Year: 2020

Stories

“Creek” ends and TV evolves

Two long-running comedies say farewell this week.
One is much-loved, one much-liked. Both will be greatly missed. And together, they show how life (especially TV life) has changed in a decade or so.
Planning “Modern Family” in 2009, producers decided to start with a gay couple adopting a baby. “I remember saying to Chris (Lloyd), ‘Well, there goes Middle America,’” Steve Levitan recalled.
Now jump ahead 11 years: When “Schitt’s Creek” closes its season Tuesday, the entire focus will be on the wedding of David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid), shown here. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 6, 2020
Stories

A former comedy giant ends its run

When the “Modern Family” cast first assembled, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was surrounded by strangers.
The auditions had been separate, he told the Television Critic Association in January. Now he was meeting his fictional family.
“I remember Sofia (Vergara) giving everyone hugs. I was like, ‘This is the nicest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever met in my entire life. And she (plays) my stepmother.’”
They would continue for more than a decade. Ten-and-half years after the opening episode (shown here) debuted, “Modern Family” ends its run Wednesday on ABC Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 5, 2020
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for April 6: A time for classic comedies

1) “Modern Family” (shown here) series finale, 9 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC, with an overview at 8. One of TV’s great shows departs after 11 seasons and 22 Emmys, including five for best comedy. The finale finds Mitchell and Cam settling into their lives – a new house and a new baby they’ve adopted … just as they adopted Lily, 11 years earlier. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire decide that one of the kids must move out. Also, Gloria is successful at work, but frets that her husband and son don’t really need her. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 4, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best bets for April 6: “Manifest” faces its destiny

1) “Manifest” season-finale, 10:01 p.m , NBC. Michaela and Zeke rushed into their wedding, because he had a “death date,” signaled by a supernatural force. Then things went bad. Escapees kidnapped her young nephew – who, like his dad(Josh Dallas, shown here) and aunt, survived a plane flight that was suspended in time for five years. Tonight’s episode has some solid cops-and-crooks moments, spiced by other-worldly weirdness. But it’s hindered by soap-style writing, creating wildly overwrought reactions. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 4, 2020
News and Quick Comments

It was the season’s best sitcom episode

As TV shows race through our stay-at-home lives, we sometimes have to stop and marvel:
Wait, that one – the most recent “Mom” episode (shown here) – was really good. It was probably the best situation-comedy episode I’ve seen since “The Big Bang Theory” departed.
I shouldn’t be surprised, of course. “Mom” is from Chuck Lorre, the producer of “Big Bang” and the master of big-laugh sitcoms taped in front of a studio audience. It’s become TV’s best sitcom. And this episode renewed its best pairing. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 4, 2020
Stories

Brady’s on break from overemployment

As the world began its slowdown and shutdown, some people made modest changes.
Wayne Brady, however, required a full attitude adjustment. For decades, he seemed to be in a state of perpetual overemployment.
It was just two months ago, at a Television Critics Association session, that people were asking him about that. “Man, me got 15 jobs,” Brady(shown here winning “Masked Singer”) joked. “What you talking about?”
Now that “15” is closer to zero, but we still see him everywhere, from CBS (already-taped episodes of “Let’s Make a Deal” and “The Neighborhood”) to CW (“Whose Line Is It Anyway” reruns) to BYU TV, where “Wayne Brady’s Comedy IQ” is on Mondays, molding teens into a sketch-comedy troupe. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 3, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 5: War looms, music soars

1) “Masterpiece: World on Fire” debut, 9 p.m., PBS. This seven-week epic (continuing next year) sweeps across Europe and across class lines, focusing on three likable young people as World War II looms. Harry is a translator, rich, romantic and terribly handsome. Lois is an English factory worker and singer, Kasia (shown here with Harry) is a Polish waitress; both women have a steely resolve that he (at first) lacks. Helen Hunt is so-so as a radio reporter, but Sean Bean is superb as Lois’ dad, a shell-shocked veteran. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 3, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 4: Thou shalt be busy

1) “The Ten Commandments” (1956), 7-11:44 p.m., ABC. As Easter celebrations dwindle this year, we still have TV. “Ten Commandments” isn’t directly related – it’s Old Testament, after all – but it’s become a tradition for ABC, this time airing on the eve of Palm Sunday. In its time, this Charlton Heston (shown here) epic was steeply respected; it was nominated for seven Oscars (including best picture) and won for its special effects, including parting the Red Sea. By modern standards, it’s slow and stiff, but interesting Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 2, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 3: It’s aloha, Hawaii

1) “Hawaii Five-0” series finale, 9 p.m., CBS. A 22-year TV tradition ends. The original “Five-0” ran 12 seasons and this reboot did 10 more. Now its finale includes flashbacks with three deceased people – Steve McGarrett’s father, the man who killed him (Victor Hesse) and the man who ordered it (Wo Fat). McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin, shown here) finally solves the case that his father left him. Also, Wo Fat’s widow kidnaps and wounds Danny, trying to get the coded message that was sent by McGarrett’s late mother. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 1, 2020