Mike Hughes

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It’s one of them comedies

In movie theaters, the previews can be sort of an early warning system.
The goal is to choose ones that appeal to the people who came to see this feature. Classy previews? You’re probably getting an arty movie.
So there I was, ready for “One of Them Days,” a comedy. One preview had guys stranded underwater … One had a ballerina learning to be a fierce fighter. (That gives an ominous feel to “The Nutcracker” ballet) … One had a killer slaying couple’s on Valentine’s Day … And one topped that by having the same youths being killed over and over and … Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 26, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 27: Reruns vanish at CBS, ABC

1) “The Bachelor” opener, 8-10 p.m., ABC. Grant Ellis (shown here), who finished fifth in the recent “Bachelorette,” now gets the focus. He’s a 6-foot-5 stock trader and former basketball player (college reserve and a few Dominican Republic games). Now he meets 25 women, including two lawyers, two nurses, two interior designers, a pediatrician and a luxury-travel host. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 25, 2025
Stories

TV (some of it) gears up for Black history

When Black History Month arrives, television will be 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 (starting Saturday, Feb. 1), some don’t. Here’s a sampling: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 24, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 26: football (twice) and “Watson”

1) Football, 3 p.m. ET Fox; 6:30, CBS. It’s the season’s third game between the Eagles (16-3) and Commanders (14-5). They’ve split two; this time, the winner goes to the Super Bowl. At night, the Chiefs (shown here, 16-2) host the Bills, 15-4. The Chiefs have two straight Super Bowl titles; the Bills lost four straight Super games in the early ‘90s and haven’t been back. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 24, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 25: skippers, skaters and such

1) “Asia” debut, 8 p.m., BBC America. Here is nature filmmaking at its best. This first hour (of seven) sticks to the water, from awesome manta ray (with 15-foot wingspan) to a two-inch mudskipper (shown here), a fish out of water (literally) that skims the surface. We see aome fish frantically trying to outrun sharks; others join with snakes for a two-tiered hunting party Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 23, 2025
Stories

Let’s visit TV’s good(?) old days

(This is the start of a book, “TV, and How It Got That Way.” It will emerge here, one chapter at a time.)
To see how far TV has come, let’s step back a bit.
We’ll go to 1952 in Clintonville, a Wisconsin town of 4,600, known for big, tough trucks and (back then) big, tough football players.
I’m in the living room with my sister, our parents, a grandmother and a grandfather. Stationed a reasonable distance from the TV set, we are watching … well, a man playing records.
The man says what record he’s playing and starts it. Sometimes, the camera shows the record going around; sometimes it shows the man watching the record go around. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 22, 2025