Shining stars
Award shows have started to abbreviate their tributes to "old fogies" that the younger demographic may have little interest in. "Grammy Salute to Music Legends" attempts to rectify that slight with a full-out tribute to the recording academy's latest Merit Awards winners, including Linda Ronstadt, Earth, Wind & Fire and John Cage. Some of the performances fall short — Kris Kristofferson should be in the box seats, not on stage — but the overall spirit is heartening, particularly when Naughty by Nature walks its way through a high-energy salute to Run-DMC.
8 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2
Love is the law
David E. Kelley, TV's chief defender of law dramas, is back in the courtroom. In "Goliath," Billy Bob Thornton plays a once-brilliant litigator who now holds office hours in a dimly lit Miami bar. He takes on his former firm, whose payroll includes ex-wife Maria Bello. As usual, Kelley's scripts are littered with cliches and the case should be thrown out on logistical grounds, but there's no denying the thrill of watching Thornton — and William Hurt as his rival — playing mock trial.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime
Rawhide is down
"Killing Reagan," based on the latest history lesson from Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, is about as nonpartisan as you could imagine, thanks to layered performances by Timothy Matheson as Ronald Reagan and Cynthia Nixon as Nancy Reagan. Director Rod Lurie also finds a way to make would-be assassin John Hinckley somewhat sympathetic, laying more judgment on the psychiatric system than the troubled young man. For an in-depth interview with Lurie, best known for creating "The Contender," see Sunday's Variety section.
7 p.m. Sunday, National Geographic Channel
Workload
Even Graham Greene's heroes occasionally stopped to smell the roses. There's no time for such frivolity in "Berlin Station," a somber spy-vs.-spy series that makes cloak-and-dagger missions about as thrilling as an accountants' convention. The mundane nature of protecting the world's secrets may be the point, but tuning in every week could be a chore, even with a stellar cast that includes Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins.
8 p.m. Sunday, Epix
Neal Justin
