TV picks for Feb. 27: 'Gone,' 'The Masked Singer,' 'Ministry of Evil'

February 26, 2019 at 9:57PM
This combination of photos released by Fox shows NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown in a hippo costume as he stands with host Nick Cannon, left, and Brown after he revealed his identity in the series premiere of "The Masked Singer," which aired on Jan. 2. The Nielsen company said that 9.37 million people watched the series debut last Wednesday. That was the biggest audience to watch the premiere of any unscripted show on television in more than seven years. (Michael Becker/FOX via AP)
NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown in a hippo costume with host Nick Cannon, left, and Brown after he revealed his identity on “The Masked Singer.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Ain't it a shame

"The Masked Singer," America's most embarrassing guilty pleasure, lifts the fake head off the final C-list celebrity in this two-hour season finale. There's nothing wrong with getting hooked on a silly competition, but can we please do better than a show that pretends Auto-Tuning is the same as real singing and that La Toya Jackson is still happening?

7 p.m. KMSP, Ch. 9

Going, going, gone

Chris Noth, a fan favorite in "Sex and the City," returns to the small screen in "Gone," a series about an FBI agent who recruits a former kidnapping victim (Leven Rambin) to help him woo Carrie Bradshaw — er, I mean, solve missing-person cases. WGN America has produced some quality programming in recent years, most notably "Underground," but it's going to have to hit one out of the park soon.

8 p.m. WGN America

Drinking the Kool-Aid

The tradition of conning those seeking enlightenment seems almost as old as religion itself. "Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo," looks at one such ruse, diving deep into a group that skirted the law for decades, raking in millions in the process. The docu-series was produced by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, the team behind "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."

10 p.m. Sundance Channel

Neal Justin

Evangelist Tony Alamo, left, is escorted from the Federal Court House in Texarkana, Ark., after a day of jury deliberations in his trial Thursday, July 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Evangelist Tony Alamo, left, is escorted from the Federal Court House in Texarkana, Ark., after a day of jury deliberations in his trial in 2009. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

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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