Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Thursday, April 19

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday, April 19th, 2018. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities, where AllYourScreens HQ is running on tubes of potato chips and gluten-free brownies.



THE NEW NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY 'MERCURY 13' LOOKS AT AMERICA'S FIRST FEMALE ASTRONAUT CANDIDATES
Perhaps it's fitting that the documentary "Mercury 13" premieres on Netflix the same week that Southwest Airlines pilot Tammie Jo Shults made news for her calm after the plane she was captaining lost an engine along with one of its windows. In the wake of her skilled handling of the problem, she made news not just for her heroics, but for her career as one of the first female fighter pilots in the Navy.

"Mercury 13" is the story of a group of female pilots who started astronaut training in the early 1960s in hopes of having the opportunity to go into space. But from the first frames, the film seeks to put the decisions that kept that group of women out of the astronaut program in the context of the overall struggles women pilots had faced since the earliest days of flight. Women pilots were at best seen as novelties and at worst were considered to be one mistake away from a disaster. And even when the female pilots accomplished something noteworthy, their feats were cast in the context of "Oh, look at this frilly woman is doing." There's an early newsreel clip included in the film that shows a woman breaking a speed record, as the announcer backhandedly offers congratulations while noting her hair is still perfectly coiffed.

It was into that world that some of America's best female pilots were invited to preliminary astronaut training as NASA's astronaut training for the Mercury missions was being planned. The group was winnowed down to 13 female candidates, but after two rounds of successful training, NASA halted the plan. Ultimately, the matter ended up in Congress, which held two days of hearings before shutting down the women's training.

The footage of the hearing is some of the hardest stuff to watch. Male astronauts John Glenn and Gordon Cooper testified against the idea and they barely disguised their feelings of surprise the idea was even being considered. Even a year later - after Russia had put the world's first woman in space - Cooper told a group of reporters the U.S. could have put a woman in space much earlier than Russia. "We could have flown her instead of the chimpanzee," he said to a room full of laughing reporters.

But for the women known as the Mercury 13, one of the hardest parts of the congressional hearing was listening to famed female test pilot and pioneer Jackie Cochran speak out against the idea of female astronauts. She argued that if NASA attempted to train female astronauts, they would lose too many of the candidates to marriage and other female distractions. It was a betrayal the women of the Mercury 13 never forgot.

The story of the Mercury 13 has a happy ending, or at least as much of one as you can have with a group of women who were denied their chance to touch the stars. But despite the bittersweet subject of the film, "Mercury 13" is as much a story of perseverance and ambition as it is the story of dreams denied. It's always important to remember how we got here and this is a film that brings a lot of forgotten stories to the forefront.

"Mercury 13" premieres on Netflix on Friday, April 20th.





A NEW SEASON OF 'LOVE IT OR LIST IT' IS COMING TO HGTV IN MAY
This is good news for all of you who love HGTV but are tired of shows that include the words "Flip," "House" or "Hunters." A new season of "Love It Or List It," starring designer Hilary Farr and real estate expert David Visentin returns on Monday, May 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The new eight episode season will feature the pair as they help homeowners make a difficult decision: love their existing home after Hilary remodels their space or purchase a new house that David finds to better fit the needs of the family.

"I always do my best to accommodate each owner’s list of ‘must haves,'" said Hilary. "I may need to get extra creative depending on my budget, but I know when I finish revamping their home, the owners will love it."

"I try to take homeowners outside their comfort zone to make the most of their budget and make them see what they could get for their money if they are brave enough to list it," contended David.

In the premiere episode, Hilary and David will meet a young couple living in an outdated 1970s ranch home previously owned by her late grandmother. Taking on a dramatic redesign, Hilary will create an open floor plan—featuring a cozy fireplace in the living room and a stunning kitchen with an over-sized island perfect for entertaining. She’ll also add a functional closet and a bright bathroom with a huge walk-in shower to transform the master bedroom. In the meantime, David will try to convince the couple to put the home on the market and buy a newer property that fulfills their lengthy wish list.





