Month: July 2020

1) “Great Performances at the Met: Porgy and Bess,” 9 p.m., PBS (check local listings). Back in 1935, the Metropolitan Opera wanted to premiere this show; George Gershwin preferred a Broadway theater. Ever since, “Porgy” (shown here) has teetered between opera and musical theater. Its story – murder and romance in 1920s Charleston, S.C. – draws mixed reactions, but its music soars. Now we hear it from operatic talent, led by Eric Owens and Angel Blue … whose high-octaves voice might jolt mainstream viewers. Read more…

1) “Killer Camp”(Shown here) debut, 8 p.m., CW. Reality shows like surprises, but this goes to an extreme: One camper simply blows up; the camp leader (Bobby Mair) then says one more will be killed each night. Mair is an actor; the others seem to be acting, but the show insists they’re real reality contestants. Chances are, they’ve figured out they won’t really die; they play along, trying to figure which camper is helping the killer. This British transplant is both goofy and gory, but it’s an OK summer distraction. Read more…

1) Peacock debut, www.peacocktv.com. A new streaming giant – the size of Netflix or Disney+ or HBO Max – arrives. This one is free, but you can pay extra to add shows and dump commercials. It’s stuffed with great old shows from NBC (“Frasier,” “30 Rock”) and beyond (“Downton Abbey”), plus movies, and new shows – an eight-part “Brave New World” (shown here), a David Schwimmer comedy, a conspiracy thriller, a “Psych” movie and animation, with “Curious George,” “Cleopatra in Space” and “Where’s Waldo?” Read more…

1) “World of Dance,” 10 p.m., NBC. Here’s the second half of the “duels” in the senior category, with sharply contrasting styles. Some have catchy gimmicks – a duo tethered together, sometimes breaking apart; a group that does wonders with arms and hands and even a bouncing chin. Others (including Oxygen, shown here) are high-energy dance. Two advance, joining last week’s three winners; then two of the five losers get a shot at the final spot. Amid way too many cliches, there are some great dance moments. Read more…

1) “CMA Best of Fest,” 8-11 p.m., ABC. Each summer, ABC turns Nashville’s CMA Fest into a terrific special. This year’s festival was canceled, but the special continues. There’s new music from Luke Bryan (shown here), who hosts, and from Darius Rucker; others will be shown in bits from 16 previous years. We’ll get newer stars (Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini) and A-list veterans – Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Brooks and Dunn and more. Read more…