Year: 2019

News and Quick Comments

“Fosse/Verdon”: A moving end to a great mini-series

Earlier, I posted a quickie preview of the “Fosse/Verdon” finale. It didn’t say much, because almost everything was under embargo.
Now that the show has aired, I can start with the obvious: This was a fitting finish to a great mini-series. Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams and director Tommy Kail did Emmy-worthy work, making us care deeply about a guy (Bob Fosse) we shouldn’t have even liked.Y
ou can catch reruns on FX on the next two Saturday nights — midnight this week, 2 a.m. next week. (Technically, that’s 12 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 9.) Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 28, 2019
Stories

Her brain handles medical miracles (temporarily)

By now, Julianna Margulies should be an expert on medicine and on the law.
She spent six years as a nurse on “ER,” seven as a lawyer on “The Good Wife.” Now the “Hot Zone” mini-series (shown here) has her as the real-life doctor who fought to stop Ebola from spreading into the U.S.
Surely, those “ER” years helped her master the vocabulary. Or not. “It didn’t, sadly, help at all,” Margulies said, “because I don’t have a medical brain.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 28, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best bets for May 30: Lotsa basketball, few reruns

1) Basketball finals begin, 9 p.m. ET, ABC, with previews at 8 and 8:30. Sure, this might seem like a mismatch. In 23 previous years, the Toronto Raptors had never reached the finals; Steph Curry (shown here) and the Golden State Warriors – fresh from a semi-finals sweep — have been there the past four years, winning three times. But don’t be so sure: During the regular season, the Raptors had the NBA’s second-best record, trailing only the Bucks … whom they just beat, four games to two. Now they have the home-court advantage. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 28, 2019
Stories

As the seasons overlap, TV gets busy

There’s a time (a brief one) when seasons merge.
Baseball meets basketball and hockey; leftovers from the departed TV season overlap with the summer.
All of that is right now. Cable usually rules the summer, but even the five old-line networks are busy. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 27, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 29: It’s almost rerun-free

1) “The InBetween” debut, 10 p.m, NBC. Tom Hackett is your typical Seattle TV cop, grim and grizzled. Except he’s British and he’s gay and he sips tea and he confers with a young woman who has visions. His new police partner has doubts, but not for long. This sounds odd, but it has strong writing and actors. Paul Blackthorne (“Arrow”), shown here, and Justin Cornwell (“Training Day”) are the cops; Harriet Dyer – whose surprising relationship with a young girl adds a strong jolt – is excellent as their contact. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 27, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 28: “AGT” is set to rule the summer

1) “America’s Got Talent” opener, 8-10 p.m., NBC. Now NBC starts its annual bid for summer domination. It has other key shows, but the centerpiece is “AGT” (shown here with Eric Chien auditioning), a perpetual ratings leader. Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel remain, but Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough replace Heidi Klum and Mel B; Terry Crews replaces Tyra Banks as host. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 26, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 27: Memorial Day glory

1) “Glory” (1989), 5:45 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Here’s a Memorial Day military marathon, with moments of greatness. That starts strong at 6 a.m. ET with “From Here to Eternity” (1953); it won eight Academy Awards, including best picture. Another highlight is “Glory,” a powerful story of black Civil War soldiers; it won three Oscars, including Denzel Washington (shown here with Morgan Freeman) as best supporting actor. That’s followed by “Men in War” (1957) at 8 p.m., “The Steel Helmet” (1961) at 10 and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 25, 2019
Stories

New York Times reports: From taxi tragedies to transcript cheats

In the newspaper world, there are opposite extremes.
There’s the quick whirl of breaking news. Deadlines loom, editors wait, expectations build. And there’s the way the New York Times and some others approach a detailed piece.
Viewers will see that when “The Weekly” debuts June 2 on FX.
“To spend six, nine, 12 months on (a story) is something that The Times has always done,” said Caitlin Dickerson, whose immigration report is scheduled for June 16. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 24, 2019
Daily Best Bets

Best bets for May 26: Memorial Day eve music and emotion

1) “National Memorial Day Concert,” 8 and 9:30 p.m., PBS (check local listings). It was 30 years ago that producers moved the “Capitol Fourth” approach to the eve of Memorial Day: Mix a rich collection of music and some emotional words. This time, the music is from Patti LaBelle, Gavin DeGraw, Alison Krauss, Justin Moore, Christopher Jackson and Amber Riley. Sam Elliott, Dennis Haysbert and Jaina Lee Ortiz tell the true stories; Joe Mantegna and Mary McCormack (a late addition) host, Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 24, 2019