Year: 2020

News and Quick Comments

More at-home music: Disney on Thursday, everyone Saturday

(This story, written last week, is now a tad dated. A newer commentary is at the top of the page.)
Two new TV specials are joining the music-from-home trend.
It will be a light hour of Disney tunes (complete with singalong) on Thursday … and then a marathon of global pop stars on Saturday. Details are:
– Thursday: “Disney Family Singalong” will be 8-9 p.m. on ABC, with stars performing from home, while animated characters show the lyrics. There will be songs from recent movies, including “Moana” and “Frozen” and (Auli’i Cravalho, shown here, and Josh Gad will perform) and older films. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 15, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 15: Three seasons end, one begins

1) “Chicago P.D.” season-finale, 10 p.m., NBC. The seventh season ends (earlier than planned) with a quietly powerful episode. It starts with trying to catch thugs selling mini-Uzis. There are complications – there usually are – and then the real plot takes over. We won’t spoil any twists, except to say it’s a deep dilemma for Atwater, superbly played by LaRoyce Hawkins (shown here). The advice he gets – from his boss and from an ex-alderman (Wendell Pierce) now in prison – is complex and layered. So is the story. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 13, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Bad/good news: Seasons ending early; some finales are first-rate

The coronavirus shutdown is starting to have another TV impact – shorter seasons and quicker finales.
It’s a subtle change — two or three fewer episodes, before the reruns begin – with a redeeming factor: This week, two of NBC’s season-finales – “New Amsterdam,” at 9 p.m. Tuesday and “Chicago P.D” (shown here with Jason Beghe) at 10 p.m. Wednesday (April 14-15) – are terrific. Two others – “Chicago Med” and “Chicago Fire,” 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesday – are so-so, but we’ll settle for two out of four. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 13, 2020
Stories

Brady’s bunch: Teens tackle comedy

Wayne Brady now has his comedy six-pack – one of the youngest comedy groups ever.
How young? All six together are 92 years old … still, for instance, five years younger than comedy producer Norman Lear.
Those teens were picked for “Wayne Brady’s Comedy IQ,” at 8 p.m. ET Mondays on BYU TV, a cable and streaming channel. In the opener, Brady worked with a dozen kids, before picking his six. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 13, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 14: A subtly strong season-finale

1) “New Amsterdam” season-finale, 9 p.m., NBC. This is an extraordinary episode. That’s partly because of the prologue, which we aren’t supposed to tell about. But it’s mostly because of the rare subtlety: Medical shows tend to crank up the emotion; they assume it’s more dramatic to have kin weeping and wailing. In truth, we suspect, it’s more common to have muted resolve. That’s what you get in tough moments here, played with subtle perfection by the actors (including Janet Montgomery, shown here) and new director Dinh Thai. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 12, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best bets for April 13: Two new shows, one new season

1) “Baker and the Beauty” debut, 10 p.m., ABC. The Garcias are warm, hard-working folks who have a Miami bakery. They expect life to be kind of normal. Then Daniel (Victor Rasuk) and Noa (Nathalie Kelley, who was Cristal in the first year of the “Dynasty” reboot), a Kardashian-type pop-culture star, accidentally meet. You could call this a modern Cinderella, with the genders flipped … or a Latino “Notting Hill.” Either way, it’s subtly written, well-played and beautifully filmed. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 12, 2020
Stories

ERA: How did a can’t-miss amendment miss?

Back in 1972, the American society seemed to be transforming.
“You just had the Civil Rights Act and the Pay Equity Act,” said Cate Blanchett (shown here), who produced and stars in “Mrs. America,” an ambitious mini-series. “So there was already change afoot.”
The next step was the Equal Rights Amendment. It seemed easy, said director Ryan Fleck. “It had Republican support, it had Democratic support – which is sort of unheard of nowadays.
The ERA sailed through the House, 354-24 and through the Senate, 84-8. Hawaii ratified it that same day, Delaware and New Hampshire the next day, Iowa and Idaho the day after that. Then Phyllis Schlafly stepped in. That’s what “Mrs. America” is about. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 12, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 12: A packed Easter

1) “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” 7-9:30 p.m., NBC. This 2018 production was called a concert, but don’t worry: It has costumes, sets and some impressive staging – all in support of great voices and soaring music. John Legend plays Jesus, with Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdaleine, Alice Cooper (shown here) as Herrod and lots of Broadway stars. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 10, 2020
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10: It’s a Monday makeover

1) “Baker and the Beauty” debut, 10 p.m. today, ABC. Viewers know the plot: A young Cinderella type – sweet-spirited, attractive, with modest means – meets a handsome prince or mogul or such. But now the genders switch: Daniel (Victor Rasuk) is in a hard-working Miami family that has a bakery; Noa (Nathalie Kelley, who was Cristal in the first year of the “Dynasty” reboot) is a Kardashian-type pop-culture star. They meet by (shown here) in an opener that’s beautifully filmed and charmingly played. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 9, 2020