Requiem for a heavyweight
Sonny Liston had one of the most lethal jabs in boxing history but didn't have the charm or good fortune of Muhammad Ali, who ended up taking away his heavyweight belt. But "Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston" proves that his story was no less compelling. Historians, family members and Mike Tyson reflect on a tragic figure whose story still packs a wallop.
8 p.m. Friday, Showtime
Passing the baton
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice like Sheku Kanneh-Mason, star of "Young, Gifted and Classical — Making of a Maestro." This documentary shows how the promising British cellist is expanding diversity in the world of classical music, but not without a lot of sweat and family sacrifices. Kanneh-Mason will be performing with his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, Dec. 5-6 at Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul.
10 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2
Follow that bird
"Sesame Street" has planned an ambitious 50th season filled with appearances from famous grown-ups like ballet dancer Misty Copeland and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, as well as a new recurring segment in which Big Bird visits other neighborhoods. Those still adjusting to the fact that new episodes now premiere on HBO rather than public television should be happy to know that the anniversary special that debuted on pay cable earlier this month will appear on PBS just a week later.
New season premieres 8 a.m. Saturday, HBO; anniversary special repeats 7 p.m. Sunday, TPT, Ch. 2
Royal performance
In the opening scene of "The Crown" Season 3 premiere, Queen Elizabeth compares older and younger images of herself on England's postage stamps. "A great many changes," she sniffs. "But there we are. One just has to get on with it." The line is a clever courtesy to the beloved series' decision to jump ahead to 1964, replacing Claire Foy with Olivia Colman. The recent Oscar winner is more than up for the appointment, commanding her every scene with ice-cool confidence.
Starts streaming Sunday on Netflix
Neal Justin
