Day: December 1, 2023

“Napoleon” and others hit likability limits

For American audiences, there’s one clear deal-breaker.
We’ll accept antiheroes. We’ll let them rob banks, sell drugs, run gangs, spout biases, cheat on spouses. BUT they must be likable.
That comes to mind now, while pondering two current movies – “Napoleon” (shown here) and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Here are epics, now in theaters (where they belong) before reaching Apple TV+. Each is by a master filmmaker, Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese; each is oddly hard to like.
It also pops up while watching the original, British version of “Ghosts,” at 9 and 9:30 p.m. Thursdays on CBS. This is just like the American adaptation … except the characters are much less likable. That factor has been crucial, especially on TV: Read more…

“Golden Bachelor” plans a quick wedding

Here’s one reason to feature older folks in dating shows: They actually get married.
When “The Golden Bachelor” concluded Thursday (Nov. 30), ABC promptly made an announcement: The couple’s wedding will air live Jan. 4 on ABC.
Gerry Turner, 72, a widower, is a retired restaurant owner with a lakeside home in Indiana. On the show, he met 22 women, ages 60-75, then chose Theresa Nist, 70, who does financial services work in New Jersey. (They’re shown here.)
The “Bachelor” show has produced few marriages, “Bachelorette” has done better … and this wedding will make “Golden Bachelor” one-for-one. In other TV news: Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 3: Frosty, Olaf and Agatha

1) “Agatha Christie” opener, 8-9:30 p.m., PBS. England’s top novelists often saw wealth from inside and out. As preachers’ kids, Jane Austen and the Brontes were welcome in mansions, but didn’t have the riches. Christie grew up comfortably, but (as a wartime nurse) saw doctors’ arrogance; some of her tales had outsiders (Poirot, shown here, Marple, etc.) solve mysteries, while rich folks floundered. This three-week profile has too much focus on host Lucy Worsley, but remains interesting. Read more…