Year: 2023

Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Nov. 13: Two imports and a drama surge

1) “NCIS: Sydney” opener, 8 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. Lots of cop cliches are bundled here, but they’re done with crisp skill. There’s the steel-tough beauty (a newer cliché) and the handsome, cocky cop (an older one). They’re loose cannons who battle each other, until authority figures try to smite both. Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance (shown here) lead a first-rate cast. Americans and Aussies merge, for an entertaining blend of action, drama and occasional humor. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 9, 2023
News and Quick Comments

Strike deal brings hope to a wobbly season

So the strikes are apparently ending … at last.
Writers were on strike for 148 days, before a deal was reached – tentatively on Sept. 24, officially a few days later. Now actors – on strike for 118 days – have reached a deal; it goes to the board Friday (Nov. 10) and then to the membership for a vote.
For some movie people, the effect is simple: The Christmastime films have already been made; now the stars will soon be free to promote them.
TV, as always, is more of a moving target. Writers have been working on the scripts for six weeks; it’s just a question of how quickly things can get back to work. Let’s take CBS as an example: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 9, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 11: a Wonka-worthy “SNL”?

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. After missing some weeks because of the writers’ strike, “SNL” is busy. This is its fourth new episode in five weeks, with a fifth one (Jason Mamoa hosts) next week. Tonight is the second time as host for Timothee Chalamet, 27, whose “Wonka” (shown here) is coming Dec. 15. The music guest is the three-woman indie group, Boygenius. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 9, 2023
News and Quick Comments

Next year, wrestling adds another network

There’s another step in TV’s transformation:
Next year, two broadcast networks will have weekly wrestling shows. One will even have minor-league (sort of) wrestlers.
Beginning next October, “WWE NXT” (shown here) will have a weekly spot on the CW network – the first time it’s been on a broadcast network, instead of cable. Meanwhile, the main WWE show continues on Fox.
NXT began 13 years ago, as a WWE launchng point. In the most recent “WrestleMania,” more than 90 percent of the people had been in NXT. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 8, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 10: tributes to soldiers and a survivor

1) “Salute to Service,” 9 p.m., PBS. On Veterans Day eve, Jon Stewart offers a warm tribute. There’s great music from Amanda Shires, Mickey Guyton and Mandy Gonzalez (shown here in a previous performance) … and from soldiers. We hear military people who are gifted musicians, singers and (yes) rappers. Stewart also meets Evelyn Kandel: At 18, she was the pretty blonde chosen to represent her fellow Marines; 72 years later, we meet a helicopter pilot, one of four sisters who are West Point grads. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 8, 2023
Stories

For Apple, it’s a double-triumph day

In baseball terms, this is like having Ruth and Gehrig together in the batting order. Or Mantle and Martis. Or Matthews and Aaron.
It’s going from strength to strength. Today (Wednesday, Nov. 8), Apple TV+ has:
— The season-finale of “The Morning Show,” filled with schemes and obstacles.
— The debut of “Buccaneers” (shown here) filled with giddy possibilities. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 8, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 9: “Big Brother” finale and a tough “Transplant”

1) “Big Brother” finale, 8-10 p.m., CBS. Three people still have a shot at being the show’s 25th winner. There’s Matt Klotz (shown here), 27, a gold-medal swimmer in the Deaflympics … “Jag” Bains,” 25, a truck-company owner who was rescued from eviction by Klotz on Aug. 31 … and “Bowie Jane” Ball, 45, a lawyer and DJ. The show has ousted 14 others; now one of the three will win $750,000. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 7, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 8: Nashville music and London society

1) Country Music Association awards, 8-11 p.m., ABC. The late Jimmy Buffett had lots of country friends; now some of them – Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Mac McAnally, Zac Brown Band — will perform his songs. Morgan Wallen (shown here) will do a country medley with Hardy and Post Malone, then return with a surprise guest. Also performing: Luke Bryan (who hosts with Peyton Manning), Dan + Shea, Kelsea Ballerini, Jordan Davis, Ashley McBride and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 6, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 6: juicy chaos and irrational crime

1) “Kitchen Nightmares.” 8 p.m., Fox. At a restaurant called Juicy Box, Gordon Ramsay logically orders juice. “The juicer is kind of like broken,” the cheery waitress (shown here) says. So is a walk-in refrigerator; it should be 38-40 degrees, but is now 74. Also, there are no printed menus and the opening time has been switched from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. This hour – set for Oct. 23, then delayed because of baseball – is a good one, with likable people making major mistakes. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 4, 2023