Non-stop geeky shenanigans and campy medleys show us the American reality TV show has evolved to mirror the black community’s culture
Dancing With the Stars: Deplorable fun from Atlanta
Sunday 8pm, ITV2
Why should so-called reality TV be judged by its box-office appeal? No one’s pushing anyone to watch Narcos, for God’s sake. Put it this way: if Ricky Gervais was on Sky Atlantic, do you think he’d create a show about dancing dogs? It’s an eyebrow-raising opinion, but then Deplorable fun is how this E4 revival began and it’s stayed that way ever since. Funeral director/singer James Jordan is the latest recruit, and though the mix on the panel isn’t always smooth, other struggles such as Melissa Meeks’s struggles with her huskies are definitely eye-catching. JW
Black Love (8pm, BBC Two)
This documentary tells the stories of three black women living in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and London. It follows their attempts to become full-time career-focused women (say no more) while giving voice to issues such as mental health, unplanned parenthood and toxic masculinity. SS
Elvis Presley: the Searcher
Monday 10pm, PBS
This timely documentary looks back at the British public service documentary that shed fresh light on Elvis’s (tabloid-worthy) life. Jamie Melville-Smith did a superb job in the mid-1980s, leading the public to see a black singer as a “sensitive blue-eyed soul”, along with the media’s interest in his undignified pet dachshund. LS
Nyong’o-Centric Love That Changes the World (Netflix)
What does the cast of Moonlight and the HIV-positive queen(?) best known for her role as whitebait Rachel Maddow look like now? Well, Janelle Monáe has blonde hair and a beauty award to herself, and the cast of Moonlight – including Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris and Trevante Rhodes – are more progressive-minded. RN
Starry-Eyed Cast vs A Mountain of Bright Light
Wednesday 12pm, Sky Arts
On first appearance, the sound of each cast member’s reactions to what comes around the next corner is uplifting. In time, though, this electricity evaporates into a sensory torture pit. From Alicia Keys, Julie Adenuga and Reese Witherspoon to Cassie, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, rising stars will sing their hearts out for very good money. N
Soul Train Awards 2018
Friday 7pm, RTÉ2
After some 34 years, the Soul Train Awards has reached a crescendo. Cervantes himself, house band The Stylistics and N’Sync will be among the performers and performers will be performing in the full Soul Train Show medley. GG