Rehearsing Drama in ‘Only Murders,’ Empathy in ‘Wrexham,’ Rock the Bells Festival on MTV

Only Murders in the Building

The hybrid mystery-comedy-musical is getting closer to a Broadway opening night, and the inevitable denouement of whodunit. “Why does murder always have to be such a dreary business, anyway?” laments theater director Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) on the day of his musical’s all-important “sitzprobe” rehearsal (when the cast and the fall orchestra first work together). With an influential critic in attendance, Oliver is determined not to let the pesky murder case derail this session, with Charles (Steve Martin) mustering the courage to deliver his devilish patter song. But Loretta’s (Meryl Streep) tangled past is coming to light, and it could soon be curtains for someone.

Welcome to Wrexham

The first of two back-to-back episodes about the Welsh soccer team is a heartwarming vignette emphasizing the importance of family—and the family of fans supporting the newly famous (thanks to TV) team. Star player Paul Mullin has no regrets about moving to this struggling team, because it gives him more time to bond with his adorable 3-year-old son Albi, who has been diagnosed with autism. These scenes play out against a profile of Millie Tippin, a 17-year-old superfan who’s also on the autism spectrum and who has come out of her shell in her devotion to the team and its accommodating players. During games, she sits in the “quiet zone” with headphones to block out the cheering, but her enthusiasm rings loud and clear. The second episode acknowledges how the Wrexham team’s new notoriety has put a target on their back—especially when it comes to their rivals in Notts County, who are also enjoying a resurgent season. Their upcoming game is crucial.

Rock the Bells

A hip-hop medley marking a half-century of music history was one of the highlights of last week’s VMA Awards show, and the party continues with highlights from last month’s Rock the Bells Music Festival in Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium. LL Cool J performs with The Roots, with more performances by Method Man & Redman, Salt-N-Pepa, Run-D.M.C., Big Daddy Kane among many others.

The Saint of Second Chances

An upbeat documentary from directors Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) and Jeff Malmberg is a redemption story about baseball and family, profiling the irrepressible Mike Veeck, a born hustler following the lead of his promoter father Bill. Mike’s career imploded after the disastrous “Disco Demolition Night” at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in 1979, but his second chance arrived when he began running the minor league St. Paul Saints, a team known for giving others (including disgraced pro Darryl Strawberry) a fresh start. Jeff Daniels narrates the film, with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Charlie Day playing the younger Veeck in dramatic recreations.

INSIDE TUESDAY TV:

• Celebrity Name That Tune (8/7c, Fox): The musical game show’s third season opens with singer-songwriter Melanie C. facing off against Emmy winner Darren Criss, followed by sports celeb Lolo Jones taking on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy alum Carson Kressley. Jane Krakowski returns as host, with American Idol’s OG judge Randy Jackson as band leader.
• America’s Got Talent (8/7c, NBC): With the finale a week away, more qualifiers perform for America’s vote, with the results announced Wednesday.
• Becoming Frida Kahlo: The Making and Breaking (9/8c, PBS): A three-part documentary series profiles the renowned 20th-century artist, exploring her personal life, including her two marriages to artist Diego Rivera, and her political interests.
• The Swarm (9/8c, The CW): More mysteries of the deep emerge in the international thriller when freakishly large ice worms are found in the Norwegian Sea and a chef on the French Atlantic is killed while preparing a lobster.
• Sansón and Me (10/9c, PBS): An installment of Independent Lens takes an unusual approach to telling the story of Sansón Noe Andrade, a young Mexican immigrant serving a life sentence for murder in California. Filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes, who served as Sansón’s interpreter during his 2012 trial, was barred from filming interviews with his subject on camera, so turned to members of the Andrade family to become actors, bringing Sansón’s letters and visits to life.
• Kountry Wayne: A Woman’s Prayer (streaming on Netflix): The stand-up comedian keeps it real with Jesus as he delivers a set riffing on being a father of 10.
• Queens (streaming on MHz Choice): The royalty in this Israeli series are the women in a crime family whose men are assassinated on a yacht, leaving them to take on a male power structure while keeping their business afloat and seeking revenge.