Year: 2025

Stories

Early-early TV: Felix, Franklin and Farnsworth

(This is the third chapter in a book-in-progress, “Television, and How It Got That Way.” For the previous chapters, scroll down in “Stories.”)
When it comes to naming the first TV star, choices vary.
Some people might choose the American president (Franklin Roosevelt) or the British postmaster general. Some could say Elma Farnsworth or Betty White or Adele Dixon or Gertrude Lawrence or (shown here) folks at the 1939 World’s Fair. They could also say David Sarnoff; he would.
But for now, we’ll say Felix the Cat.
Back in 1928, General Electric engineers were scrambling to develop a TV system. For two years, Marc Robinson wrote, “a small Felix the Cat figurine was used as the subject. The lighting was too hot for a human to tolerate.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 2, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 4: funny doctors, serious cops

1) “St. Denis Medical,” 8 p.m., NBC. Dr. Ron suggests (gently) that weight-loss would ease a patient’s knee problem. He’s accused of fat-shaming; soon, the nurses (shown here) have dizzying journey through online reviews. A second story – Bruce pondering a high school bully – is mostly sad, but the main one reminds us that this is one of the year’s best new shows. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 2, 2025
News and Quick Comments

Black History Month begins; here’s a sampling

(This slightly updates a previous story)
Black History Month arrives today (Feb. 1) and TV is ready.
Well … some of TV, anyway. PBS will have lots of documentaries and a Wynton Marsalis (shown here) concert. CBS has a special that celebrates Blacks on TV (mostly, on CBS). Streamers load up.
In the four-and-a-half years since the death of George Floyd, separate Black departments have been created at ABC, Hulu, Hallmark and more. Still, it’s uneven. Some focus on Black History Month, some don’t. Here’s a sampling: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 1, 2025
News and Quick Comments

CW’s scripted shows: scarce, but kinda good

In the makeshift world of the CW network, there’s some good news:
Scripted shows are making a modest comeback. They include:
— An OK one at 8 p.m. Mondays. The seventh season of “All American” is almost a reboot – a workable mix of old and new characters.
— A good one at 8 p.m. Wednesdays. “Wild Cards” is a fun blend of a quiet cop and a zestful con woman.
— And an even better one, added to Wednesdays on Feb. 19. “Good Cop/Bad Cop” (shown here) has clever ways of plugging mismatched siblings into mysteries. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 1, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 3: “Lone Star” ends, “Voice” begins

1) “9-1-1: Lone Star” series-finale, 8 p.m., Fox. The most-watched shows on Fox were also the most expensive. So “9-1-1” moved to ABC and this spin-off is ending after five seasons. At least, it ends big(shown here) — with an asteroid hitting Texas. Rob Lowe, the star, won’t be jobless: He hosts “The Floor,” which has its season-opener Sunday, after the Super Bowl. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 1, 2025
Stories

Super Bowl Sunday? Here’s a TV overview

In the first 58 years of the Super Bowl, a pattern was set.
There would be lots of repeat champions, but no team would even get a shot at a three-peat … until now.
At 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday (Feb. 9), the Kansas City Chiefs try for their third straight championship. Standing in their way are the Philadelphia Eagles, plus history.
The Super Bowl began (shown here) with the Packers winning comfortably against the Chiefs and then the Oakland Raiders; the third year, however, they didn’t make it to the game. Later, there were back-to-back wins by the Dolphins, Steelers (twice), 49ers, Cowboys, Broncos and Patriots. In each case, the team failed to reach the game in the third year. Now the Chiefs arrive, with Patrick Mahomes (of TV-commercials fame) at quarterback, Travis Kelce (of Taylor Swift fame) at tight end and a 17-2 record this season.
It should be fun. Here’s our casual fan’s guide to the day on TV: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 31, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 2: Grammys and PBS dramas

1) Grammys, 8-11:30 p.m. ET, CBS. A busy night will include tributes to Quincy Jones and to fire-scarred Los Angeles. Performers include Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Brad Paisley, Lainey Wilson, Cynthia Erivo, Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow and some best-album nominees — Sabrina Carpenter (shown here), Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli xcs and Jacob Collier. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 31, 2025
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10: Super Bowl fuss (and alternatives)

1) Super Bowl, 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox. Nine times, a team has won back-to-back Super Bowls. Until now, none has reached the game the next year. Now the Chiefs (shown here), 17-2, have a shot at the first three-peat. Their previous two Super wins – and this year’s previous game – were by only three points each. They face the Eagles, 17-3, who are fresh from a 55-23 win. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 30, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 1: Lisa Lisa and drama drama

1) “Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story,” 8-10 p.m., Lifetime. This is a Lifetime specialty – movies about real-life music stars. Next week is Gloria Gaynor; first, this views Lisa Velez (shown here), a former Hell’s Kitchen teen who soared. The real Velez, now 59, plays her own mother, a Puerto Rican native with 10 children. Bre-Z (“All American”) plays Velez’s friend and back-up singer. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 30, 2025
Stories

Remember when TV was our “shining center”?

(This is the second chapter of a book-in-progress, “Television, and How It Got That Way.” For the first chapter, scroll down in “stories.”)

In his busy life, Pat Weaver was involved in many fine creations. They included “Today,” “Tonight,” the Sid Caesar (shown here) comedies and Sigourney Weaver, his daughter.
(There’s a bit more on her at the end of this chapter.)
But he also fell far short of one goal. Television, he once said, could be “the shining center of the home.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 29, 2025