TV

The Lion in Winter

It’s May, the month of Mother’s Day, and what better way to celebrate it than to watch one of the mothers of all mothers, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, wreak havoc on her sons. That she is played by Glenn Close [pictured] only enhances the havoc. Eleanor is the estranged wife of King Henry II (Patrick Stewart), who shares the queen’s penchant for inflicting emotional pain on those close to him. • With the Christmas holidays approaching (in the year 1183), Henry invites the clan to his castle to announce his chosen heir to the throne. Vying for the coveted title are John (Rafe Spall), Henry’s favorite; Richard (Andrew Howard), Eleanor’s favorite; and Geoffrey (John Light), nobody’s favorite. Also invited are Henry’s mistress Alais (Julia Vysotsky) and her conniving brother King Philip II (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who played bi in 1998’s Velvet Goldmine). • John is the youngest and is basically a dunce. Geoffrey, the middle child, is unloved. Richard, the eldest, is forced out of the closet. • After accepting the inevitability of flashbacks to the feature film that starred Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole, I can safely say that Showtime’s Lion holds up very well. Based on the Oscar-winning screenplay by James Goldman, The Lion in Winter is a fast-paced game of verbal volleyball that should keep you entranced till the ending credits. • Premieres on Showtime (www.sho.com) on May 23 at 6:30 p.m., with a repeat airing on May 28 at 7 p.m. —Blase DiStefano

The Opposite Sex: Rene’s Story

The Opposite Sex: Rene’s Story is the first of two documentaries that looks at the world of transgender individuals and sex-change operations. Rene’s Story focuses on a female-to-male sex change, starting a few months before the sex-reassignment surgery. The documentary explores Rene’s emotions about his own identity and the reactions of his family and young wife to his operation. A second documentary, The Opposite Sex: Jamie’s Story, will air in June. • The Opposite Sex: Rene’s Story premieres on Showtime on May 3 at 8 p.m., with repeat airings on the 11th and 19th at 8 p.m., and the 23rd and 29th at 11:30 p.m. To confirm schedule: www.sho.com. —Troy Carrington

La Répétition

This is the U.S. television premiere of this psychological drama that boasts stunning performances by Emmanuelle Béart (8 Women) and Pascale Bussieres (The Five Senses) as two women who renew their friendship 10 years after a painful rift. A chance meeting leads to reconciliation between Nathalie (Béart), now a successful actress, and Louise (Bussieres), now a married dental technician. The women rediscover their old camaraderie, but the dangerously charged dynamics that roiled their early relationship soon resurface. La Répétition is directed by Catherine Corsini and airs on Sundance Channel on Sunday, May 9, at 8 p.m., with repeat airings on the 13th at 11 p.m., the 20th at 1:30 a.m., the 23rd at 12:05 a.m., and the 25th at 8:30 p.m. To confirm schedule: www.sundancechannel.com. —Suzie Lynde

American Eunuchs

This is the U.S. television premiere of this intriguing documentary that looks at what would seem to be an archaic practice—voluntary castration—and finds a procedure that occurs even in the heartland of America. The film investigates the hows of castration—the semi-legal and clandestine operations—but its real focus is the whys, which are explored through the stories of three very different individuals. George is a happily married man who owns a dog-grooming salon with his wife; “Gelding” is a computer programmer whose adopted name reflects his pride in his masculinity; and Michael is a young Missouri husband who resorted to a motel-room procedure. American Eunuchs is directed by Gian Claudio Guiducci and Franco Sacchi and airs on Sundance Channel on Monday, May 10, at 9 p.m., with repeats on the 15th at 12:20 a.m., the 17th at 11 p.m., the 27th at 9 p.m., and the 29th at midnight. To confirm schedule: www.sundancechannel.com. —TC

Elaine Stritch at Liberty

This feature-length documentary is an intimate portrait of the Broadway legend Elaine Stritch. The film combines footage from her acclaimed, Tony Award-winning one-woman show with a behind-the-scenes look at the actress by her longtime friends, legendary documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker and his partners Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob. Premieres on HBO on Saturday, May 29, at 7 p.m., with a repeat airing on the 31st at 5:15 p.m. To confirm schedule: www.hbo.com. —TC

InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse

• May 6: Author/screenwriter/producer John Grisham—a former criminal defense attorney and Mississippi congressman—holds bragging rights as the best-selling novelist of the 1990s.
• May 13: Singer k.d. lang. With a phenomenal catalogue of material, the Canada native has created a career worth admiring. As founder and front woman for her groundbreaking ensemble The Reclines, and through her own brilliant solo career, lang has offered some of the most memorable music of our time, while being honest with who she truly is. Along the way, she has garnered a mountain of awards, including multiple Grammys.
• May 20: Born in communist China, and chosen at age 11 to study at the Beijin Dance Academy, dancer Li Cunxin hungered for more. After spending time in the U.S., Cunxin defected and became one of the world’s greatest dancers. He chronicled his story in his best-selling book Mao's Last Dancer.
• May 27: Actress Betty Buckley. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, this one-time beauty queen and Six Flags Over Texas performer went on to sell millions in Broadway tickets and vocal recordings. Her list of Broadway credits astound, including 1776, Pippin, Sunset Boulevard, and Cats, in which she sang "Memories." Notable film roles include Carrie and Frantic. And, of course, she was Abbey on TV's Eight Is Enough.
• Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Channel 8, Houston PBS (www.houstonpbs.org). More info: www.geocities.com/ernieontv/homepage. —SL

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