Month: April 2020

Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for May 4: Bush era; social-distance TV

1) “American Experience: George W. Bush,” 9-11 p.m. today and Tuesday, PBS. Here is a beautifully balanced and detailed look at a surprisingly complex man. We see a young people-person, a college cheerleader with lots of friends and alcohol. After a heavy-drinking 40th birthday, he transformed. He was governor at 48, president (shown here) at 54. In Iraq, he soared with a military victory, sank with an agonizing peace, revived with a “surge” offensive. Hurricane Katrina and Wall Street also dealt fierce blows. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 30, 2020
News and Quick Comments

It’s “social-distance theater,” comedy version

A new artform – we’ll call it “social-distance theater” – takes a big step tonight (April 30).
That’s when “Parks and Recreation Renion” airs at 8:30 p.m. on NBC,with the original cast (shown here in a previous photo) on-hand. The next day, it will be on YouTube, Hulu, Peacock and the NBC app.
Yes, this is an entire half-hour of faces in boxes, talking to each other. And yes, it’s quite often fun and funny. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 30, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 2: Awards and “Idol” are social-distancing

1) “Kids Choice Awards,” 8 p.m., Nickelodeon. Other award shows have been postponed, but this goes ahead in a social-distancing way, with the sub-title, “Celebrate Together.” Victoria Justice (shown here) will host, Asher Angel will sing “All Day” and LeBron James will get the Generation Change Award. Guests – presumably long-distance – will include Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande, BTS, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Ellen DeGeneres, Lil Nas X, Ellen DeGeneres and the cast of “Avengers: Endgame.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 30, 2020
News and Quick Comments

A trend grows: More music, more Disney

The music-from-home idea is getting another TV boost:
Buoyed by strong ratings for the first one, ABC will have a second “Disney Family Singalong.” That will be 7 p.m. May 10 – yes, that’s Mother’s Day – with details pending.
The first few at-home specials were fairly primitive, with people simply singing into a stationary camera. Since then, however, shows have kept adding extra editing touches.
“Singalong” had plenty of stars – Ariana Gramde, Michael Buble, Beyonce, etc. – and bounced between homes: Donny Osmond sang with his grandkids (shown here, with the singalong lyrics); the casts of “High School Musical” and “Descendants” merged. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 29, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-Bets for May 1: Cops & cooks & cable movies

1) “Blue Bloods” season-finale, 10 p.m., CBS. With coronavirus shutdowns, CBS’ strong Friday season is ending early. Next week, “Magnum” and “MacGyver” conclude; tonight – three episodes sooner than usual – it’s “Blue Bloods,” with a three-generation tale. Sean, 16, tracks a DNA report of a mysterious relative. His father Danny, a police detective, probes the murder of a witness. The police commissioner (Tom Selleck, shown here) — who ia Danny’s father and Sean’s grandfather — gets a woman’s request that her son get safer duty. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 29, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 30: Three shows end, one returns

1) “Council of Dads” return, 9 p.m., NBC. After a grim prognosis, a man asked three friends to help raise his three kids if he died; he did. That was in the opener, which followed the “This Is Us” season-finale. Now that episode reruns at 8 p.m., leading to the secis ond one, another good one. One “dad” tries too hard, another doesn’t try hard enough, the third feels guilty. Also, the widow (Sarah Wayne Callies, shown here) feel overwhelmed and the eldest daughter has married and plans to move to New York City. Stick around; there’s a sharp plot twist at the end. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 28, 2020
Stories

“Dads”: Fresh twist in busy life

We expect Michael O’Neill to be in support and in command.
In recurring roles, he’s been the Secret Service chief in “West Wing,” a sergeant major in “The Unit,” a counter-terrorism official in “24,” senators in “Rectify” and “Jack Ryan.”
“I’ve played a lot of … authority figures,” O’Neill said. “That’s the mustache, by the way. They think because I have a mustache, I have authority.”
But now “Council of Dads” gives him fresh turf. His character is a key part of the story … and is a guy whose life used to be out of control. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 28, 2020
News and Quick Comments

“Skywalker” arrives early; awards change

“Star Wars Day” – the unofficial “holiday” on May 4 — gets an extra boost this year:
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (shown here) will reach Disney+ that day, two months earlier than expected.
That’s one of several recent TV changes related to the pandemic. Also, one award show is moving from Las Vegas to Nashville; another will go ahead … in a social-distancing way. Details: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 27, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 29: Vampires have help, singers have masks

1) “What We Do In the Shadows,” 10 p.m., FX. Guillermo (the terrific Harvey Guillen, shown here) once seemed gentle and harmless, the mild aide (called a “familiar”) to do-nothing vampires in Staten Island. Then he learned he’s descended from vampire-hunters; now he uses his skills to protect his masters. Tonight, he infiltrates a vampire-hunter club. The result isn’t for everyone, but many people will consider this an odd delight. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 27, 2020