This weekend I have … a half-hour, and I crave cuteness.
‘The Tiny Chef Show’
When to watch: Friday at 11:30 a.m., on Nick.
Four years ago, a little green stop-motion animation creature swept the internet with his garbled renditions of pop songs and passion for slicing garlic. Now, his long-anticipated leap to television has arrived with “The Tiny Chef Show.” The world of our roly-poly hero remains enchanting, its quirky miniatures and pop-rustic aesthetic as adorable as ever, though it seems he has had some elocution lessons in the interim, and he has added a caterpillar, a snail and a robot to his ensemble. If your family likes the food-and-celebrities vibes of “Waffles + Mochi,” or if you’ve ever had a little trinket and thought, “Should I leave this out for the Borrowers?,” watch this.
… an hour, and I want something juicy.
‘The Serpent Queen’
When to watch: Sunday at 8 p.m., on Starz.
Many historical dramas have a baked-in bored misery, inertly humorless. “The Serpent Queen” breaks with these other castles-and-boobies shows, mercifully, with a biting vibrancy and voice, thanks in part to a marvelous performance from Liv Hill as the young Catherine de Medici, played in adulthood by an also-terrific Samantha Morton. “Serpent” has some of the modern sensibilities of “The Great” and some of the lushness and interiority of “Wolf Hall,” with real personality behind the fancy costumes and royal scheming.
… 90 minutes, and something has to come after despair.
‘Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra at the Kennedy Center’
When to watch: Friday at 9 p.m., on PBS. (Check local listings.)
The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra is “the latest in a history of ensembles that fight tyranny with culture,” according to its conductor and organizer, Keri-Lynn Wilson. This concert, which includes Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony and an aria from Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” was filmed on Aug. 20, and it is both inspiring and haunting, filled with beauty, artistry, determination and agony. It is not a pick-me-up, obviously, but the performance and the behind-the-scenes segments radiate a sense of solidarity and wisdom and provide an evocative context for thinking about the purpose of art.