FOX TO AIR FIFA SOCCER DOCUMENTARY MINI-SERIES
Fox & Fox Sports 1 are planning to air "Phenoms," the five-part documentary chronicles the journey of the next great soccer players on their quests to represent their respective countries in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The series allows fans and viewers to experience the personal lives of players through unprecedented behind-the-scenes access. Some of the players featured include young stars from the world’s top clubs and countries such as Dele Alli, Davinson Sanchez, Marco Asensio, Paulo Dybala, Gabriel Jesus, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot, Leon Goretzka, Corentin Tolisso, Hirving Lozano and Marquinhos. The first two episodes of "Phenoms" will premiere on Friday, May 25th on Fox. The remaining three episodes will premiere on Fox Sports 1 beginning on Friday, June 1.





NEW GIADA DE LAURENTIIS SERIES PREMIERES IN MAY
When it comes to creating Food Network shows as way to pay for vacations, Giada De Laurentiis is second only to Guy Fieri. De Laurentiis and her daughter Jade are heading to their beachfront vacation home on the California coast for the summer, and viewers are invited along for all the food and fun in the sun in the new seven-episode series "Giada on the Beach." As the network explains it The charming setting has a true vacation vibe, but is close enough to Los Angeles that Giada's family and friends can visit on the weekends. Each week, Giada, Jade and their weekend guests spend time cooking together in the kitchen and around the grill, while sharing stories, laughs and lots of casual and delicious meals. "Giada on the Beach" premieres on Sunday, May 20th on The Food Network.





MARK YOUR CALENDARS
ABC announced on Wednesday that the new seasons of "$100,000  Pyramid," "To Tell The Truth" and "Celebrity Family Feud" are premiering on Sunday, June 10. Celebrity family teams that will be playing this season of "Celebrity Family Feud" for charity include the following: Team Kardashian vs. Team West, Steph Curry vs. Chris Paul, Ice T & Coco vs. Vivica A. Fox, Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott vs. Amber Riley, Team Grey’s Anatomy vs. Team Station 19, Team NBA on TNT vs. Team MLB All-Stars, and Laurie Hernandez vs. Shawn Johnson, amongst others. And to check out when your other TV favorites are returning, take a look at our painfully big list of TV premieres.

WHAT'S NEW ON TV TONIGHT:

1) It's The Final Episode Of 'Scandal' (ABC)
After seven seasons, the ABC political drama "Scandal" is coming to an end tonight. We're lucky enough to have some behind-the-scenes photos from the episode, which you can see here.


2) Ex On The Beach Series Premiere (MTV)
Multi-Platinum rapper and actor Romeo is set to host the social experiment that features 10 romantically embattled reality stars from "The Bachelorette," "Big Brother," "Bachelor in Paradise," "The Challenge," "Vanderpump Rules," "Are You The One?" and "Bad Girls Club" alongside everyday singles who show up for what they think is a run-of-the-mill love and dating show in paradise, only to be completely blindsided by their exes (in some cases multiple) face-to-face. A complicated web of hookups, deceit, revenge and drama unfolds against the sultry backdrop as couples decide if their love can be reignited, or if the flame of romance is gone for good.


3) Murder Calls Season Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
Driven by haunting, real-life audio from 911 and other recorded police calls, the show is true-crime storytelling taken to new heights. Every episode, investigators analyze harrowing calls, looking for the truth and unearthing clues to catch a killer. The season premiere is entitled "Tears For My Mother and in it a man calls 911 claiming he found his ex-girlfriend dead, and his behavior on the call leads police to wonder if he could be involved. Investigators tirelessly gather evidence to convict a killer whose unchecked rage left a young son motherless.

4) Jay Leno's Garage Season Premiere (CNBC)
In the season premiere episode, the movie car is finally the star of the show! Jamie Foxx shows Jay that he’s no baby driver when it comes to doing his own stunts. Then Jay and Bond stunt driver Ben Collins recreate the iconic chase scene from “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Jay gets an exclusive look at the original Mustang Steve McQueen drove in the film “Bullitt.” And musician James Taylor gets reunited with the car from his cult classic film “Two Lane Blacktop.” It’s an action-packed look at the cars that co-star in some of our favorite films. 


5) Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey (Netflix)
In this Japanese reality dating show, seven men and women board a pink bus in search of true love. On a journey through Asia with strangers, their goal is to return as a couple. 


For a rundown of all the new episodes of television premiering tonight, click here.

I'll be back with another one tomorrow. If you have any feedback, send it along to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.