‘American Idol’ signs off with three-night farewell
DON’T MISS: “American Idol” series finale – The cultural phenomenon that changed the face of television and spawned an array of pop superstars delivers its swan song with a three-night farewell celebration. It starts on Tuesday with a 90-minute retrospective special, “American Idol: American Dream.” The following night, the remaining finalists will battle it out for your votes. Then, on Thursday, it’s the grand finale, during which the Season 15 winner gets crowned and past “Idol” winners, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, return to perform. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Fox.
Other bets
SUNDAY: Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley team up to host the 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards from Las Vegas. Performers include Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Tim McGraw. 8 p.m., CBS.
SUNDAY: Another suspenseful season of “The Walking Dead” comes to an end with a 90-minute finale. We’ll meet Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a ruthless villain who wields a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Let’s hope he doesn’t hit for a high average. 9 p.m., AMC.
SUNDAY: “The Story Of God with Morgan Freeman” is an ambitious, six-part series that takes viewers around the world to explore different cultures and religions. Our tour guide, incidentally, is a man who played God in two films. 9 p.m., National Geographic Channel.
MONDAY: “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” is a profile of the controversial artist from his youth through his meteoric rise and untimely death in 1989. Included: Never-before-seen photographs and archival materials. 9 p.m., HBO.
TUESDAY: The TV event of the winter, “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” concludes as the prosecution and the defense make their closing arguments and the verdict comes in. Spoiler alert: He walks. 10 p.m., FX.
WEDNESDAY: Can you believe “The Real Housewives of New York City” launches its eighth season tonight? Yeah, we can’t either. 9 p.m., Bravo.
THURSDAY: Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon return for another season of “The Odd Couple.” Tonight, they spend some time eavesdropping on their neighbors. 8:30 p.m., CBS.
FRIDAY: “All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records” is Colin Hanks’ nostalgic documentary tracing the trajectory of a once-mighty music powerhouse. Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Dave Grohl and others rekindle the memories. 10 p.m., Showtime.
SATURDAY: Our favorite time-traveling nurse returns for Season 2 of “Outlander.” The story picks up with Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) arriving in France, hellbent on infiltrating the Jacobite rebellion and stopping the Battle of Culloden. 9 p.m., Starz.