They play an ordinary British couple who get caught up in a cheating scandal on the hit show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' Our critic at large John Powers says the series is as fast, fun.
- The handsome scion of a prominent literary family, Van Doren was the central figure in the TV game show scandals of the late 1950s and eventually pleaded guilty to perjury for lying to a grand.
- American television game shows in the mid to late 1950s were often choreographed.
All Times Eastern.
Sunday, May 31
Quiz
AMC, 10pm
New Miniseries!
Stephen Frears (The Queen) directed this three-part drama based on the true story of Charles and Diana Ingram (Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford), who with an accomplice were accused of cheating their way to a million pounds on Britain’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001. Michael Sheen is terrific as Millionaire’s host, Chris Tarrant, in this compelling and at times humorous miniseries that also explores game show fandom, human memory and whether all questions can be answered as definitively as they can be on a quiz show.
NASCAR Cup Series: Food City 500
FS1, 3:30pm Live
NASCAR Cup Series stars take to Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway for 500 laps around the short track’s 0.533-mile concrete oval.
Return to Mayberry
MeTV, 5pm
This made-for-TV reunion movie welcomes back the cast of The Andy Griffith Show as Andy returns to Mayberry to run again for sheriff, only to discover his former deputy, Barney, has also entered the race.
Some Like It Hot
TCM, 5:45pm
Catch a Classic!
Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play two Prohibition-era musicians who hide from gangsters by posing as members of an all-woman band in Billy Wilder’s 1959 classic, one of the funniest films of all time. Matching Lemmon and Curtis comedically is Marilyn Monroe as one of the bandmembers in a performance that earned her a Golden Globe award for Best Actress. The movie was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Actor for Lemmon, and Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Wilder (shared with I.A.L. Diamond), and is hilarious from its start right up to its iconic closing line from Joe E. Brown’s character Osgood Fielding III.
Groomzilla
UPtv, 7pm
After her fiancé (Darin Brooks) is hours late to their engagement party, Allysa (Elizabeth Rice) wishes he would take their wedding more seriously. She gets that wish, all right! The late Georgia Engel, in one of her final roles, saves the day as his plainspoken grandma.
Celebrity Family Feud
ABC, 8pm
Season Premiere!
Hosted by Steve Harvey, the iconic game show features celebrities, along with their immediate family members or their extended TV families, going head-to-head in a contest to name the most popular responses to survey-type questions posed to 100 people for a chance to win money for a charity of their choice.
The Top Ten Revealed: “Songs Stuck at Number 2”
AXS TV, 8pm
In this countdown, find out why hit singles like the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” never reached the top of the charts.
Cheating Games For Kids
Natalee Holloway: Her Friends Speak
REELZChannel, 8pm
Did Aruban authorities bungle the case of Alabama high school grad Natalee Holloway, who disappeared on a 2005 trip to Aruba? Two of her confidants — plus a PI and an ex-Secret Service agent — discuss the teen, who was declared dead but has never been found.
Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar: “Going to Extremes”
AXS TV, 8:30pm
Heavy metal mainstays Extreme, along with former Van Halen frontman Gary Cherone, join host Sammy Hagar.
Press Your Luck
ABC, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Three contestants compete against each other answering questions to earn spins on the Big Board. Contestants then use their spins to win cash and prizes while trying to avoid the WHAMMY, who could take all of their winnings and leave them with nothing. The winning contestant moves on to the all-new bonus game to face the WHAMMY in a final battle for the opportunity to win $1 million.
Live From Daryl’s House: “Darius Rucker”
AXS TV, 9pm
Country superstar Darius Rucker stops by to visit and rock with Daryl Hall.
Killing Eve
BBC America & AMC, 9pm
Season Finale!
Find out what happens to British intelligence agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and international assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) in the Season 3 finale. Killing Eve has already been renewed for Season 4.
Laurel Canyon, Part 1
EPIX, 9pm
With a wealth of rare and newly unearthed footage and audio recordings, Alison Ellwood’s feature-length documentary, airing in two parts, spotlights artists and groups like Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, the Doors, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and others centered in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles who created a music revolution in the 1960s and ’70s. Part 2 airs next Sunday.
I Know This Much Is True
HBO, 9pm
Tonight, the adaptation touches on a key event in the Wally Lamb novel: Dominick (Mark Ruffalo), heavily medicated after an accident, finds himself preoccupied with memories of what led to schizophrenic twin Thomas’ (Ruffalo) first hospitalization.
Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein?
Investigation Discovery, 9pm
On Aug. 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found dying in his prison cell, a violent end to the life of the billionaire financier who had close relationships with some of the world’s most elite political figures and celebrities. Dogged by accusations of sexual abuse of young girls, Epstein regularly leveraged his wealth and power to avoid serious charges at every turn — until his earth-shattering arrest for sex trafficking in July 2019, and his death a month later. This three-part special takes a closer look at the life, crimes and questions surrounding the death of this enigmatic figure.
Match Game
ABC, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Hosted by Alec Baldwin, the bawdy panel game features four contestants each week vying for the chance to win $25,000, as they attempt to match the answers of six celebrities in a game of fill-in-the-blank. Upcoming celebrity panelists include Amy Sedaris, Angie Harmon, Bob Saget, Christie Brinkley, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, Padma Lakshmi and Vivica A. Fox, among many others.
