVeigh as a signpost in the recent history of anti-government rhetoric and radicalism in both American politics and media.
Participants in this film include several witnesses of the blast for whom April 19 brings bittersweet memories. Former President Bill Clinton participates. He was president when the bombing occurred and had been recently sworn in when the siege of Waco occurred on April 19, 1993. While many have cited Waco as the source of McVeigh’s embittered turn against the government, “The Road to April 19” traces the convergence of white-power groups and anti-government militias back to the late 1970s, when groups of farmers declared themselves under attack by the federal government.
The late 1970s was also the time when pro-gun groups, most notably the NRA, changed their image from gun-safety hunting-culture advocates and began to deploy far harsher anti-government rhetoric, extolling the virtues of amassing arsenals of automatic weapons to combat Washington’s “tyranny.”
The 1995 bombing occurred before the advent of Fox News, the internet, social media and the intense tribalization of partisan media ecosystems.
In 2016, I used this column to question the wisdom of Fox News’ Sean Hannity and others when they seemed to be egging on the siege of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon by followers of anti-government activist Ammon Bundy. Not only was Hannity playing with matches and seeming to incite another Waco or Oklahoma City, he appeared to be doing it for the sheer fun of it.
Oklahoma City is what happens when seditious rhetoric is used for ratings purposes. Or political advantage. Or fund-raising. So is January 6.
As one of the participants in “The Road to April 19” observes, the 1995 events were warnings that have been forgotten. “We need to wake up,” he says. And speak up, too.
— Paramount+ begins streaming the 2024 true-crime documentary “CTRL+ALT+DESIRE,” a look at the unusual case of a Florida man, Grant Amato, who murdered his entire family after plunging into massive debt caused by his addiction to his “relationship” with an erotic “cam” model from far off Bulgaria.
— Paramount+ is also now streaming “One Love,” the 2023 biopic of the late Reggae star Bob Marley.
— “Frontline” (10 p.m., PBS, check local listings) presents “The Children of Ukraine,” a look at efforts of families in that brutalized country to try to repatriate the thousands of children who were kidnapped and taken to Russia at the outset of the war.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— CBS recently renewed “FBI” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) for the next three years. “FBI: International” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) and “FBI: Most Wanted” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14) have each received one-season renewals.
— A pastor may be linked to recent violence on “Will Trent” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
— No rest for the honeymooners on “The Rookie” (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
— Shaun finds a new colleague hard to accept on “The Good Doctor” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).
— Mariko faces the fight of his life on “Shogun” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
Truman Capote was rather bemused by the liberties that director Blake Edwards took with his 1961 adaptation of Capote novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (10:15 p.m., TCM, TV-G). Long seen as a perfect, stylish movie, “Breakfast,” starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, has been criticized for the casting of Mickey Rooney in a minstrel show evocation of a Japanese-American. Six decades ago, it was inconceivable that miniseries like FX’s “Shogun” or HBO/Max’s “The Sympathizer” could feature Asian performers in leading roles.
SERIES NOTES
On two episodes of “Lopez vs. Lopez” (NBC, TV-PG): making amends (8 p.m.); seeking nirvana (8:30 p.m.) … Ramona fears Thony is in too deep on “The Cleaning Lady” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … “Weakest Link” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … An influencer may have been blown away by a storm on “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … “Password” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Jimmy Fallon welcomes Austin Butler, Mark Ronson and Kings of Leon on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) … Chance the Rapper, Margaret Qualley, Emilio Vitolo and Fred Armisen visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Taylor Tomlinson hosts “After Midnight” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
