Year: 2019

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 1: Sweet family, angry bikers

1) “This Is Us,” 9 p.m., NBC. Last week’s season-opener repeated a clever trick from the pilot film: Introduce some apparent strangers, without telling us a time-leap is involved. Only in the final minutes did we see that the blind singer (shown here) is a future view of Kate’s baby. In the present, the teen father befriended Deja, Randall’s adopted daughter; the alcoholic veteran (Jennifer Morrison) met Nicky, Jack’s long-lost brother. Now Randall’s family adjusts to life in the city, where he’s a new councilman. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 29, 2019
News and Quick Comments

Yes, there’s TV life after “Downton”

So now we’re in the post-Downton era.
The “Downton Abbey” movie has arrived, drawing an expected rush of praise and an unexpectd rush of money. Now viewers wonder what else can capture that British-style charm and class.
Experts had guessed the “Downton” movie would bring $20 million in its North American debut. It got $31 million – topping the predictions (and the next-highest movie) by more than 50 per cent.
As expected, it has style, class, deep characters and some dashes of humor. Where can we go for more? I’d suggest: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 28, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 30: No-nonsense Nigerians

1) “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. Abishola has no hobbies, no diversions, no distractions. “Nigerians don’t do useless things,” she says. Bob (Billy Gardell) would love to be distracted; he fell for her when she was his cardiac nurse. Both are short on words and long on charm; but where can the show finds more laughs? That’s what goofy relatives are for. In last week’s opener, we met his weird siblings; in this episode (which is quite funny), we meet her even-weirder aunt and uncle (shown here). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 28, 2019
Stories

Here’s the ultimate, eight-armed guest

It can be one person’s biggest fear, another’s yummiest delicacy.
It has as many arms as the Beatles, as many hearts as the Three Stooges, as many brains as Albert Einstein. It got here perhaps 300 million years before we did and may remain – thanks to its survival skills – after we’re gone.
It’s the octopus, the subject of the “Nature” season-opener Wednesday (Oct. 2) on PBS. It’s been known as the kraken in Norse mythology … and as Heidi (shown here) in David Scheel’s home.
“Friends (were) very taken with the animal,” Scheel said. “But the notion that it was in my living room was just a little bit odd.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 28, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 29: Season starts for Ross, Lisa and God

1) “Masterpiece: Poldark” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. The final season begins, for an epic that has a cinematic look and giant plot twists. This busy (but well-crafted) opener includes arson and an assassin, plus love, hate and political corruption. Part is in London, where Ross (a member of Parliament) rushes to help a friend, as the slavery issue rages. And part is back home (shown here), amid the beauty of Cornwall. Ross’ wife faces threats, his first love Elizabeth is dead and Elizabeth’s widower seems to be losing his sanity. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 27, 2019
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Sept. 30: Summon “Batwoman”

1) “Batwoman” debut, 8 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 6), CW. The next great TV hero (shown here) has all the usual qualities – strong and silent, smart and solemn and terribly attractive, while smashing tough men and loving a beautiful woman. It all sounds like a cliche, except that it’s tautly written and beautifully filmed … and this hero is female. Ruby Rose (variously described as gender-fluid and a lesbian) is superb in the role. Dark, angry and violent, this isn’t for everyone; still, it’s skillfully executed, with movie-quality visuals. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 26, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 28: “SNL” season-starter

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-opener, 11:29 p.m., NBC. Woody Harrelson hosts, 17-year-old Billie Eilish is the music guest … and almost everyone is back. Even Kate McKinnon (shown here as Ruth Bader Ginsburg), who was rumored to be leaving, returned; the one surprise is Leslie Jones leaving the show that made her a mid-life star. “SNL” added Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang (its first Asian-American regular) and Shane Gilliis … then dumped Gillis four days later, after old comments (including anti-Chinese ones) surfaced. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 26, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 27: “Transparent” transforms into a musical

1) “Transparent” finale, any time, Amazon Prime. Sometimes, but not often, tragedy begets triumph. That’s what the characters want here; it’s also what the show achieved … slowly. An award-winner, it imploded when Jeffrey Tambor (who starred as Maura, a trans woman) was dumped. Now – 22-plus months after the previous episode – here’s a musical finale. The early numbers are brilliant; then a solemn sameness takes over during the memorial service (shown here). “Transparent” drifts, but bounces back with “Joyocaust” and pure triumph. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 25, 2019
Stories

What a way to go: A farewell musical

What can a TV show do when it suddenly loses its star?
Most quit, a few push on … and one created a musical.
That didn’t happen quickly. “Transparent” debuts its musical finale Friday, almost two years after the last previous episode. And Jill and Faith Soloway had a head start.
“Faith has been writing these songs that come from the heart of the Soloway family saga,” Jill said. “We had been dreaming of a Broadway musical one day.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 24, 2019