TV picks for April 16: 'Bless This Mess,' Dan Rather, Junior Seau

April 15, 2019 at 5:20PM
BLESS THIS MESS - "Pilot" - This new single-camera comedy follows newlyweds Rio and Mike as they make the decision to move from big city New York to rural Nebraska. After dropping everything (including their jobs and overbearing mother-in-law) to make the move from skyscrapers to farmhouses, they soon realize that the simpler life isn't as easy as they planned. Rio and Mike must now learn how to weather the storm as they are faced with unexpected challenges in their new life as farmers. The ABC
Dax Shepard and Lake Bell in “Bless This Mess.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Dan the man

Against all odds, Dan Rather has transformed from stuffy news anchor to baby boomer rock's greatest fanboy. No one is going to mistake "The Big Interview" as hip, but Rather brings out the best in his seventh-season lineup, which starts off with Journey frontman Steve Perry.

7 p.m. AXS

Lost legend

"Seau," which premiered last year on an ESPN streaming service, doesn't romanticize the rise and fall of NFL great Junior Seau as brain damage slowly destroys his upbeat personality. Kirby Bradley's documentary, finally available to cable viewers, may make you think twice before allowing your child to strap on a helmet.

8 p.m. ESPN

Small, small world

"Bless This Mess" is just more proof Hollywood is clueless about rural America. Lake Bell and Dax Shepard play a big-city couple who move to small-town Nebraska, which might as well be the Amish community where Harrison Ford hid out in "Witness." If Bell, who co-created the series with Liz Meriwether, actually spent quality time in the real heart of America before directing the first episode, I'll eat a straw hat.

8:30 p.m. KSTP, Ch. 5

Neal Justin

The New England Patriots' Junior Seau walks on the field prior to Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, February 3, 2008, where the New England Patriots are trying to be the second undefeated team in NFL history. The 12-time NFL Pro Bowler was found dead in his home in Oceanside, California, Tuesday, May 2, 2012. (Karl Mondon/MCT)
Seau (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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