Rick and Morty
Adult Swim, 11:30pm
Season Finale!
Season 4 of Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon’s cult-favorite animated series comes to an end tonight.
Monday, June 1
Perry Mason
SundanceTV, 12pm
“The Case of the Restless Redhead” is the first to occupy the infallible defense attorney (Raymond Burr) when the 1957-66 drama joins SundanceTV’s Monday lineup.
Iconic: TLC
The CW, 8pm
Hosted by multiplatinum recording artist and actress Jordin Sparks, this special features four artists performing genre-busting covers of pop sensation TLC’s biggest hits like never seen before. TLC and the artists will be connected by video chat to watch the incredible at-home performances, then TLC will select one of the artists to collaborate with in a final, show-stopping performance.
TCM Spotlight: Jazz in Film: “Classic Jazz Scores”
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Every Monday and Thursday evening in June, Turner Classic Movies airs a themed lineup of films related to jazz music. The programming event kicks off this evening with three films featuring iconic jazz scores. The evening begins with Alex North’s Oscar-nominated score in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), followed by The Man With the Golden Arm (1955), featuring Elmer Bernstein’s Oscar-nominated score; Anatomy of a Murder (1959), boasting a score by jazz legend Duke Ellington; and Bullitt (1968), the action classic scored by Lalo Schifrin.
The Baker and the Beauty: “May I Have This Dance?/You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
ABC, 9pm
Season Finale!
During the first hour of the two-hour season finale, Daniel (Victor Rasuk) and Noa (Nathalie Kelley) reconnect after a falling out, but Daniel’s desire to have a normal life keeps coming between them. In the second hour, Noa makes a seemingly erratic decision about her career as Daniel is approached about an opportunity that would force him to step away from the family business.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Bravo, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Dateline: Mallorca, Spain. If the luxuries aboard the Wellington (Jacuzzi with waterfall! A cigar room!) don’t blow your mind, how about the drama provided by the reality show’s crew? For example: drugs onboard, a mutineering stewardess and a chef stymied by ultra-demanding diners.
Vanished in New Canaan: An ID Mystery
Investigation Discovery, 9pm
Jennifer Dulos seems to have a picture-perfect life. At age 50, she has built a beautiful life in affluent, safe New Canaan, Conn., and keeps busy raising her five children. But when she disappears in 2019, the case quickly gains national attention and speculation. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer is embroiled in a contentious divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos. The investigation pivots to Fotis and his new lover as the culprits, and as more details unfurl, both are arrested. But the story takes another tragic turn.
Creepshow
AMC, 10pm
Episode 5 of this horror series features two new stories. In “Night of the Paw,” written by John Esposito, a lonely mortician finds company, in the ultimate “be careful what you wish for” story. Immediately following is “Times Is Tough in Musky Holler,” a story about leaders who once controlled a town through fear and intimidation now getting a taste of their own medicine.
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook
Food Network, 10pm
Season Finale!
The comic and her chef hubby Chris Fischer draw the curtains on their at-home culinary series with Amy whipping up martinis while Chris makes crispy potatoes, lamb sliders and other movie-night snacks. Then, he tackles leftovers.
Songland: “Bebe Rexha”
NBC, 10pm
Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated pop singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha comes to Songland to hear unknown songwriters pitch their original material. Three of the most successful and sought-after writer/producers in music, Ryan Tedder, Ester Dean and Shane McAnally, produce the songwriters to creatively adapt their songs to perfectly fit the superstar artist. One song is chosen to be recorded by Rexha and released for a global audience.
Almost Paradise
WGN America, 10pm
Season Finale!
The past catches up with retired DEA agent Alex Walker (Christian Kane) when his crooked ex-partner arrives in the Philippines and kidnaps his daughter in order to force Alex to carry out a killing.
The Walking Dead
AMC, 3am (late-night)
Missing the good old days of the zombie drama? AMC reruns Season 8 in the wee hours this week. In the opener — also the 100th episode — the war between survivor Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Savior leader Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) heats up. But the real wonder is the handful of pilot callbacks, from a shot-by-shot replica of Rick and son Carl (Chandler Riggs) exploring a gas station to the first look at “future Rick” waking up in bed.
Tuesday, June 2
Fuller House: Part 2
Netflix
Series Finale!
The second half of the fifth and final season of this Full House reboot launches today.
America’s Got Talent: “Auditions 2”
NBC, 8pm
The auditions continue with creator and executive producer Simon Cowell at the judges’ table along with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and host Terry Crews. Variety acts of all types and contestants of all ages audition for the chance to win the $1 million prize. The Golden Buzzer is back, allowing a lucky act the chance to go directly to the live shows to compete for America’s vote.
