Year: 2020

News and Quick Comments

Fox renews “Last Man Standing,” “The Resident”

In a belated move, the Fox network has renewed two more shows – “The Resident” and Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing.”
Both are among the network’s top-rated shows (despite sharp declines this season), but were notably absent May 11, when Fox announced its new-season plans. The network set a fall schedule, plus seven mid-season shows, without mentioning either.
Now “Last Man” (shown here) will return for its ninth season and “Resident” for its fourth. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 19, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 21: A fun night for charity

1) “Celebrity Escape Room,” 8 p.m., NBC. Do we really want to watch other people try to escape from rooms? Yes, if they’re clever people who make droll comments to each other and the camera and game-master Jack Black. Against an ’80s-teen theme (show here), we learn that Ben Stiller doesn’t know how to play “rock, paper, scissors” … Adam Scott hasn’t been to a prom … Courteney Cox frightens easily … and that Lisa Kudrow doesn’t know the song “Fight For the Right (to Party),” but “might have solved a Rubik’s cube once; let’s say I have.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 19, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Yes, “Aretha” is coming … eventually

For Cynthia Erivo, the timing seemed perfect:
On May 17, she led a soaring Aretha Franklin medley during the “American Idols” finale …. On May 24, she’s set to sing “Hero” during the “National Memorial Day Concert” … And on May 25, the mini-series “Genius” would start its third edition (shown here), this time with Erivo as Aretha Feranklin.
The only problem: The virus shutdown has now delayed “Genius” until sometime this fall. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 18, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 20: The last masks are gone

1) “The Masked Singer” finale, 8 p.m., Fox. The big surprise came last week, when Barry Zito was unmasked, finishing fourth. He’s now a musician (as his parents and sister have been), but is mostly known as a retired baseball star – a Cy Young Award winner and World Series champion. Now he has topped such pros as Chaka Khan, Bret Michaels, Hunter Hayes and the angelic-voiced Jackie Evancho. Tonight, the show unmasks the final three — Frog (shown here), Turtle and Night Angel –and has a champion. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 18, 2020
Stories

Memorial concert scrambles in the year of COVID

As the virus shut down large chunks of life, Michael Colbert was sure of two things.
Yes, there would still be Memorial Day, even without some of the parades and picnics and such.
And the night before that, there would be the annual “National Memorial Day Concert” (shown here from a previous year); that’s at 8 and 9:30 p.m. May 24 on most PBS stations. “We need to have our rituals,” Colbert said. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 18, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 19: “Voice” ends, “Stargirl” begins

1) “Stargirl” debut. 8 p.m. CW. When her mom remarries, Courtney is whisked from California to small-town Nebraska, where the high school is full of Hollywood-stereotype mean kids. She’s not happy. Then, of course, she finds her dad ha s a magic staff that only she can control. After a messy start, “Stargirl” becomes a well-crafted tale of angst and awe. Brec Bassinger (shown here) is immensely likable as Courtney and Luke Wilson brings real depth as her dad. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 17, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 18: A night for music and (maybe) lust

1) “The Voice” finale, 8-10 p.m., NBC. The final five singers have one more shot at our votes, before the winner is announced Tuesday. Performing from home, they’re a varied bunch. Toneisha Harris, in Georgia, is 44; Todd Tilghman, a Mississippi pastor, is 41 and a father of eight. Others are from South Carolina (CammWeiss, 21), Hawaii (Thunderstorm Artis, 23, shown here) and Japan (Micah Iverson, 25). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 16, 2020
News and Quick Comments

“Idol” and “Voice” at home: Charm prevails

As the music competitions end their seasons – “American Idol” on Sunday (May 17), “The Voice” on Monday and Tuesday – some things are clear:
Yes, both shows are flawed, especially with judges who … well, don’t want to seem judgmental.
But the music-from-home part has worked well. “Idol” — with people like Just Sam (shown here) — quickly got it right; “Voice” flubbed its first try, then made a course-correction. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 15, 2020