Stuck in the middle
"America's Next Top Model" may have a new home (VH1) and a new host (Rita Ora), but it still has a bias against the Midwest. Of the 14 new contestants, only one — Michigan's Paige Mobley — hails from mid-America. Maybe Illinois native Cindy Crawford needs to strut in and slap some sense into the producers.
9 p.m. Mon., VH1
Let's make a deal
Doug Liman is the most familiar name among the producers of "Captive," a new documentary series that dissects real-life hostage situations from various points of view. The director's signature nervous energy, used effectively in "The Bourne Identity" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," permeates the episode I saw, which examines a 1972 prison riot in Lucasville, Ohio, with re-enactments effectively married to actual audio recordings and raw testimonials from the warden, prisoners and negotiators.
Now streaming on Netflix
Dirty dancing
"Star," Lee Daniels' follow-up to "Empire," doesn't officially premiere until January, but Fox is presenting the first episode this month, allowing the series a fighting chance to make the top 10 list of worst shows of both 2016 and '17. Jude Demorest plays an ambitious young singer busy assembling a girl group, at least when she's not stabbing a man to near-death or seducing a potential manager in a strip joint. Despite the presence of Queen Latifah, this is pure trash — right down to the overacting and cringe-worthy dialogue. "Showgirls," the series' kissing cousin, became a cult classic. "Star" could follow suit, but don't bet on it.
8 p.m. Wed., KMSP, Ch. 9
Neal Justin
