Month: August 2019

Stories

“Terror” blends two kinds of horror

LOS ANGELES — Like most of George Takei’s shows, “The Terror: Infamy” is a fictional tale.
He’s done a lot of them, before and after becoming a “Star Trek” star, a half-century ago. But this one is different: Its supernatural scares are alongside the sort of real-life horror he knew as a boy.
“I’m a Southern California kid, sent over to the swamps of Arkansas,” said Takei, 82.
That was in 1942, when Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps. Takei was 5, going with his father (a real-estate man), mother, older brother and baby sister. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 6, 2019
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Best-bets for Aug. 8: “Big Bang” is back

1) “The Big Bang Theory,” 8 p.m., CBS. Life is almost back to normal at CBS. “Love Island” has ended –it will be back next summer — and only “Big Brother” (9 p.m. today) gets in the way of comedy reruns. “Big Bang” is back in its Thursday spot and has a couple extra episodes Monday. Tonight brings a tough decision for Leonard and Penny (shown here in the finale); her ex-boyfriend wants him to be a sperm donor. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 6, 2019
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ABC returns to minis and “Mermaid”

LOS ANGELES – ABC is brushing off a long-dormant notion – big-deal mini-series.
The network once soared with “Roots” and more, but in recent years all of the broadcast networks have mostly avoided movies and minis. Now ABC president Karey Burke has announced:-
– “Little Mermaid,” becoming the network’s first live musical. Auli’i Cravalho (shown here) of “Moana” has the title role, with Queen Latifah as Ursula and Shaggy as Sebastian.
— An ongoing anthology, “Women of the Movement.” That starts next season with Mamie Till, who became active after the murder of her son, a civil-rights activist. By the end of that mini, she’ll meet Rosa Parks (which she did in real life, Burke said), who will be the subject of a mini the following season. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 5, 2019
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Kimmel’s busy with old and new TV

LOS ANGELES — Two notions from TV’s glory days, “All in the Family” and live television, will return – twice.
Jimmy Kimmel announced Monday that he’ll produce two more specials next season for ABC, one at Christmastime, the other next spring.
This season, Kimmel linked with Norman Lear and Will Ferrell to produce a live special using old scripts from “All in the Family” (shown here with Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei) and “The Jeffersons.” Those could be the shows included again – both are produced by Lear, 97 – but “everything isn’t tied down yet.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 5, 2019
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Best-bets for Aug. 7: Shows start, stop, reboot

1) “BH90210” debut, 9 p.m. Fox; rerunning at 8 p.m. Friday. Summer is the time to try something odd, toying with TV’s reality. Fox does that Sundays (with “What Just Happened?”) and now has a new twist. Former “Beverly Hills, 90210” stars –Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling (shown here), plus Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley, Brian Austin Green, Gabrielle Carteris and Ian Ziering – play versions of themselves. After a fan fest, they talk about rebooting the series. Soon, old feuds and romances are re-ignited. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 5, 2019
Stories

Pop gets funny — Lear, Linn, Levys

LOS ANGELES — We never expected the Pop network to be a treasure-trove of comedy.
We didn’t expect much of anything, actually. The network’s image and purpose were kind of sketchy.
But here it is now, with producers ranging from Norman Lear (97 and a TV legend) to Laura Chinn, 33, who spent years adrift in Florida. “I would go to California, but I couldn’t stay for long,” she said. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 4, 2019
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CW: “The 100” joins the departure line

LOS ANGELES — The old gang seems to be breaking up at the CW network.
Then again, the new shows will be a lot like the ones that are leaving.
Three of the network’s most-praised series — “iZombie,” “Jane the Virgin” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — ended their seasons this year. Two more, “Arrow” and “Supernatural,” have already said the coming season will be their last.
And now comes one more: “The 100” — which wraps ends its current season Tuesday – will also make next season its last, said CW chief Mark Pedowitz. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 4, 2019
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Best-bets for Aug. 6: The chaotic joy of Woodstock

1) “American Experience,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Five weeks before Woodstock, promoters had a mega-list of performers — and nowhere to play. Banned in one town, they scrambled to find another. They barely got the stage finished … never did get the fences … and saw the masses swarm in. Food was scarce, mud was abundant and traffic was so snarled that the performers needed helicopters. This could have been a disaster, but people who were there recall it fondly. Here’s a terrific, 50th-anniversary portrait. And for a full Woodstock story, scroll down this page or jump to the “stories” category. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 4, 2019
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Small show wins big at TCA awards

LOS ANGELES — “Fleabag” — a handmade British show, filled with charm and regret – is the year’s big winner in the Television Critics Association awards.
The TCA gave it the top award for comedy and also named it program of the year. In addition, Phoebe Waller-Bridge – its creator and star — won the individual comedy award. (She’s shown here in the show.)
The drama awards went to “Better Call Saul” and to “Fosse/Verdon” star Michelle Williams, with “Russian Doll” named best new show and “Chernobyl” winning for best movie or mini-series. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 4, 2019
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Best-bets for Aug. 5: Bachelors and “Big Bang”

1) “Bachelor in Paradise” opener, 8-10:01 p.m., ABC. TV is determined to stuff our summer with blue sky, sunshine and folks who look nice in swimwear. This starts wih 11 women (most of them shown here) and nine men. The opening focus is on Blake Horstmann, 30, who was runner-up in last year’s “Bachelorette.” He gets the first date card, stirring things with past acquaintances Hannah Godwin and Caelynn Miller-Keyes, both 24. Then his ex-girlfriend (Kristina Schulman, 27) arrives. That complicates things … which is how TV likes it. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 3, 2019