Month: April 2022

Best-bets for April 6: tough time for cops, crooks and hippos

1)“Snowfall,” 10 p.m., FX, rerunning to 11:05 p.m. and 12:15 and 1:20 a.m. At a perilous point in its story, “Snowfall” pauses for an odd interlude. Last week, Jerome finally proposed to Louise … who secretly ordered a hit that could set off gang warfare. Trouble looms … but first, there’s an odd twist at the wedding. Some viewers will love it, some won’t, but it has great performances – especially by Damson Idris (shown here in a previous episode), whose character (Franklin) is usually stoic. Read more…

Best-bets for April 5: crises for Ben and Pam

1) “Benjamin Franklin” conclusion, 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 10. The Declaration of Independence rippled with youthful zeal. Thomas Jefferson, 33, wrote the first draft; tweaking was done by John Adams, 40 … and Franklin, 70 (shown here in artist’s rendering). Franklin’s convivial manner then was key in getting French help for the revolution and in soothing anger during the Constitutional Convention. Ken Burns’ superb film shows a man who lived to 84 and belatedly opposed slavery. Read more…

NBC’s summer: from dancing to “Ninja”

Like many of us, NBC is eager for the endless winter to conclude.
For summer, it has a safe collection of reality shows. That includes two returning ones (“America’s Got Talent” and “American Ninja Warrior”), one new one (“Dancing With Myself”) that has people trying to match the moves of Shakira (shown here) and others … and one that’s returning to the network after a decade elsewhere, “Who Do You Think You Are?”
The schedule: Read more…

Burns bio views both-brained Ben

Many of us might feel mired in one side of our brain. We’re left-brained scientists and engineers, right-brained artists and authors.
But there are rare exceptions, the both-brained sort. They’re as exotic as Leonardo da Vinci … or as down-to-earth as Benjamin Franklin, the subject of Ken Burns’ latest PBS documentary (8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, April 4-5, repeating at 10).
“He was able to connect art and science, able to connect the humanities and the technology,” biographer Walter Isaacson said of Franklin (shown here in an artist’s rendition). “He cared about everything you could possibly learn about, from art to anatomy, math to music.” Read more…

Best-bets for April 3: Grammys vs. “Idol” and “Eve”

1) Grammy awards, 8 p.m., CBS. After a nine-week delay, the show booms ahead with Trevor Noah hosting. Performers include H.E.R. (shown here), Billie Eilish, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste, Lil Nas X, Brandi Carlile, John Legend and J Balvin, plus country’s Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne. A Stephen Sondheim segment has Cynthia Erivo, Ben Platt, Rachel Zegler and Leslie Odom Jr.; there are also gospel, bluegrass and Latin-tropical moments. Read more…