What's On Tonight (Wednesday): American women roar in Houston

Mrs. America

Talofa! It's the final Wednesday before the summer TV dull drums set in. Tonight's Top Pick is the FX-produced limited series that is airing on Hulu: Mrs. America. The show follows the people who fought for and against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. The Antis are led by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly and the feminists are comprised of many prominent figures — Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Jill Ruckelshaus. The fight over the ERA is the driving force with Phyllis Schlafly being a common root of conflict for all. I wouldn't call the show a profile of her, but she is the most prominent figure in the show. Elsewhere, Clarke Griffin and company are back for a final season, S.W.A.T. ends for the season, the teen witches finish basic training, the final singer is unmasked, more quarantine shows emerge, homemaker Amy Sedaris returns, a dinosaur gets Cold Case-ish treatment, and tag becomes a game show. There's supposedly going to be a Joe Pera special on Adult Swim but listings don't (currently) reflect it. See the light as it shines on the sea? It's blinding / But no one knows, how deep it goes / And it seems like it's calling out to me, so here's what's on television for tonight, Wednesday, May 20!

STREAMING / EARLY PRIMETIME

The At-Home Variety Show (Peacock, 7 p.m.): For any Comcast subscribers who have early access to Peacock, this daily Seth MacFarlane-intro'd short-form show, which premiered last week, features celebrities in the NBCUniversal family and helps raise funds for Feeding America, Americares, and the United Way.

Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music Hall (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SPECIAL. Ben Platt sings and talks at this concert from last year.

Blackballed (Quibi, 3 a.m.): This docuseries covers the five days during the 2014 NBA playoffs, when Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and the LA Clippers led a movement of athletes to hold racism accountable.

Blood & Water (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. In this teen import from South Africa, a local teen uncovers her family's secret past and navigates the complicated world of high school.

Centerpiece (Quibi, 3 a.m.): A talk show where florist Maurice Harris interviews creatives about their process and Maurice creates centerpieces to reflect their conversations.

Jeopardy! 💲 (Syndicated, check your local listings): Jeopardy! is back! [*look at Jeopardy*] "You complete me."

⭐ Mrs. America (Hulu, 3 a.m.): Changing their minds at the end of last week, Bella Abzug (beloved Emmy-winning character actress Margo Martindale) and Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne) decide to let the women opposed to the Feminist movement and the ERA attend the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston, the first (and only) such conference funded by the federal government. Bella did a good job of ruling its preparation with an iron fist and chasing away leaders, so this week is the fruit's of such labor where all women can attend. Alice, Rosemary and Pamela (Sarah Paulson, Melanie Lynskey, and Kayli Carter) cross into enemy territory at the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston, where they come face-to-face with Feminist leaders. They are trying to take a stand but are concerned about supporters, which could include members of the KKK. This is the penultimate episode. Also, the title sequence is [*chef's kiss*].

Quantum Leap 📺 (Comet, 7 p.m.): Sam leaps into the center of attention as a rainmaker arriving in the parched town in Texas, promising precipitation to drought-weary farmers.

Mutiny of the Worker Bees 🎥 (Netflix, 3 a.m.): A young man's grandfather forces him take a job at a tech company in Mexico City, where he meets a quirky group of people.

The Queen and the Conqueror (Netflix, 3 a.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. In this historical drama import from Spain, "years after conquistador Pedro de Heredia betrays her people and breaks her heart, indigenous woman Catalina sets out to get revenge."✔️

Sleeping with Friends (YouTube, noon): SERIES PREMIERE. Where people compete for the best night of sleep. After that title, that's a disappointment, right?

FOR THE RECORD: Barkitecture (Quibi, 3 a.m., finale); Tooning Out the News (CBS All Access, 3 a.m.)

🕗 EASTERN / 🕖 CENTRAL

The 100 (The CW, 8 p.m.): PREMIERE. I don't remember where we left off, but this final season starts as "Clarke and her friends attempt to rebuild Sanctum as a new threat rises in the woods."

Dinosaur Cold Case (Smithsonian Channel, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. It's called Borealopelta, a recently discovered, 110-million-year-old dinosaur that's so well preserved, it looks like it could've been walking the Earth just last month. Now, paleontologists have taken on the roles of forensic detectives to determine where it came from, how it died, and why this land-based creature wound up in an area that was once an inland sea.

In the Cut (Bounce, 8 p.m.): Jay is shadowed by an over the top method actor preparing for his next role as a barber and gets too close for comfort. Mabel's bourgeois sister, Ruby, visits and she must deal with their stark differences.

Married at First Sight: Couples' Cam (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Nine couples from Married at First Sight film themselves as they adjust to the new normal of life under quarantine.

The Masked Singer (Fox): FINALE. The finale? I couldn't mask for anything more!

Spy in the Wild: A Nature Miniseries (PBS, 8 p.m.): An inside look at the animals in the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, from penguin chicks🐧🐧 and elephant seals to wolf cubs🐺🐺 and polar bears.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Moana 🎥 (ABC, 8 p.m.): In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. How far will she go?

