Month: November 2019

Stories

New Scrooge (and more) joins Christmas flurry

The Christmas mega-list keeps getting more mega.
Last week, I had a long list of holiday movies and specials and such. Since then, more have been added.
FX has an ambitious — and very dark — “Christmas Carol,” with Guy Pearce and Andy Serkis (both shown here) as Scrooge and Christmas past. AMC has added a cartoon marathon Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, plus lots of showings of Will Ferrell’s “Elf.” And on Christmas Day, Britbox will have James Corden’s new “Gavin and Stacey” Christmas movie. Here’s the list, updated to Nov. 30: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 30, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 2: TV is making it bright

1) “Making It” opener, 10 p.m., NBC; continues through Thursday, then Dec. 9-11. There are plenty of TV competitions, but this one stands out. Give credit to Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (shown here), the former “Parks and Recreation” colleagues. He’s a craft master, she’s not; as hosts, they bring quiet humor. They’re also producers, with likable contestants. They range from a teen drop-out to a scientist, from a calligrapher to a bomber engineer. Using noodles or clothes pins or whatever, they do great work. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 30, 2019
Stories

Have yourself a Moody Christmas

Each December, we know what to expect from TV movies and specials.
“It’s ‘Oh, we’re going to stand around a Christmas tree,’” Elizabeth Perkins said.
There are plenty of those shows …. but now there’s “The Moodys.” Charlie Collier, the Fox programming chief, calls it a “single-camera, dysfunctional family comedy.”
Perkins plays the mom … and an opening scene (a flashforward) has her firing a BB gun at the tree; Denis Leary (they’re shown here) is the dad. “He’s irreverent,” she said. “He’s always willing to go there.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 30, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 1: The 25-day marathon begins

1) “25 Days of Christmas” start, Freeform. It’s the 23rd year of this marathon, packing the month with holiday movies and more. That starts mildly – “Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish” at 7 a.m. – and soon gets better. There are “Simpsons” Christmas reruns (shown here) at 1:15, 1:45 and 2:15 p.m., followed by Tim Allen’s “Santa Clause” trilogy at 2:45, 4:50 and 6:55 and Jim Carrey’s “Grinch” at 9. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 29, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 30: Robbie leads a holiday flurry

1) “Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire” and its sequel, 8 and 8:30 p.m., CBS. We’re used to cartoons that are brash and frantic. Here’s the opposite, with droll, dry wit. It’s British, of course; the voices were re-cast for us, using one Brit (Hugh Grant as Blitzen) and lots of Americans. Ben Stiller voices Robbie (shown here), with Britney Spears as Donner, Leah Remini as Vixen and Jim Belushi as Santa. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 28, 2019
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Dec. 2: Farewell, Madam President

1) “Madam Secretary” series finale, 10 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 8), CBS. Back in 1974, Cicely Tyson won two Emmys for playing Jane Pittman. Tyson, then 49, portrayed the fictional Pittman, 110, recounting a life that went from slavery to civil rights. And now? Tyson, 94, plays someone who was born 99 years ago, when women got the right to vote; she watches a female president (Tea Leoni, shown here in the Dec. 1 episode) start a landmark initiative. The finale also has Tyne Daly, the U.S. women’s soccer team and music from Peter Frampton. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 28, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 29: Time to get kinky or get Frosty

1) “Great Performances: Kinky Boots,” 9 p.m., PBS. In a five-Friday stretch, PBS has had a vast range. It’s had a serious drama, a Shakespearean comedy and three musicals – one silly, one heavy and now “Kinky” (shown here), with a shoe company switching to flashy footwear. Onstage, this was a big hit; it won six Tonys, including best musical and score. On TV, Cyndi Lauper’s vibrant music only partly makes up for the cardboard characters, including a central guy who temporarily goes bad, for plot convenience. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 27, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov.28: A parade … and much more

1) Thanksgiving Day Parade, 9 a.m. to noon, NBC.and CBS, Here are all the elements to launch TV’s Christmas season – noise, color, size and Santa. The parade (shown here) are 11 bands, 1,000 clowns, 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers and 26 floats, many bearing lip-syncing star –.Ciara, Chicago, Lea Michele, Billy Porter, Black-Eyed Peas and more. Networks also add separate acts, especially early. CBS has Miranda Lambert; NBC opens with “Sesame Street” Muppets and has the casts of four musicals. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 27, 2019
News and Quick Comments

The Eaton era: masterful “Masterpiece”

The Rebecca Eaton era is ending at “Masterpiece.” It has been … well, mostly masterful.
At its peak, it has provided some of the finest moments on television – “Downton Abbey” (shown here), “Prime Suspect,” “Wallander,” “Sherlock” and more, including “Little Women” and “Bleak House” reboots.
At its low point, it’s merely been bland, such as the recent “The Chaperone.” Then it has bounced back.
PBS announced recently that Eaton, 72, is being “promoted” to “executive-producer-at-large.” She’ll work at developing new drama projects, while also fundraising for The Masterpiece Trust, which has raised $20 million since she launched it eight years ago. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 25, 2019