Here’s what’s going on in the television world on Sunday, March 21st. All times are from the east.
Best choice
Genie: Aretha (National Geographic, 9 pm, series premiere, consecutive episodes): The third season of Genius it is more than just a link in the NatGeo chain. It’s about Aretha.
Following in the footsteps of National Geographic Genius: Einstein and Genius: Picasso comes Genie: Aretha, an eight-episode look at the life and legendary musical brilliance of the Queen of Soul. Before the start of the pandemic in 2020, The AV Club talked to showrunner Suzan-Lori Parks – one of the great American playwrights, and herself a genius with several hyphenates – about bringing Franklin’s life to the screen and why genius is both a noun and a verb.
The AV Club: What made Aretha Franklin a genius?
Suzan-Lori Parks: It creates something that transcends time, that comes out of the past and projects itself into the future. And she is radically inclusive in the practice of her genius, because genius is not just a noun, it is a verb. It is also inclusive. Something that illuminates the genius in each of us. She is the first black person [to be the subject of] this series. She is the first American in the Genius series, she is the first woman in Genius series, she is the first mother of Genius Series. I think this is how your genius operates. On all cylinders.
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AVC: Mrs. Franklin’s father was an extremely influential figure in his life. Having immersed yourself in your story as a writer, what do you think is the essence of this relationship?
SLP: Aretha’s father, Reverend CL Franklin, was a powerhouse. He was an inspiring figure. He was one of the mentors of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 63, he had something called, I think it was the Detroit Walk To Freedom. It was [at that time] the largest civil rights march of its kind. And nobody knows about it because, a month or more later, we had the March in Washington.
Aretha grew up in the presence of that power. She learned a lot about being a public figure from him … Her father was also not just a holy religious figure. He was a human being. He was a complicated guy. He loved Sunday morning and he loved Saturday night. We have a good relationship with the Aretha Franklin estate and we continually hear how much she loved her father. It does not mean that their relationship was perfect, but there was a very strong bond between them.
AVC: How did you approach the scenes in which Aretha is performing? When are we watching an artist interpret the performance of another?
SLP: Well, Cynthia Erivo is a brilliant, brilliant artist. She is also a joy to work with and very disciplined as an artist. Cynthia is a devotee of Aretha Franklin and has been [for years]. She has a lot of love and admiration for her. It is not just imitating; It is not like that. She is channeling the queen’s spirit.
AVC: Has it always been linked to the project?
SLP: Cynthia Erivo was the only one I wanted to play the part with. I had dinner with her and she came into the restaurant and they had some music playing on the sound system, and when she went over to my table, when she sat down, Aretha Franklin’s “Call Me” played on the sound system.
Stroke: Chills.
SLP: And I said, “Sister, you were called.” And she said, “Yes, I heard.”
AV Club: What is your favorite Aretha Franklin song?
SLP: Well, now “Call Me” is not just a song for me. It is connected to a magical moment. But I love “Rock Steady”. I love “Chain Of Fools,” “Dr. Feelgood ”… so many great songs.
AVC: It is liberating or frightening to interpret the life of a public figure who is not only a public figure, but an icon?
SLP: This is my thing. I am called to these great challenges, these great jobs. It is a burden, but the burden is somehow light, because in my experience, when I work the story of an icon, of a person I know, I am very helped by his spirit. I trust your spirit a lot for guidance and assistance. How does that moment when Cynthia arrives and “Call Me” plays? I mean, I’m leaning on the spirit of Aretha Franklin there. I’m saying, “Em. Franklin, could you help me here? Could you help me have this conversation with Mrs. Cynthia Erivo?” And there she was. And I really believe that.
AVC: There is a musicality inherent in everything you write, but each project has its own sound. How do you find this musicality for each project?
SLP: I listen. It sounds like a simple answer, but it is not an easy task to listen to. You have to get the clutter out of the way and open up. And that is one of the things I admire about Aretha Franklin. She listened. She did not do the same thing over and over. She moved from gospel to pop, she advanced in pop music, she embraced the disco, she embraced opera. She was constantly opening up to new styles. As an artist, I get a lot of inspiration from that. I just keep my ears open. I stay awake.
Regular coverage
American gods (Starz, 8pm): end of the third season
The Simpsons (Fox, 8:00 pm): indirect coverage of the 700th episode
Shameless (Show time, 9 pm)
Living Dead (AMC, 9:00 pm)