Patsy & Loretta | Saturday, 8 p.m., Lifetime
Although they were both born in 1932, Patsy Cline (Megan Hilty) was already an established country music star when she heard Loretta Lynn (Jessie Mueller) sing Cline’s hit “I Fall To Pieces” on the radio broadcast of a talent show while recuperating from a car accident. After inviting Lynn to visit her in the hospital, the two women became friends. Cline took Lynn under her wing in the fledgling days of her career, telling her to make sure she was paid in cash before she went on stage and how to manage life on a tour bus with an all-male band (keeping a lavender sachet handy helped). Eventually, Lynn went on to have her own illustrious career. The film “Patsy & Loretta” recounts their years of friendship before Cline’s untimely death in 1963.
Hilty (“Smash”), 38, and Mueller, 36, a Tony winner for “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” spoke to The Post in separate interviews.
What was it about the friendship between Patsy and Loretta that made it so special?
Jessie Mueller: They’re the only two who will know what that was. They were two souls that were meant to meet. They’re very different women but they had these huge hearts. Thank God they found each other.
What did you learn about Patsy?
Megan Hilty: I didn’t know much about her personal life. The more I read about her, the more deeply in love with her I fell. She took care of everyone, from a very early age. Loretta was not the only woman she took under her wing. It’s remarkable for an industry where you assume there’s massive competition between women.
Now that you’ve played Carole King and Loretta Lynn, how would you compare them?
Mueller: When they called me about this, I wasn’t well versed about Loretta Lynn. I knew about more Patsy, but I had my eyes opened to this amazing woman. I had a similar experience with Carole King. They would both say they were songwriters first. They were hesitant to get out there onstage. Thankfully for all of us, they did — with a nudge from James Taylor and [Lynn’s husband]. And they’re both still out there.
What was it about Patsy’s singing that makes her songs so timeless?
Hilty: The way in which they recorded music in that era is interesting because there is no way to use Autotune or fix things. That is how people connect to someone’s voice — by not touching it. One of the biggest downfalls of music today is that people think it has to sound perfect. I think it worked to Patsy’s benefit. Her technique and tone were so ahead of her time because she seemed to combine many different genres in a simple phrase. Pop, gospel, jazz. On top of her unique voice, her phrasing spoke to everyone.
What is your favorite Loretta Lynn song?
Mueller: After Patsy has passed, Loretta sings “Haunted House.” We talked a lot about using the original keys but we wanted to imbue the song with more melancholy, so we did end up pulling that key down from the original and thinning out the orchestrations.
And here’s what else to watch this week:
Riverdale | Wednesday, 8 p.m., The CW
Archie (KJ Apa) encourages Mad Dog (Eli Goree) to attend Riverdale High and join the football team. Meanwhile, Jughead (Cole Sprouse) meets Mr. Chipping (Sam Witwer), who offers him a spot at an elite school called Stonewall Prep.
Looking For Alaska | Friday, Hulu
Series premiere. Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer) enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life and falls in love with Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth). When tragedy strikes, Miles and his buddies try to make sense of what they’ve been through.
The Unicorn | Thursday, 8:30 p.m., CBS
Wade (Walton Goggins) changes his online dating profile — his friends are too nosy — and Forrest (Rob Corddry) goes to great lengths to keep tabs on him.
Modern Love | Friday, Amazon
Series premiere. The famous column about love in all its varieties is now a series, kicking off with a charmer about a young book reviewer (Cristin Milioti) whose dates have to pass muster with her very picky Brooklyn doorman. With Brandon Victor Dixon.
Emergence | Tuesday, 10 p.m., ABC
After learning more about Piper’s (Alexa Swinton) peculiar origins, Jo (Allison Tolman) struggles with the decision to provide shelter for her. Benny (Owain Yeoman) enlists a friend to hack Richard Kindred’s (Terry O’Quinn) secret files, and Chris (Robert Bailey Jr.) clashes with a headstrong informant he’s assigned to protect.
Sid & Judy | Friday, 8 p.m., Showtime
Sid Luft produced “A Star is Born,” which starred his wife Judy Garland. This documentary offers insights into their marriage and her mercurial career. Viewers may enjoy it as a companion piece to “Judy,” starring Renée Zellweger.
Sunnyside | Thursday, 9:30 p.m., NBC
Garrett (Kal Penn) gives Diana some media training as she tries to pass a new bill. With Brady’s (Moses Storm) help, Hakim (Samba Schutte) finds a creative new way to practice medicine.
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