What to Watch Monday: Documentaries on LBJ, Abraham Lincoln and The Chippendales
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Abraham Lincoln (8 p.m., HISTORY) - We’re on the second night of a three-night documentary event intended to be a definitive biography of the 16th president — the man who led the country during its bloodiest war and greatest crisis. Tonight’s installment focuses on the Civil War, fully underway, with Lincoln being forced to quickly learn how to manage a military as commander in chief. Executive produced by presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning bestselling author Doris Kearns Goodwin, “Abraham Lincoln” is based upon Kearns Goodwin’s New York Times bestseller, “Leadership: In Turbulent Times.”
More from HISTORY: “From the impoverished childhood of Lincoln (played by Emmy-nominated actor Graham Sibley) to his days as a young prairie lawyer and budding politician, through his unlikely election to the presidency and his assassination only five days after the end of the Civil War, ‘Abraham Lincoln’ offers viewers new and surprising insights into the man consistently ranked by historians and the American people as the country’s greatest president. Viewers will learn of the lesser-known aspects of Lincoln’s life and leadership through premium dramatic live-action scenes where his humility, empathy, resilience, ambition, political acumen, and humor are on full display. Combined with expert interviews —including President Barack Obama, Gen. Stan McCrystal, and renowned historians Christy Coleman, Dr. Allen Guelzo, Dr. Edna Greene Medford, Harold Holzer, Dr. Caroline Janney, Dr. Catherine Clinton— archival photos and news accounts, Lincoln’s letters, writings and speeches, and remembrances from his contemporaries, this miniseries provides a fresh, present-day understanding of the complexities of young Abraham Lincoln who grows to become President Lincoln, the man who saved the Union, won the war and secured emancipation.” The final part aires on Monday.
LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy (9 p.m., CNN) - Tonight, the finale two parts of a four-part documentary on Lyndon B. Johnson, one of the most consequential and enigmatic presidents in American history. From CNN: “Thrust into the presidency under tragic circumstances, LBJ used the office to pass the most significant civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. While managing to reshape the social fabric of the nation, he simultaneously escalated one America’s most controversial wars, that subsequently overshadowed his domestic accomplishments. ‘LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy’ examines the larger-than-life figure full of fascinating contradictions, that left behind a complicated and polarizing legacy.” Parts 1 and 2 aired on Sunday. Tonight, LBJ is racing against the clock to push through the most productive legislative session in history, but he can’t outrun the deepening conflict in Vietnam. At 10, LBJ makes an announcement that stuns the nation, hoping that peace in Vietnam is within reach. When his efforts are stopped by a political rival, he retires and is still haunted by a war that will complicate his legacy.
Curse of the Chippendales (9 p.m., Investigation Discovery) - This four-part series (which previously aired on streaming network Discovery+, tells the story of how the famous dance troupe took the LA nightclub scene by storm and ended with international fame, untold wealth, bizarre murder plots and multiple deaths trapped in their legacy. Their brand became a multi-million-dollar global venture, successful beyond their wildest dreams. But of three unlikely dreamers who were there at the beginning, only one would make it out alive. Driven by extensive video and photo archive, including never-before-seen footage and a nostalgia-filled soundtrack, viewers will be directly transported back to the ‘80s, into one of the most unexpected true crime stories of the decade. And all fueled by one thing: greed.
Apart (10 p.m., PBS NC) - In this Independent Lens documentary, three mothers imprisoned on drug-related crimes enter an innovative prison program in Cleveland that will prepare them for reuniting with their families as well as provide them with the skills needed to get a job and stay sober.
Some programming descriptions are provided by networks.
