“The Chosen” (shown here) – the Biblical series that has gradually thrived on streaming and cable – is starts its fourth season.
For this one, it has an ongoing tie to BYUtv.. Episodes will stream on BYU on Mondays and Fridays (starting June 3), then appear on its cable channel on Sundays (starting June 9) and Wednesdays. Read more…
1) Gymnastics, 7-9 p.m., NBC and Peacock. The U.S. championships conclude in Fort Worth. The men had their finals Saturday; now the women have their turn. Gabby Douglas (shown here) has withdrawn and scuttled her attempt for an Olympic comeback; for others, however, this is the last major event before the Olympic trials, June 27-30. Read more…
As June arrives, we should propel our search for fun movies.
A few arrived recently, in theaters or via streaming . I’ll mention them (including “Anyone But You,” shown here) in a moment.
This has always been a time to search for bright spirits. “Each year, the summer season presents itself as a blank slate, full of opportunity,” John Malahy wrote in “Summer Movies” (Running Press, 2021), a book that manages to leap from “Gidget” and “Beach Blanket Bingo” to Spike Lee and Ingmar Bergman.
In his introduction to that book, film critic Leonard Maltin agreed: “Summer meant one thing above all else to me: the freedom to go to the movies any day of the week.” But where can we find fun now? A few suggestions: Read more…
1) “The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson,” 8 p.m., Lifetime. June 12 will be the 30th anniversary of the deaths of Simpson (shown here) and Ron Goldman. Now her life is viewed by the people who made documentaries on R. Kelly and Gypsy Rose Blanchard; they include home movies and more than 50 people. That reruns at 10:03, midnight and 2:04, then at noon and 6 p.m. Sunday, before the second half. Read more…
1) Basketball and hockey finals, ABC. This month, ABC turns into Sports Central, with the best-of-seven finals for two pro sports. Basketball — including the Celtics, show here — starts Thursday; hockey’s Stanley Cup finals start Saturday. Other basketball games are Sunday, then June 12, 14 and (if needed) 17, 20 and 23. Hockey continues on June 10, 13, 15 and (if needed) 18, 21 and 24. Most start at 8:30 p.m. ET, with Sundays at 8. Read more…
1) “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary,” 9 p.m., PBS. Here’s a splendid blend – Broadway’s greatest songs, sung by amazing talents. Several of the stars are better known in London (where this was filmed), including a powerful Michael Ball (shown here) and a vibrant Marisha Wallace. But there are also Broadway stats, including Patrick Wilson, Aaron Tveit and the superb Audra McDonald.
Read more…
1) “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Station 19” finales, 9 and 10 p.m., ABC. Last week, the Station 19 crew fought a wildfire roaring toward Seattle. Now the “Grey’s” doctors face an overload of burn and smoke victims; then the firefighters and paramedics continue their struggle (shown here). That wraps the seventh and final season for “Station 19”; “Grey’s” will be back for its 21at. Read more…
1) “The Conners,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. There’s been bad news lately for this above-average comedy. It won’t be back until mid-season … and that will be its final season. Fortunately, there are four-rerun spurts today on ABC and Saturday on CW. At 8:30 p.m. today, Becky introduces her boyfriend (Sean Astin, shown here with her) to her daughter. At 9. there’s a pivotal moment involving Jackie’s mom. Read more…
1) “America’s Got Talent” season-opener, 8-10 p.m., NBC. Here’s the show that tends to dominate summertime ratings. Most of its time is spent on auditions, with a wild assortmentof people singing, spinning, dancing, leapng and such. (Shown here is Renya Roberts.) On Aug. 13 (after an Olympic break), it will turn to live performances and viewer votes. Read more…
This summer, PBS will fill voids left by other broadcast networks.
It will have dramas – strong, smart ones, led by “Grantchester” (shown here) – on Sundays. It will also have music – a couple concerts, an opera and a three-part look at the disco era.
Alongside that will be extended looks at ecology and comedy … plus two weeks devoted to the Republican and Democratic conventions.
The big-four commercial networks have lots of summer games and reality shows, but no scripted dramas. That’s where PBS starts to fit in; it will have: Read more…
