Bitter sweet
Reese Witherspoon almost always leads with her spine, an instinct that earned her an Oscar for "Walk the Line" and made her a current Emmy nominee for "Big Little Lies." But that bravado vibrated even in her early rom-com work, notably "Sweet Home Alabama" (5:30 p.m. WE) and "Legally Blonde" (6 p.m. Discovery Family). Enjoy, y'all.
Friday
Boyhood memories
Long before "Boyhood" brought Richard Linklater into Oscar's inner circle, the director was a shining example of what could be accomplished outside the Hollywood system with a lot of talent and even more gumption. Like most episodes of "American Masters," "Richard Linklater — Dream Is Destiny" is full of major stars glowing about the subject matter, but the most fascinating parts of this documentary take you back to the filmmaker's early days when he used Austin, Texas, as his playground.
8 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2
Rumble in the jungle
There must have been something else lurking in the South American jungles of 1987's "Predator" aside from aliens. Perhaps a political operative? After all, cast members Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger would both go on to become governors. We won't subscribe to any theories until Carl Weathers runs for Senate. In the meantime, enjoy this above-average thriller.
7 p.m. Friday, AMC
Life after death
The demise of Pablo Escobar in "Narcos" didn't spell the end of the series. The intense series will continue by exploring other Colombian cartels and how the cocaine trade affected Colombia, Latin America and the United States. Escobar's rise will again be told in an upcoming film starring Javier Bardem opposite his real-life wife, Penélope Cruz.
Now streaming on Netflix
Neal Justin
