News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

An “easy money” plan lingers, then crumbles

It began as a stop-gap plan. Banks were failing, economies were fading; quick steps were needed.
And then the approach lingered. “It became a semi-permanent part of the past decade,” James Jacoby said. “Then, during the pandemic, this went into overdrive.”
Now his “Easy Money” documentary, from 9-11 p.m. Tuesday (March 14) on PBS’ “Frontline,” views short-term steps that somehow stayed, leading to crypto-currency commercials (shown here) and corporatge spending sprees. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 12, 2023
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At Oscar time, doc-makers get a fiery moment

(This is a story I posted on Jan. 28, but I thought it would be fun to bring it back now, with the Academy Award telecast coming on MRXH 12. You’ll find two other Oscar stories to the left.)
As the Academy Awards near, the nominees have a descending order of fame.
At the top this year are the stars – actors (Cate Blanchett, Angela Bassett, Judd Hirsch, etc.), a director (Steven Spielberg) and some songwriters (Lady Gaga, Rihanna). And near the bottom, every year?
“You are the lowest on the totem pole as a short-doc filmmaker,” Cynthia Wade said
That’s the short-documentary category. She won it in 2008 (for the 39-minute “Freeheld)” and had her moment on global TV, being handed an Oscar by Tom Hanks; she was nominated again in 2013. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 6, 2023
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This year’s Oscars could be fun. Really.

As the Academy Awards (March 12 on ABC) get closer, the signs are encouraging: This time, these people want to entertain us.
That hasn’t always been the case, you know. Two years ago, the main ceremony swept everything aside; it had no host, no songs, no fun.
That concluded a three-year stretch of hostless gloom. The Oscars bounced back last year with three hosts and some splendid songs from Beyonce, Billie Eilish and Reba McEntire. And now:
— Already announced is music from Rihanna (shown here), from Sofia Carson and from a combination including David Byrne and the Son Lux band. With luck, Lady Gaga is next. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 26, 2023
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CBS renews most of its line-up

CBS’ line-up next season will look a lot like the one this season.
A lot.
The network announced Tuesday that nine more shows (including “CSI: Vegas,” shown here) have received early renewals for next season. That makes 19 so far; it gets easier to see which ones haven’t yet been renewed.
Only two scripted shows – one new (“East New York”) and one old (“SWAT”) – remain in limbo. That’s three if you count “True Lies,” which will debut March 1. Two others – “Blue Bloods” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” – had already announced that this is their final season. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 22, 2023
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Black Broadway: deep passion, occasional joy

By now, Black actors have become deeply embedded in the history of Broadway musicals.
It’s been 88 years since “Porgy and Bess” debuted, 56 since Pearl Bailey took over “Hello, Dolly.” A PBS special – “Black Broadway,” 8 p.m. Feb. 28 – ripples with young singers (including Corbin Bleu, show here) doing potent anthems first sung by Blacks.
Even with that, said conductor Brittany Chanell Johnson, there’s room for more and for different.
Many of the shows “are traumatic stories,” she said. There should also be room “for stories of joy.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 19, 2023
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Beautiful liars are splendid company

As a sleek drama debuts on ABC, it offers a concept that has spanned decades and continents.
“I was compelled at first by the idea of two professional liars who see one another’s truths,” said Julia Cohen, a producer of ABC’s “The Company You Keep.” These two (shown here) are smart, sexy and – they don’t realize – on opposite sides of the law.
That’s the notion that propelled the Korean series this is based on. It also was behind an American tale that writer Elmore Leonard created decades ago.
Now the “Company” opener gets a big push — 10 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 19), after the “American Idol” opener, then rerunning at 10 p.m. the following Thursday, after the return of “Grey’s Anatomy.” It also offers some starpower, with former “This Is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 16, 2023
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Good news: “Poker Face” is renewed

Here’s some good news for TV viewers: “Poker Face” will have a second season.
The show is still wrapping up its first season, with new episodes – terrific ones, mostly – each Thursday on Peacock, through March 9. It has received near-unanimous raves from critics.
That approval comes as no real surprise. The show pairs producer-director-writer Rian Johnson – who has Oscar nominations for both of his “Knives Out” scripts – and Natasha Lyonne (shown here), who seizes attention whenever she’s on the screen. It also revives the mystery-of-the-week format, with Charlie (Lyonne) solving crimes while she’s on the lam. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 15, 2023
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Picard ends a 35-year mission … maybe

By now, Patrick Stewart knows this “Star Trek” thing is more than a brief blip in his life.
It’s been, he said, “35 years since I first put on the captain’s uniform …. The world has changed and I have changed too.”
Or not. As “Star Trek: Picard” (shown here with Stewart and LeVar Burton) begins what it calls its final season (Thursdays on Paramount+, starting Feb. 16), he’s remained a potent performer of British classics. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 15, 2023
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Super Sunday was stuffed (overstuffed?) with stars

This Super Bowl will forever be remembered as The Night of a Kajillion (or so) Stars.
Not on the field (although there were some there, too), but in the commercials — including John Travolta, shown here.
In the past, many of the best Super Bowl commercials have been star-free. They had real horses or fake frogs or whatever. But this year, no one wanted to risk that. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 13, 2023