Neal Justin's TV picks for Nov. 20-22: 'The Man in the High Castle,' 'Jessica Jones,' 'Kander & Ebb,' Maureen O'Hara

November 19, 2015 at 5:55PM
Krysten Ritter in the Netflix original series ìMarvelís Jessica Jonesî. Photo Credit: Myles Aronowitz/Netflix
Krysten Ritter stars in “Marvel’s Jessica Jones.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Here's looking at you, kid

"Marvel's Jessica Jones" may officially be joining TV's ever expanding superhero family, but its undeniable appeal owes more to Sam Spade than Spider-Man. Krysten Ritter, who specializes in sympathetic mean girls, plays the title character, slumming as a private detective after succumbing to her Kryptonite: a manipulative mind controller portrayed with unabashed self-satisfaction by David Tennant of "Dr. Who." The cast treats the dime-novel dialogue ("I don't flirt. I just say what I want.") with such richness that you won't miss the explosions that often deafen other shows in the genre. Now streaming on Netflix.

Altered states

Philip K. Dick long ago won a spot on the Mount Rushmore of science fiction, with his novels inspiring such blockbusters as "Blade Runner." But Hollywood avoided adapting one of his earliest works, "The Man in the High Castle," no doubt because the enemy wasn't overly advanced machines, but the German and Japanese governments, which he imagined had defeated the Allies in World War II and taken over the United States. Kudos to Amazon for boldly taking on this daunting twist that takes history through the twilight zone. Now streaming on amazonoriginals.com

Big ginger

Maureen O'Hara's long hiatus from Hollywood films means that her catalog isn't as thick as fans would like, but the actress, who died last month at the age of 95, gave us enough screen time to merit a 24-hour tribute on TCM, starting with 1939's "Jamaica Inn" (5 a.m. Friday). Those unacquainted with the fiery actress should focus on 1952's' "The Quiet Man" (9:15 p.m. Friday), politically incorrect but still amusing thanks to the chemistry between O'Hara and John Wayne.

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Kate Baldwin is one of six stage veterans who bring humor and pathos to Broadway classics in "First You Dream — The Music of Kander & Ebb," a stripped-down production showcasing numbers from "Chicago," "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and other less heralded musicals. 9 p.m. TPT, Ch. 2, Friday

Neal Justin


Maureen O'Hara Minneapolis Star Journal Library
O’Hara (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
In this publicity image released by Judy Katz Public Relations, actors Many Patinkin, left, and Kate Baldwin at a release party for her debut CD, "Let's See What Happens," Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Judy Katz Public Relations, Ryan Jensen)
Baldwin (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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