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One more marvelous season

By now, TV viewers might decide that only the good die young.
This spring, some of the best shows are leaving voluntarily. HBO’s “Succession” will depart after just 39 episodes; PBS’ “Sanditon” will leave after 20. “Alice,” alas, had 192.
Now let’s add one more to the list: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (shown here) is starting its fifth and final season on Amazon Prime. It has three episodes April 14, then adds one each Friday, through May 26.
That will make 43 episodes in five seasons. We would have preferred 143, but great shows obsess on quality; bad ones just keep puttering along. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 12, 2023

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PBS this summer: mysteries, music, more

As long as there’s a PBS, summertime viewers won’t be confined to reruns, reality and game shows.
The network will have new mystery episodes on Sundays this summer, including “Grantchester,” the final season of “Endeavour” (shown here) and two new arrivals. It will also have an opera, a symphony, a Little Richard profile and the annual 4th-of-July mega-concert.
Viewers looking for new, scripted shows in the summer often turn to cable or streaming networks, or to CW, which will have new “Nancy Drew” and “Riverdale” episodes through Aug. 23.
But the bigger broadcast networks have resisted. For instance: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 7, 2023

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Fox stuffs its summer with food

As soon as this TV season ends, Fox will start stuffing its line-up with food.
In a quick stretch (May 22-24, plus May 29), it will launch five summer shows – three centering on food. The line-up includes four returnimg shows – “MasterChef,” “Crime Scene Kitchen,” “Beat Shazam” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” – plus the new “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.”
That last one is sort of a “Shark Tank”/”Apprentice” blend: Contestants are entrepreneurs with food-related businesses. Ramsay(shown here) – also the producer and host of “MasterChef” and more – will give them challenges, then invest $250,000 in one of their businesses. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 7, 2023

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Religion begins its Easter TV surge

For some viewers, a seasonal search is beginning:
Surely, the vast TV landscape must have some Easter-type shows.
It does, but only a few are in familiar places. ABC has its annual “Ten Commandments”(shown here) on Saturday (April 1) … A week later, History reruns its “The Bible” mini-series, re-rerunning the last two chapters shortly before Easter sunrise services … And on April 8 and 9, BET has a big-deal gospel concert.
Beyond that, however, viewers may have to discover less-familiar spots. There’s UpTV (on cable or streaming), plus some digital-only channels. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 3, 2023

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Quiet comedy and zesty action blend neatly

As “Murder Mystery 2” unfolds, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler (shown here) become action heroes.
She’s dangling from the Eiffel Tower, he’s fighting a muscular villain, both are battling bad guys inside a speeding van.
But the strength of this film – which debuted Friday (March 31) on Netflix – involves their quieter bits.
They play a husband and wife who can’t help questioning and correcting each other – even when there are bigger things to focus on. That provides the fun, as we wait for the next big moment. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 1, 2023

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“FBI” event: no place for the timid (or the subtle)

Let’s assume you’re a fan of pregnant pauses, subtle shrugs and mixed emotions.
If so, you’ll want to avoid CBS this Tuesday (April 4). Until the final moments, there’s not a hint of subtlety, not a moment of mixed anything.
Then again, if you prefer rampant rage, I have a show for you.
It’s three shows, actually – “FBI: International,” “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted,” all in a seamless story (shown here), from 8-11 p.m. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 1, 2023

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ABC’s summer: lots of games and some “Wonder”

ABC is planning another few-rerun summer.
That includes lots of game shows, filling two nights and sprawling into two more. But it also has:
— The long-delayed season-opener of “The Wonder Years” (shown here).
— The next “Bachelorette,” this time centering on Charity Lawson, 26, who finished fourth in the current “Bachelor.” She has a Master’s Degree from Auburn and works as a child and family therapist.
— And some pre-summer games. “Jeopardy” will have its “Masters” tournament, May 8-24; the pro basketball tournament will continue through mid-June. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 25, 2023

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Want a clever show? Better call Bob

In a logical world, Bob Odenkirk would have taken several months – or years, or decades – off.
He had just finished 10 years playing Jimmy McGill, also known as Saul Goodman. He’d had fame, fortune, six Emmy nominations and a heart attack. As he turned 60, it was a logical time to relax.
Except then “Lucky Hank” (shown here) came along. “It happened so quickly that my head was spinning a bit,” he told the Television Critics Association.
Now the show debuts at 9 p.m. Sunday (March 19), rerunning each hour until 1 a.m. As soon as Hank (Odenkirk), a writiing professor, unleashes a rant, viewers will see why the role would be hard to reject. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 15, 2023

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Drama deluge: Three PBS shows arrive March 19

After a month-long drought, PBS drama fans will hit overload. Arriving Sunday (March 19) are:
— “Call the Midwife,” at 8 p.m. It’s the 12th season and seems destined to go on forever.
— “Sanditon” (shown here) at 9. It’s the third season – and the final one; blame circumstances for that.
— “Marie Antoinette,” at 10. It will only last eight episodes; blame the French peasants. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 14, 2023

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Oscars brought laughs, warmth and Gaga

Okay, this was what we were hoping for from an Academy Award telecast – a hearty blend of humor, warmth and potent music.
And one thing more: A clever guy (Jimmy Killmel)n was at the core, making sure it was fun.
There were a few flaws along the way. The long plug for “Little Mermaid” was annoying … the acceptance speeches were mostly bland … I kept waiting for David Byrne’s song to discover a melody … and it’s never fun to see the same show keep winning. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 13, 2023