What’s on TV

WHITMER THOMAS: THE GOLDEN ONE (2020) 10 p.m. on HBO; stream on HBO platforms. The Los Angeles-based comedian, actor and musician Whitmer Thomas keeps audiences guessing with his unusual, deeply personal sets. Is it appropriate to laugh when he performs his goth-pop song “Partied to Death?” (“My mommy drank herself to death/and I know she tried her very best/But now I can’t party because my mommy partied to death.”) Such painful realizations are sprinkled throughout this new comedy special, filmed at the same Florida bar where Thomas’s mother used to perform with her band. Much of the special is on the lighter side, though. Thomas riffs on his childhood in Alabama and his time in an emo rock band, and performs songs from his upcoming debut record, “Songs From the Golden One.”

51ST N.A.A.C.P. IMAGE AWARDS 8 p.m. on BET. This annual awards show celebrates the work of people of color in film, television, music and literature. Netflix leads going into the show, with nominations for “Dear White People,” “When They See Us” and “American Son,” among others. Lizzo received six nominations, including entertainer of the year, while Beyoncé has eight, including best female artist and documentary, for “Homecoming.” Anthony Anderson returns as host.