The best TV picks for April 24-28: 'United Shades of America,' 'Veep,' 'The National Parks'

April 22, 2016 at 12:30PM
Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in HBO's "Veep." "Veep" is nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series, and Dreyfus is nominated for best actress in a comedy series. (Patrick Harbron/HBO/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1170940
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “Veep.” HBO (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Madam president

"Veep," which won an Emmy for best comedy earlier this year, may be forced to compete in the dramatic category in the wake of the current presidential campaign. In the season premiere, Selina Meyer is holding onto her office — and her sanity — by the slightest of threads, a predicament that hasn't persuaded her to warm up to her daughter, staff members or constituents. A quest for power has rarely been so telling, or hilarious, thanks to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whose arsenal of facial expressions rivals that of Sid Caesar in his heyday.

9:30 p.m. Sunday, HBO

Stranger in a strange land

TBS' "Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell," a nonconfrontational approach to race topics, didn't spark enough conversation — or audience interest. Perhaps the talented comedian will fare better with "United Shades of America," an eight-part series in which the host explores various subcultures, starting with the Ku Klux Klan.

9 p.m. Sunday, CNN

Parks and recreation

As the weather turns warmer, thoughts naturally drift toward vacation. "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," the six-part series that originally aired in 2009, offers loads of suggestions, from the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska. The 12-hour tribute comes from Ken Burns, which means the travelogue is jampacked with well-told anecdotes.

8 p.m. Mon.-Sat. TPT, Ch. 2

Neal Justin


FOR USE WITH FYI_TV CONTENT ONLY. Still photo from the Showtime special presentation W. KAMAU BELL: SEMI-PROMINENT NEGRO. - Photo: Courtesy of SHOWTIME
Bell (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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