NFL Draft, Grace & Frankie Returns, Biden Jokes, Pachinko, Slow Horses – Deadline
Editor’s note: The Deadline Watchlist is a feature spotlighting small-screen specials, events and can’t-miss episodes of ongoing series each week.
1. NFL Draft 2022: “And with the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select…” If you’re interested in how Commissioner Roger Goodell will finish that sentence, the National Football League’s annual re-staffing event starts tonight. There’s an extra bit of juice this year in that there’s no consensus on which collegiate standout will be picked first overall. The two New York teams – the Jets and Giants – pick fourth and fifth, respectively, but the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams won’t make a selection until late in the third round. ESPN and NFL Network will cover Thursday’s first round starting at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET, followed by Rounds 2 and 3 beginning at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on Friday and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET. — Erik Pedersen
April 28-30, ESPN/NFL Network
2. Grace & Frankie Final Episodes: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin will be back Friday for the last part of Grace & Frankie‘s seventh and final season. Can’t remember where the ol’ girls left us? We got you covered: In the previous four episodes that dropped in August, Grace’s hubby Nick (Peter Gallagher) was released from prison and placed on house arrest, much to the chagrin of his wife who was hoping he’d stay a few more years behind bars. Nwabudike (Baron Vaughn), meanwhile, was about to get an at-home circumcision by his rabbi, while Sol (Sam Waterston) and Robert’s (Martin Sheen) house got burglarized and Coyote (Ethan Embry) decided to sell off his Sacagawea coin so he could buy a house. — Lynette Rice
April 29, Netflix
3. Slow Horses Finale: Initially widely touted as a reunion of Darkest Hour’s Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas, the Apple TV+ spy thriller based on Mick Herron’s 2010 espionage novel has shown a new side of the Oscar winner with an impressive ensemble cast. With an already-filmed second season based on Herron’s 2013 Dead Lions book, the James Hawes-directed and Will Smith-penned (not that Will Smith) Season 1 closing episode “Follies” has the unique advantage of being an evolution in MI5 action for Oldman and team. Which is rare in this age of TV. — Dominic Patten
April 29, AppleTV+
4. Pachinko Season Finale: The freshman season of Apple TV+’s family drama comes to a close with a sense of new beginnings, after some tragic losses for Sunja and Solomon alike. A key Pachinko character returns to the mix and documentary footage brings the drama back to the community of women it seeks to honor. — Alexandra Del Rosario
April 29, Apple TV+
5. White House Correspondents’ Dinner Returns: The annual “nerd prom” Beltway gathering of politicos, media figures and Hollywood celebrities returns, even amid ongoing concerns over the spread of a Covid variant. As of right now, President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend and deliver stand-up in person, his first major test of presidential humor, while Trevor Noah will deliver his own barbs. Meanwhile, seeking to avoid the superspreader of the recent Gridiron Dinner, the WHCA is deploying strict testing and vaccination protocols, hoping to avoid a post-event outbreak. C-SPAN’s coverage starts with the red carpet online at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. In past years, before the former Celebrity Apprentice host started boycotting the event, CNN and MSNBC also carried POTUS’ remarks, expected to start in the 9 p.m. /6 p.m. PT hour. — Ted Johnson
April 30, C-SPAN, 8 PM ET