Obama the orator
"The Obama Years: The Power of Words" does its fair share of slapping the ex-president on the back, but this compact documentary is more about celebrating language than any politician. Former speechwriters and advisers analyze some of Obama's most powerful speeches to explain how just the right phrasing can make all the difference.
7 p.m., Smithsonian Channel
They shall overcome
Dustin Lance Black is an activist first, a screenwriter second. That set of priorities is evident in his latest, "When We Rise," an eight-hour miniseries that, like his Oscar-winning script for "Milk," honors the gay civil rights movement in San Francisco. Black's passion would be commendable, except every character in this exhaustive mission speaks as if he or she has just taken the mic at a political convention. Great for C-Span, not so much for network TV. Be warned: Ads for the drama promise appearances by well-known actors, but most only show up for cameos, and Rachel Griffiths and Mary-Louise Parker are nowhere to be found in the first two installments.
8 p.m., KSTP, Ch. 5; continues 8 p.m. Wed.-Fri.
The road not taken
It may not be a felony, but someone needs to starts fining the networks for slapping the titles of popular movies on nearly unrelated TV series. The latest crime is "Taken," in which no one is kidnapped and our hunky hero (Clive Standen) doesn't look like he could be collecting Social Security. Instead, he's a newbie CIA operative who outruns cars and beats up bad guys six at a time while working out the guilt he feels over the assassination of his sister. The action scenes are top-notch; the con game with viewers is not.
9 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11
Neal Justin
