Getting the Lead out
Fans of any music genre will want to catch "Legend of Lead Belly," a fascinating documentary on a man who was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, inspiring everyone from the Beatles to Nirvana. The film, directed by Alan Ravenscroft, is full of great tunes, including "Black Betty" and "Goodnight, Irene." More important, it's packed with poignant stories about a former prisoner who was vastly underappreciated during his amazing career. Van Morrison and Roger McGuinn are among the musicians weighing in. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Smithsonian Channel.
The big show
Expect Neil Patrick Harris to open "The 87th Annual Academy Awards" (6 p.m. red carpet; 7:30 p.m. main show Sunday, KSTP, Ch. 5) with a big musical number — and for "Boyhood" to score well. The most intriguing battle: Michael Keaton vs. Eddie Redmayne. And don't forget to check out "Jimmy Kimmel Live! After the Oscars" (approximately 11:05 p.m., KSTP, Ch. 5), which always has a few star-studded surprises.
Top secret
Oscar nominee "Citizenfour" looks at the early emergence of Edward Snowden as he began leaking classified government documents to journalists. It's an important story, but the film takes place largely in a Hong Kong hotel — not exactly a thrilling location — and director Laura Poitras comes off as a little too smug. 8 p.m. Monday, HBO
The park is closing
It's time to say goodbye to "Parks and Recreation," a sitcom that managed to generate lovable characters and surprising twists for seven seasons, despite relatively low ratings. It's a testimony to the show that so many cast members stayed with the series despite becoming famous (Chris Pratt!). For comments from the show's creators and actors, see Tuesday's Variety section. 7 p.m. Tuesday, KARE, Ch. 11
Neal Justin
