Hasan Minhaj is supposedly in the running to replace Trevor Noah on "The Daily Show." But the talented comic may get erased from the short list following a recent New Yorker article in which he admits that he greatly exaggerates stories in his routines. Not a great revelation for a show that has prided itself in calling out fake news. His bad break may lead to a good break for Michelle Wolf, an even better candidate for the job.
She's a brave political commentator, which she proved at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner and during her short-lived talk show, "The Break With Michelle Wolf." But she's even more impressive at dismantling conventional stands on gender and sex. "It's Great to Be Here," a new Netflix special spread out over three episodes, shows her taking potshots at the MeToo movement and ad campaigns that insist every woman is beautiful. She even manages to work in a bit about bestiality.
It's edgy material — probably too much for even a late-night program on cable TV — but the jokes are tailor-made for those who admire comics swimming against the tide. If you love "Great to Be Here," taped in small clubs in Madison, Wis., and Philadelphia, make sure to get tickets for her Oct. 5 appearance at Pantages Theatre.
Also this week
'Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court'
The politicization of the country's most powerful court didn't happen overnight. This four-part documentary looks back at key moments over the 70 years that led to the current state of affairs, with plenty of finger-wagging at both liberals and conservatives (but mostly the latter). St. Paul-raised judges Warren Burger and Harry Blackmun get extra attention in Episode 2, but you'll want to watch the entire docu-series. 7 p.m. Friday, Showtime
'Krapopolis'
"Community" creator Dan Harmon puts his knowledge of ancient Greece to good use in this animated series about King Tyrannis' (Richard Ayoade) efforts to introduce diplomacy to his people and his skeptical goddess mom (Hannah Waddingham). Fox has faith that enough viewers will stick with a show that relies on at least a basic understanding of Krakens, centaurs, Trojan horses and Greek gods; the network has already renewed it for two more seasons. Debuts 7 p.m. Sunday, KSMP, Ch. 9. Moves to a 7:30 p.m. slot the following week
'Champions for Change'
Amara Walker, co-anchor of "CNN This Morning Weekend," traveled to Minnesota to file a story on the Amazing Grace Chorus, a dementia-friendly group made up of elders and their caregivers. The piece is part of an annual special in which some of the network's most prominent personalities spotlight unsung heroes. Sara Sidner, who filed a number of memorable reports from Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd, contributes a story on the mentorship program, Unlock Her Potential. 7 p.m. Saturday, CNN
'Scouts Honor'
A lot has been written about how the Boy Scouts of America didn't do enough to protect its members from pedophiles — and then tried to downplay those crimes to the public. But it's still devastating to watch video in which victims share their traumatic experiences. Netflix
