'The Simpsons' open 33rd season with a musical

Critics pick the buzziest shows and movies to watch on TV this weekend.

September 22, 2021 at 3:38PM
THE SIMPSONS: A musical comes to life in Springfield as Marge stages a revival of her beloved high school show ' but her wonderful memories are threatened by the return of a rival from the past in the 'The Star of the Backstage' season premiere episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, Sept. 26 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. THE SIMPSONS ' 2021 by 20th Television.
A musical comes to life in Springfield as Marge stages a revival of her beloved high school show on the season premiere of “The Simpsons.” (Fox/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

'The Simpsons'

Everyone's favorite Springfield family has broken into song many times over the past three decades, but there's never been an all-musical episode. That changes with this season premiere in which the gang revamps a stage production that has more than a little in common with "Rent." The numbers, penned by the same team that contributed to "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," aren't particularly catchy, but it's fun to watch Homer get pumped up about something other than chocolate doughnuts. 7 p.m. Sunday, KMSP, Ch. 9

Anthony Bourdain in Morgan Neville’s documentary “Roadrunner.” (Focus Features/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

'Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain'

Morgan Neville's portrait of the final years of the chef/TV host spurred controversy and for good reason. The unacknowledged use of cobbled-together audio to create the illusion that Bourdain is reading aloud one of his e-mails calls attention to itself in the worst possible way. And the movie treats the late chef's last love, Asia Argento, unfairly. Still, a complex picture emerges of a talented and tormented man in a film that has smart things to say about suicide and mental illness. On-demand services

'Kenny Rogers: All in for the Gambler'

Three years before his 2020 death, some of the country music legend's friends gathered in Nashville for a tribute concert. That event, which featured performances from Chris Stapleton, Idina Menzel and Lionel Richie, is finally available to the masses. Stick around for the finale in which Dolly Parton invites her "Islands in the Stream" partner on stage for one final bow. 8 p.m. Thursday, WCCO, Ch. 4

Tony Awards

The ceremony to honor Broadway's best will be as odd and off-kilter as the theater world has been for the last 18 months. The awards cover most of the 2019-20 Broadway season but some late-arriving shows (including Bob Dylan-themed "Girl From the North Country"), deemed ineligible, will have to wait until the next Tonys. And there are two programs: The 74th annual Tony Awards, hosted by Audra McDonald, will feature most of the awards. It will be followed by "The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!" and hosted by Leslie Odom Jr. The top three trophies will be doled out here and we'll see live performances from Broadway shows. 6 p.m. Sunday, Paramount Plus, and 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS.

Ry Russo-Young, Tom Steel in “Nuclear Family.” (HBO photo/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

'Nuclear Family'

The first half of Ry Russo-Young's docuseries comes across as a tribute to her parents, a lesbian couple who fought to protect their youngest daughter from a jealous surrogate. But the story takes some unexpected twists when Russo-Young starts looking at the legal case from her biological father's perspective. During the three-hour running time, the filmmaker packs in as many emotional twists and turns as the "This Is Us" writers do over an entire season. 9 p.m. Sunday, HBO

about the writers

about the writers

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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Chris Hewitt

Critic / Editor

Interim books editor Chris Hewitt previously worked at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, where he wrote about movies and theater.

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