Neal Justin's TV picks for Aug. 19: 'Steampunk'd,' 'Hotwives of Las Vegas,' Cicely Tyson

August 18, 2015 at 5:10PM
For Use At Will Five Score And Ten-that's the astonishing age of the fictional, character played by Academy Award nominee Cicely Tyson in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman to be telecast Thursday evening, Jan. 31 (9-11 pm, EOT) over the CBS Television Network. The Xerox special, based-on Ernest J. Gaines' novel, covers most of the 110 year life of Miss Jane Pittman, a one-time slave who lived to participate in the Civil Rights movement.
Cicely Tyson portrays the title character throughout most of her life in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

What happens in Vegas

Being pregnant with her first child didn't stop "Happy Endings" star Casey Wilson from delivering the laughs in "The Hotwives of Las Vegas," the sendup of a certain Bravo franchise that also stars "The Office" veteran Angela Kinsey. Now streaming at Hulu.com

Steam heat

The growing genre of design-competition series gets a purple streak down the middle of its hair with "Steampunk'd," a new game show in which contestants try to transform ordinary objects into creative masterpieces. 9 p.m. GSN

Black lives matter

There are numerous reasons Cicely Tyson will be feted during the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 6, but it's hard to imagine she'd be the belle of the ball without "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." The 1974 TV movie earned her an Emmy and, in its own way, was just as groundbreaking as "Roots" in its efforts to track the injustices endured by African-American people. 10 p.m. Bounce

Neal Justin

Actors Angela Kinsey, from left, Andrea Savage and Erinn Hayes participate in the "The Hotwives of Las Vegas" panel at the Hulu Summer TCA Tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Kinsey (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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