News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

Betty White: an 82-year TV career

Betty White started her TV career before people had TV sets. Really.
White– who died on New Year’s Eve, 17 days shy of her 100th birthday – described that in “Here We Go Again” (Scribner, 1995).
She had just graduated from Beverly Hills High and fancied herself – incorrectly, she later said – as a possible opera singer. She and a classmate were asked to sing a shortened version of “The Merry Widow” in front of a TV camera.
“Our telecast only carried from the sixth (floor) to the ground floor,” where it was viewed by “our parents and a small handful of interested parties.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 1, 2022
News and Quick Comments

Three agree: “West Side Story” triumphs

Chances are, few things in this universe will draw unanimous agreement from People magazine, arts critic Ken Glickman and me.
Here’s one that does: Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” (shown hee) is a triumph, well worth seeing.
Those sources are quite different. The magazine worries about whom Jennifer Aniston is dating; Ken doesn’t. He’s a classical conductor/critic; I’m just a writer who sometimes succumbs to alliteration.
Ken and I did once agree that the Stratford theater summer had one great musical and one bad one. We just didn’t agree on which was which. But now comes a movie most people can savor: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 30, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Carole King: the eternal pop star

Carole King is perfecting a new concept – the eternal pop star. Consider:
– She was still a teen-ager when some of the songs she co-wrote – “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” and “Take Good Care of My Baby” – became hits in 1971.
– And now? She’ll turn 80 on Feb. 9 and remains relevant. Proof of that is in “Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name,” which debuts at 9 p.m. and midnight ET Sunday (Jan. 2) on CNN, repeats at the same times Jan. 8 and then goes to HBO Max.
The film uses footage from the 2010 tour by King and Taylor (shown here), adding fresh interviews with both, plus their colleagues. Clearly, King – like Paul McCartney, who will turn 80 on June 18 – is remaining a force forever. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 28, 2021
News and Quick Comments

New Year’s Eve plans trimmed a bit

In an era when TV viewers keep expecting more, this is a surprise: COVID has caused some New Year’s Eve plans to be dumped, trimmed or changed.
The Fox newtwork has dropped its celebration entirely … The others will continue, but with a reduced crowd in Times Square … And the Gator Bowl has switched one of its teams.
Other celebrations are still scheduled, but only ABC and CNN will be strongly in New York. NBC is in Miami and CBS has a new country-music event, based in Nashville. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 24, 2021
News and Quick Comments

TV has big plans for Jan. 6 anniversary

As the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot nears, TV has major plans.
ABC has announced coverage that will start Jan. 2 and sprawl across the week. It will include a documentary on two streaming services – Hulu and ABC News Live.
That’s alongside other documentaries – a new one on PBS and a rerun on HBO – plus news coverage. Congressmen are talking about a Jan. 6 memorial event; Donald Trump has said he’ll have a press conference that day. Some of the TV plans include: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 22, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Christmas TV list: the final week

OK, we’re down to the final week before Christmas Eve. Here’s a shortened version of the Christmas TV mega-list, sticking strictly to Dec. 17-25:
CARTOONS: THE CLASSICS
– Dec. 18: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 7 and 9:30 p.m.,, TNT; also, 8 p.m. Dec. 25, NBC.
– Dec. 19: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (shown here), 6:45 p.m., Freeform; also, 5:15 p.m., Dec. 20; 9 p.m., Dec. 24; 5:40 p.m., Dec. 25. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 17, 2021
News and Quick Comments

“Ricardos”: masterful telling of a (semi-) true tale

Aaron Sorkin’s latest masterwork is ready to reach our TV sets.
“Being the Ricardos” (shown here with Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem) is already in theaters; it arrives Tuesday (Dec. 21) on Amazon’s Prime Video, which produced it. Like all things Sorkin, we cheer it … cautiously.
When working with pure fiction – including the “West Wing,” “Newsroom” and “Sports Night” TV series – Sorkin is the best, concocting wondrous twists.
And when adapting true events? He still concocts. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 17, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Nesmith was a Monkee and much more

Mike Nesmith, who died Friday at 78, was many things, some of them mismatched.
He was heir to a “Liquid Paper” fortune …. And a songwriter whose “Different Drum” reached the top-20 with Linda Ronstadt … And a producer of distinctive movies – “Repo Man,” “Tapeheads” and “Timerider” … And a pioneer of music videos and comedy videos.
Mostly, though, he’ll be remembered for one thing: He was a Monkee.
Nesmith (second from left) was the guy with the wool cap and the slight Texas drawl. He was also considered the main musician – a skilled guitarist and songwriter – of the quartet that was assembled for a TV show. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 11, 2021
News and Quick Comments

TV rolls back toward comedies

The low-laugh TV season will get another boost.
CBS announced today that “How We Roll” (shown here) will join its line-up next spring, after “B Positive” ends its season. That’s the same approach that successfully launced “United States of Al” this year.
“Roll” is based on the true story of Tom Smallwood, a Michigan autoworker whose life changed when he was 30. Laid off from work – and unable to find another job during a recession – he revived his dream of being a professional bowler. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 10, 2021