'Jerry Springer: Fight, Camera, Action' and 6 things to watch on TV this week

Between streaming and cable, the types of things you can watch seem endless. Here's a selection of TV shows and specials you can watch live or stream this week from January 6th to 12th. Details and times subject to change.

populist showman

He grew up in Queens and went on to become a reality TV star that has long shadowed the culture. No, I'm not talking about former and future President Donald J. Trump. Jerry Springer rose to fame in the 1990s as host of “The Jerry Springer Show.” The show became synonymous with extravaganzas such as family drama, lovers' quarrels, guest brawls, and the occasional flying chair.

Springer, who died in 2023 at the age of 79, never got to see a live recap of his career in Netflix's new two-part behind-the-scenes series, “Jerry Springer: Fight, Camera, Action.” But if he once had us clutching our pearls, now we're reaching for tissues as show officials and relatives of guests discuss the untold parts of Mr. Springer's legacy and the cost of revealing television. It may be. Streaming Tuesdays on Netflix.

“Landman” concludes its first season this week after 10 episodes in which Billy Bob Thornton's titular character tries to defeat a drug cartel, an oil tycoon and his ex-wife. In a profile of Thornton, New York Times television editor Austin Considine described “Landman” as “a man's fantasy about roughnecks and the unrealistically glamorous women who love them.” . After all, what's more hardcore than severing your own fingertips with a pocketknife? Streaming Sunday on Paramount+.

Thornton isn't the only depressing protagonist this week. In “The Agency,” Michael Fassbender plays a CIA case officer who survived an undercover mission but now lives a sedated life in London. Adapted from the French series The Bureau, the show ties in well with contemporary current events. Although this drama is particularly romantic, it is primarily concerned with the negative effects of espionage on the spies themselves. It airs Sundays at 9pm on Showtime and is available to stream on Paramount+.

slow reality tv

“Finding Your Roots,” whose latest season begins this week, fits into the niche category of reality TV. Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. will discuss the topic of ancestry with guests and dig into archives to share the history of long-lost relatives. In past seasons, actor Edward Norton learned that Pocahontas was a distant relative, and comedian Maya Rudolph learned the identity of her black ancestor born into slavery. The season begins with actors Lea Salonga and Amanda Seyfried. Airs Tuesdays at 9pm on PBS.

Antiques Roadshow isn't exactly a blockbuster, but it's clear the show knows how to retain its audience as the series prepares to enter its whopping 29th season. It's obvious. This season, it will make a pit stop at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, with plans to expand to Las Vegas in the future. Airs Mondays at 8pm on PBS.

old footage, new colors

There's no time like the New Year to indulge in nostalgia, but it looks like the Smithsonian Institution is making the most of it with its multi-part series “Liberation: D-Day to Berlin.” The show focuses on many stories from World War II, but perhaps the most refreshing contribution is the series' use of archival film footage. Unlike documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' slow zooms, the Smithsonian's series injects new color into the images. For us history buffs, this may be a welcome trumpet blowing to usher in 2025. It airs Wednesdays at 8pm on the Smithsonian Channel.

myself as a spectacle

Now in its 17th season, “RuPaul's Drag Race” has grown even bigger, with an independent “All Stars” series and several spin-off series (see the French and Australian versions). But even as the challenges to the contestants become more complex (like the “squid game” we referenced last week), the show still offers moments of introspection and the brave, unafraid attitude that made it a sensation. I will. This week's episode features guest judge rapper and singer Doechii, and promises enough sequins to brighten even the darkest days of January. Airs Fridays at 8pm on MTV.