FOR THE RECORD: AEW: Dynamite (TNT); The Big Interview with Dan Rather (AXS TV); Cennet (Telemundo); The Challenge (MTV); Making Good (BYUtv, 8:30 p.m.); My 600-Lb Life (TLC); Te doy la vida (Univision); WWE NXT (USA)

🕘 EASTERN / 🕗 CENTRAL

Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform, 9 p.m.): FINALE. This overly-dramatic teen drama ends its first season with Raelle, Abigail, and Tally graduating from basic training, making Abigail more desperate than ever to prove her unit belongs in War College. Alder eyes the unit for a rescue mission while Anacostia and Scylla find common ground.

Nova (PBS, 9 p.m.): Up-close footage provides a look at the strength, eyesight and flying skills of an eagle, and reveals the danger and drama of chicks as they struggle to survive. Eagles! America!

Once Upon a Quarantine (Lifetime, 9 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Several couples self-film their new reality amid the COVID-19 pandemic, documenting pregnancies, quarantine weddings and other events. IRL drama happens.

The Oval (BET, 9 p.m.): "Kyle puts his boss in jeopardy by talking too much." He goes on CNN and says the opposite of his boss.

Ultimate Tag (Fox, 9 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. "The first set of contestants and taggers are introduced." As Whistler stated when The Masked Singer debuted: "Well, this looks terrible."

FOR THE RECORD: 100 días para enamorarnos (Telemundo); Amor Eterno (Univision); Borderforce USA (National Geographic, finale); Building Giants (Science); Ghost Hunters (A&E); Ghost Nation (Travel Channel); Guy's Grocery Games (Food Network); Man Fire Food (Cooking Channel, premiere); Property Brothers: Forever Home (HGTV); The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo); See No Evil (Investigation Discovery); Wheeler Dealers (Motor Trend); The Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)

🕙 EASTERN / 🕘 CENTRAL

At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV, 10 p.m.): PREMIERE. truTV's happy homemaker is back for a third helping. Amy explains the fundamentals about babies and the questions that always pop up with a new bundle of joy with guest appearances by Justin Theroux, Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, John Early, and Josh Hamilton.

Expedition with Steve Backshall (PBS, 10 p.m.): Steve and his team are venturing into the heart of Suriname, to kayak an unnamed river.

S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10 p.m.): FINALE. The team searches for a group of drug smugglers who crash a plane and scatter after a joint mission with the DEA to stop the shipment goes awry. Hondo tries to make amends with Nichelle. Luca experiences anxiety about his return to the field.

Small Town Throwdown (Discovery Channel, 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Comedian Mo Mandel is out to find out what life is like in towns carrying labels like "Most Boring Town in America" (Lubbock, TX) and "Drunkest Town in America" (Appleton, WI).

What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 10 p.m.): "The vampires offer shelter to an old nemesis who's down on his luck."

FOR THE RECORD: Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations (Cooking Channel); Como tú no hay 2 (Univision); Crank Yankers (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.); Deadly Recall (Investigation Discovery, finale); Destination Fear (Travel Channel); Drug Lords: The Next Generation (National Geographic); House Hunters/House Hunters International (HGTV); Jay Leno's Garage (CNBC); Mega Machines: Sea Giants (Science); La reina del sur 2 (Telemundo); Ridiculousness (MTV); Seat at the Table with Anand Giridharadas (Viceland); Vintage Voltage (Motor Trend, finale)

At Home with Amy Sedaris (via Giphy)

🕚 EASTERN / 🕙 CENTRAL

FOR THE RECORD: Cash Cab 💲 (Bravo, 11:30 p.m.); Genius x Fuse (Fuse, finale); Vice News Tonight (Viceland)

Late-Night Talk & Satire

The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central, 11 p.m.)
The Dick Cavett Show 📺 (Decades, 9 p.m.): Warren Beatty (1 Nov 1972)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 p.m.): Patton Oswalt
Johnny Carson 📺 (Antenna TV, 10 p.m.): Eddie Murphy, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jane Leeves (21 May 1987)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS, 12:37 a.m.): Simon Pegg, Ben Platt, and Finneas
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC, 12:36 a.m.): Kumail Nanjiani and Sharon Horgan
A Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 p.m.): Keegan-Michael Key and Wilco
Lights Out with David Spade (online)
The Tonight Show: At Home Show (NBC, 11:34 p.m.): Anthony Anderson, Michelle Dockery, and Gary Clark Jr.
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo, 11 p.m.): Lisa Rinna and Sutton Stracke

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Note: All times are Eastern.

Key Sources: The Futon Critic (outline); Zap2it (descriptions); TV Passport (throwbacks)
⭐: Top pick(s)
💲: Game show
📺: Throwback
🎥: Movie
✔️: Video/gif/photo included

Happy watching, everyone!