Dave Chappelle addresses critics in new Netflix special

A guide to this week's TV highlights

October 8, 2021 at 2:00PM
Dave Chappelle’s latest special, “The Closer,” will be his last in awhile. (Evan Agostini/AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

'Dave Chappelle: The Closer'

The comic wraps up his commitment to Netflix with this Detroit concert in which he addresses those who have slammed him for past jokes about the #MeToo movement and the LGBTQ community. At times, Chappelle teeters on the edge of an apology, then delivers the kind of nasty punchline that got him into trouble in the first place. Die-hard fans will howl; detractors will find only fresh reasons to be offended. Even those who don't appreciate his humor should stick around for the final anecdote, a tribute to a transgender comic. It's both irreverent and touching, a combination that continues to make Chappelle the most fascinating stand-up of his generation. Netflix

'Diana'

At the rate we're going, there will be more books and shows about Diana Spencer than Winston Churchill. The best thing that can be said about this six-part docuseries is that it doesn't torture viewers with any of the songs from the stage musical currently streaming on Netflix. Otherwise, there's not much here that you haven't already learned from "The Queen." Still, Anglophiles will gobble up every moment, especially those that feature audio recordings that the late princess made with biographer Andrew Morton. 8 p.m. Sunday, CNN

'Chucky'

After seven feature films, the doll from "Child's Play" transitions to the small screen, where he befriends a bullied teenager who slowly becomes convinced there are better ways of dealing with depression than listening to the Cure. I never found Chucky to be all that menacing and this sloppy series didn't do anything to change my mind. If TV really wants to give us nightmares, they'll build a show around "Toy Story 4" antagonist Gabby Gabby. 9 p.m. Tuesdays, SyFy and USA

'A Night at the Academy Museum'

Tom Hanks and Laura Dern serve as tour guides for the first look at the newly opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, guaranteed to get more press than any upcoming exhibit at the Walker Art Center. The Los Angeles-based digs, which opened Sept. 30, hopes to do for film what Cooperstown did for baseball. 9 p.m. Tuesday, KSTP, Ch. 5

'Just Beyond'

R.L. Stine may write for the teen-horror genre, but his stories are generally less frightening than a case of acne. This anthology series, based on Stine's graphic novel of the same name, is also pretty tame, but each half-hour episode should appeal to youngsters who think being an alien or witch doesn't sound all that bad. Wednesday on Disney Plus

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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