Best-bets for June 19: Three drama openers and a music cascade
1) “Hotel Portofino” (shown here) opener, 8 p.m., PBS. On a gorgeous stretch of the Italian Riviera, Bella has spiffed up a little hotel. She hopes to draw her fellow Englishmen; she may even find a match for her son, a handsome lad who barely survived the world war. On the surface, this is classic PBS, “Downton” meets “Durrells.” But it’s set in the 1920s and Fascism is rising; also, Bella’s husband is a jerk, some guests are iffy and romance rarely goes as planned. At times, this six-parter is too soapy, with cliché characters; at others, it’s a sweet summer pleasure. Read more…