Year: 2021

Stories

At last: We spy our pets’ secret lives

Many of us may wonder what our pets do when we’re gone.
Do they scheme and plot? … Or grumble and grouse? … Or just hit the hyper-relaxation mode?
Now a new series, “Housebroken” (shown here) has the answer: Pets conduct their own group-therapy sessions.
Yes, the show (9 p.m. Mondays on Fox, starting May 31) is a cartoon. “There’s just so much freedom in animation,” said actress-turned-producer Clea DuVall. Cats can talk, turtles can dash; she can envision big stunts that “would be half of your budget (without) animation.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 26, 2021
News and Quick Comments

CW this fall: same shows in new places

When the fall season starts, the CW network will have a new night, new line-ups and new ambitions … but not, at first, many new scripted shows.
Those will come at mid-season, when things are quieter. For fall, CW will mostly re-shuffle. It will go from six nights to seven, but will mainly re-arrange current shows  (even “Riverdale,” shown here, gets a new night) and offer new versions of two games – “Killer Camp” and “Legends of the Hidden Temple.”
The lone new drama, “4400,” is a reboot of an idea that had four cable seasons: In one burst, 4,400 missing people re-appear (this time, in Detroit), without having aged and with no idea what happened.
Two other dramas will debut later: In “Naomi,” a teen comic-book fan senses she has a supernatural destiny. In “All American: Homecoming,” young athletes navigate life at a historically black college. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 25, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 27: Young pop, new dramas and Sir Elton

1) “iHeartRadio Music Awards,” 8-10 p.m., Fox. This week has overflowed with pop music – Billboard awards, plus the finales for “Idol,” “Voice” and “Masked Dancer.” Now comes one more surge: Usher hosts and Elton John (shown here) gets the Icon Award. Performers include Taylor Swift, Roddy Ricch, Dua Lipa, Twenty One Pilots and Megan Thee stallion, plus The Weeknd with Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars with Anderson.Paak, Dan + Shay with Doja Cat and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 25, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 26: The masks end; the games begin

1) “The Masked Singer” finale, 8 p.m., Fox. Three people remain, disguised as Piglet (shown here), Black Swan and Chameleon. And chances are, all of them are skilled music pros. The ringers were unmasked quickly – Danny Trejo, Caitlyn Jenner, Logan Paul, even Kermit the Frog; lately, we’ve had skilled singers – Bobby Brown, the Hanson trio, Tyrese Gibson and, last week, Omarion. Last week, we also learned that the clue-spewing chicken was Donnie Wahlberg, the husband of startled judge Jenny McCarthy. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 24, 2021
Stories

“Crime Scene” starts summer surge of games

These days, viewers’ TV tastes are clear.
We like cooking and crime-solving and – in the summer – game shows. So why not combine them?
Welcome to “Crime Scene Kitchen” (shown here), arriving Wednesday (May 26), to whisk us from one season to the next. At 8 p.m., “The Masked Singer” – Fox’s top-rated regular-season show – has its finale; at 9, “Kitchen” arrives, as part of a summer stuffed with games and food. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 23, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 25: Finales for “Voice,” “NCIS,” more

1) “The Voice” finale, 8-10 p.m., NBC. At the end of the night, the show will have its 20th champion. First, however, come lots of guest performances. That includes Blake Shelton’s fiancee (Gwen Stefani, with Saweetie) and his former “Voice” colleague (Adam Levine, shown here). Also performing: Justin Bieber, Thomas Rhett, OneRepublic, Kelsea Ballerini, Snoop Dogg, Ben Platt, Lauren Daigle. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 23, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 24: “Voice” plus five finales

1) “The Voice,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. The show has its final five now, with Blake Shelton (as usual) at an advantage. He has two people, Cam Anthony (shown here) and Jordan Matthew Young; the others have one apiece — Victor Solomon, Rachel Mac and Kenzie Wheeler. Now they sing and viewers vote; on Tuesday, after lots of guest performances, we’ll have the 20th “Voice” champion. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 22, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 23: “Idol” and Billboard collide

1) “American Idol” finale, 8-11 p.m. ET, ABC. Last week, voters picked their final three – Willie Spence, Grace Kinstler and Chayce Beckham. That ousted Casey Bishop, drawing surprise and complaints – similar to when Chris Daughtry finished fourth, 15 years ago. Tonight, we’ll get music from nine finalists (one dropped out) … from the judges … and from Alessia Cara (shown here), Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Lindsey Buckingham, Mickey Guyton, Leona Lewis, Chaka Khan, Fall Out Boy and Macklemore. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 21, 2021
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for May 24: music, music, music

1) “The Voice” finale, 8-10 p.m. today and Tuesday, NBC. This will revolve around Blake Shelton – as life often does. He has two of the five finalists, Jordan Matthew Young (shown here) and Cam Anthony. (The others are Victor Solomon, Rachel Mac and Kenzie Wheeler.) His fiancee Gwen Stefani will be there, singing with Saweetie; so will his friend Adam Levine, with Maroon 5. Other performers Tuesday: Justin Bieber, Thomas Rhett, OneRepublic, Kelsea Ballerini, Snoop Dogg, Ben Platt and Lauren Daigle. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 20, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 22: Young stars rule “SNL”

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-finale, 11:29 p.m., NBC. Two years ago, Anya Taylor-Joy (shown here) and Lil Nas X were mostly unknown; now they’re host and music guest. She was up for two Golden Globes this year; she won for “The Queen’s Gambit” and was nominated for “Emma.” He saw his “Old Town Road” start on the country chart, cross over to pop … and spend 17 weeks at No. 1. Breaking barriers, he became the first Black and openly gay man to win a Country Music Association award. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 20, 2021