Star of the Month: Ann Sheridan: “Early Roles”
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Legendary actress Ann Sheridan is remembered on Turner Classic Movies every Tuesday evening this month with a themed lineup of her memorable films, beginning tonight with some of her notable early roles that led to her becoming a so-called “oomph” girl in the minds of many male viewers, and a popular pinup girl by the early 1940s. Tonight’s schedule of those early films where she provided the “oomph” begins with Black Legion (1937), followed by other classics like Dodge City (1939), The Footloose Heiress (1937), Alcatraz Island (1937) and more.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: “Swan Thong”
The CW, 9pm
Season Finale!
Still controlled by the Fates, the Legends find themselves in a 1984-esque world, and they soon discover that things aren’t as they thought they would be. The Legends must convince the civilians to trust them and stand up for their right to choose, but the Fates don’t make it easy by resurrecting the Encores once again.
Lost Gold of World War II: “All Over the Maps”
History, 9pm
While John and Rick work to decipher a Golden Lily map, Breach 6 reveals its first piece of treasure. Meanwhile, Levi and Geo come up with a creative solution to get past a mysterious collapse in the tunnel. Finally, while drilling toward a possible treasure vault, John and Rob make a startling discovery and come face-to-face with unexpected visitors.
The Truth Behind Joe Exotic: The Rick Kirkham Story
Investigation Discovery, 9pm
In his self-proclaimed last interview regarding Tiger King, the Netflix documentary series that was recently a big hit for the streaming service, TV producer Rick Kirkham opens up in an explosive tell-all to expose the truths behind what he saw at the G.W. Zoo and his time with the eccentric figure Joe Exotic. In this one-hour special, Kirkham shares insights into how his nightmare began, and how he faced his point of no return just three months after being hired to produce Exotic’s internet show.
Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story
USA Network, 9pm
Season Premiere!
The second installment of the Dirty John anthology series chronicles an epic true tale of love gone wrong — a story that spans the 1960s to the ’80s, through a marriage breakdown that Oprah deemed one of “America’s messiest divorces.” Betty Broderick, played by Amanda Peet, seemed like the perfect Southern California wife and mother. She married her handsome college boyfriend Dan, played by Christian Slater, and supported him through both medical and law school until he exploded into the San Diego legal community as a superstar. But when Dan leaves Betty for his young new hire, it starts a rage-fueled battle that leads to a double homicide.
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch: “Revelations”
History, 10pm
Season Finale!
The team learns their research is of great interest to the intelligence community, and they share their findings with the attorney general of Utah with hopes of moving forward.
World of Dance: “The Qualifiers 2”
NBC, 10pm
In Round 2 of the Qualifiers, the competition gets turned on its head as judges Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo and Derek Hough surprise contestants, who must now first perform in a stripped-down warehouse to prove they have what it takes. Acts have one shot to showcase their artistry, precision and athleticism in order to move forward in the competition, earn their chance to perform on the World of Dance stage and ultimately win a grand prize of $1 million.
If Loving You Is Wrong: “Taken”
OWN, 10pm
Esperanza (Zulay Henao) and Eddie’s (Joel Rush) dysfunctional relationship comes to a head.
‘Quiz’ – Coughing and cheating and winning big money
Cheating On A Game Show
An upcoming miniseries revisits a game-show scandal that rocked British television in 2001 on AMC.
“Quiz,” a three-part series airing consecutive Sundays beginning May 31, dramatizes the story of Charles and Diana Ingram (Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession,” and Sian Clifford, “Fleabag”), a British army major and his wife, who with accomplice Tecwen Whitlock (Michael Jibson, “Les Miserables”) were accused of cheating their way to a million pound grand prize on the U.K. version of the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
The series delves into the creation of the show on the network ITV, its subsequent popularity and the community of viewers that formed to devise ways to game the show’s system. Many of them had been contestants prior to Charles’ appearance, including Diana and her brother, which raised suspicions among some who worked on the show, but not with host Chris Tarrant (Michael Sheen, “Masters of Sex”).
Even more suspicious were the coughs from the studio audience that appeared to signal the correct answer to the multiple choice questions. Whether that actually affected the outcomes, the show makes unclear. But what is clear, says James Ingram, who wrote the script for the series, is that the intention to outsmart the system was there.
“What was exciting about researching this story,” he says, “was that it goes way beyond the characters that you might be familiar with, the Ingrams and Chris Tarrant and the creator. I discovered a whole network of obsessed ‘Quiz’ fans who tried to and successfully hacked into the show.
“It’s like the hole in the Death Star that Luke Skywalker found,” he continues, “and it was the most valuable asset the network had, and there were these fundamental weaknesses that meant a certain network of very well-to-do, middle-class dweebs were allowed to find vulnerabilities into it and get their people on the show. And some of the things that we discovered in making it in the past few months has never come to light, and we’re going to be revealing in the show about quite how successful they were in penetrating ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ ”
At the heart of it was Charles Ingram, whose wild vacillations in answering questions initially had Tarrant wondering how an idiot managed to get on the show. But as Ingram advanced, the host realized he underestimated the man in the hot seat.
“You can see that Tarrant starts to have a newfound respect for this man,” Sheen says, “So it was interesting to see how his relationship to the person in front of him (evolved), who he says, ‘It was just fascinating to be that close to this guy who was sort of the most … extraordinary contestant we have ever had.’ So that was really interesting doing all that.”