History introduces the six-part business profile “How Disney Built America” (10 p.m. Sunday, TV-PG). Using whimsical and cinematic reenactments, it profiles cartoonist and visionary Walt Disney, whose Mickey Mouse character arrived on the scene and on the screen a full century ago.
Viewers like me may quibble at the idea that any one company “built” America, particularly one that only arrived in the 1920s, when a great deal of our history was already written. But once you get over that, “Disney” presents an oft-told if fascinating tale of a man and a company that dominated the movie screens and television, growing up with the nation as millions moved from cities to suburbs in a car-based consumer economy that built shrines to leisure and amusement called Disneyland, Disney World and Epcot, among others.
Now an entertainment behemoth that contains multitudes of TV stations, movie studios, theme parks, cruise ships and other profitable ventures, Disney is also the co-owner of the A&E and History channels.
While we can expect a relatively uncritical love letter from the History Channel, the Disney Company has always had its share of critics. Founder Walt’s politics and practices earned him the scorn of many in the labor movement. When disgruntled Disney animators left to form United Productions of America, he called them communists.
The wags behind “The Simpsons” had a long-running gag of showing old-fashioned Disney-style cartoons depicting the founder as pro-Nazi. In the 1960s, countercultural critics depicted Disney’s theme park vision of America as “plastic” and fake, a sterile “Disney version” of reality. Over recent decades, criticism of Disney’s corporate practices has come from the right, as some have accused the company of making cartoons and holding theme park events with a “woke” agenda.
In some ways, a negative reaction to Disney is built in to its business model. I’m old enough to remember watching “The Wonderful World of Color” on our family’s black-and-white set. Somehow, that seemed a tad second-rate, and I no doubt whined to my parents about our shortcomings. Even as a kid I noted that “color” was broadcast on NBC, then owned by RCA, a manufacturer of color TVs, among other things. There was an evil genius behind it all.
I think of those days when considering what it must be like to have a relatively modest salary and have your children clamor for a trip to a Disney theme park, a vacation that might set you back a big portion of your annual income. It takes a lot of misery to produce “the happiest place on Earth.”
Disney joins “The Mega-Brands That Built America” (9 p.m. Sunday, History, TV-PG), a 10-part series hosted by Peyton Manning. In its second season, it will explore the histories of Netflix, Sony, Nike, Adidas, Marriott, Apple and Microsoft, among others.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Morning news correspondents John Berman and Sara Sidner will host CNN’s coverage of the White House Correspondents Dinner (7 p.m. Saturday). President Joe Biden will attend, and comedian Colin Jost will perform.
— The Houston Roughnecks host the Birmingham Stallions in United Football League play (8 p.m., Fox).
— After escaping an abusive relationship and opening her own gourmet spot, a woman attracts a stalker in the 2024 shocker “A Chef’s Deadly Revenge” (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).
— While exploring her family tree, a woman hunts down her daughter’s biological father in the 2024 romance “Branching Out” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— The Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets in NBA action (8:30 p.m., ABC).
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS).
— An expectant teenage mother has a tale of woe on “Call the Midwife” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings).
— A new arrival upsets the Count’s routine on “A Gentleman in Moscow” (8 p.m., Showtime, TV-14).
— The case arrives in a courtroom on the conclusion of “Mr Bates vs The Post Office” on “Masterpiece” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings).
— Another tempting offer on “Parish” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
— The General orders the Captain to root out the spy in their ranks on “The Sympathizer” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).
— “Guilt on Masterpiece” (10 p.m., PBS) enters its third season.
— Robert’s phone calls from prison prove revealing on “The Jinx: The Lives and Deaths of Robert Durst” (10 p.m., Sunday, HBO, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
A Naval officer (James Garner) develops feelings for a British war widow (Julie Andrews) on the eve of D-Day in the 1964 war satire “The Americanization of Emily” (4 p.m. Sunday, TCM, TV-PG). Adapted for the screen by Paddy Chayevsky (“Marty,” “Network”), the film was seen as a precursor to the antiwar movies that would emerge in reaction to the Vietnam war. Both Garner and Andrews have singled out “Emily” as their favorite among their own movies.
SATURDAY SERIES
An unpopular co-op board president falls to her death on “Elsbeth” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … “The Wall” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … “NBA Countdown” (8 p.m., ABC).
“48 Hours” (9 p.m., r, and 10 p.m., CBS) … “Weakest Link” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … Two repeat showings of “Saturday Night Live” (10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
SUNDAY SERIES
A vulnerable teen goes missing on “The Equalizer” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … Homer is elevated beyond his talents on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) … Contested sovereignty on “Krapopolis” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
Colter braves the desert to find stranded plane crash survivors on “Tracker” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Cabin fever on “The Great North” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Marvin officiates a talent show on “Grimsburg” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … A fitness guru’s murder doesn’t add up on “CSI: Vegas” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … “Michael Strahan X Bon Jovi: Halfway There” (10 p.m., ABC) features a conversation with the rocker.
