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From amusement ride to movie screen? It works (sometimes)

Long ago, Disney announced it would make movie versions of its theme-park attractions.
The world promptly and properly groaned. We envisioned spinning teacups becoming flying saucers … the Carousel of Progress whirling in reverse … an insurrection inside the Hall of Presidents … or the Tiki Room crew enmeshed in some sort of gruesome “The Birds” sequel.
We thought this would be terrible … and often were right. But good things can happen to bad ideas; “The Jungle Cruise” – which has just opened in theaters and as pay-extra on Disney+ – is quite fun.
Yes, it’s sometime s excessive, sometimes overwrought; what isn’t nowadays? But it’s often salvaged by its solid cast – led by Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt (shown here with Jack Whitehall) – and a fairly clever script. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 2, 2021

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Yes, stupid fun is going prime time

After more than four decades, “Stupid Pet Tricks” (shown here) is finally ready for prime time.
The TBS cable channel is turning it into a 10-episode series. Sarah Silverman will host, David Letterman’s company will be a co-owner and Merrill Markoe will be a consulting producer.
Markoe created the notion in 1980, when she was head writer of Letterman’s morning show. That show died quickly, but Letterman moved to latenight in 1982 and stayed there for 33 years, always with “Stupid Pet Tricks” as an audience favorite. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 28, 2021

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Bugs and LeBron? 10 plus 10 equals 2 or 3

By the end of the “Space Jam” sequel, most of the Warner Brothers empire has been pushed into duty.
Yes, Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes friends (shown here) are the stars, but you’ll also glimpse Yogi Bear and his Hanna-Barbera pals. There are brief glimpses of Wonder Woman and Superman and King Kong, of classics both old (“Casablanca”) and new (“Game of Thrones”).
All of this reminds us that sometimes more is less, that sometimes 10 plus 10 plus 10 equals 2 or 3.
“Space Jam: A New Legacy” – now on HBO Max and in theaters – does have its moments. I laughed out loud at one bit, a reference to Michael Jordan, who starred in the original, 1996 “Space Jam.” But then it pours on more moments … and more … and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 20, 2021

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“Pixels” is back … and a tad dead

“Dead Pixels” (shown here) is back and … well, a bit deader than before.
This was one of the shows we welcomed last summer: In the depth of the pandemic, the CW was reaching out; it was brightening the season with imported fun.
Now the mini-network is repeating that approach: New, scripted shows are scarce in the summer, so it has a bunch of them, especially ones from other English-speaking countries. They’re from: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 17, 2021

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Streamers dominate TCA nominations

TV critics have confirmed what the Emmy Awards suggested – the year of COVID was also the year of streamers.
Last week, the Emmy nominations came out, dominated by streaming networks and pay-extra cable. Now the Television Critics Association nominations echo that.
Streamers piled up 46 TCA nominations, led by five for “Ted Lasso” (shown here), which starts its second season July 23 on Apple TV+. That compares to only 10 for all of over-the-air TV – four for NBC, four for PBS (mostly its kid shows), three for CBS, zero for ABC, Fox or CW. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 16, 2021

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From Bradys to Bunkers: TV transformed

A half-century ago, the fictional Carol Brady was living TV’s version of don’t ask, don’t tell.
he married Mike Brady and merged their families as “The Brady Bunch” (shown here with Alice, the housekeeper). He had three sons and was widowed; she had three daughters and, well … ???
The plan was for her to be divorced, said Lloyd Schwartz, a “Brady Bunch” producer and the son of creator Sherwood Schwartz. ABC said no. “Divorce was a taboo topic on television, so they said, ‘Let’s just leave it so you don’t know.’”
Schwartz relates that in “History of the Sitcom,” which CNN airs at 9 p.m. Sundays. Its two-hour opener (July 11) offered a quick, slick ride through depictions of family and sexuality. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 12, 2021

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Wiig has two roles here, one great and one …

It would be best to watch Kristen Wiig’s new movie with a large, loopy audience.
Date night would be good; bar night would be better. Alas, neither is likely.
Intended for movie theaters, “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” was stopped by COVID. Ater a video-on-demand run, it has just debuted on Hulu. Home viewers will love some parts, but others will leave them going: “Huh?!?”
At the core are two terrific characters (shown hee), created by people who know comedy. Wiig was the go-to star of “Saturday Night Live” for years, then became a movie star. Annie Mumolo has had supporting and voice roles on TV and has written a few small movies and one big one. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 11, 2021

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Need new, scripted shows? They’re coming July 11

At first glance, our summer TV line-ups already seem to be loaded.
There’s a ton of reality shows, a half-ton of game shows. There are oceans of sharks. ABC has the basketball finals and NBC is waiting semi-patiently for the July 23 start of the Olympics.
Is there anything missing? Yes, actually. New, scripted shows have been scarce … until now.
They’ll arrive in one gulp on Sunday (July 11). That night has the debuts of three series(including HBO’s “White Lotus,” shown here) and the season-openers of two more; that’s five new, scripted shows … plus one that looks at past comedies. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 11, 2021

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Amid sports surge, networks re-discover baseball

So this is what a winning streak looks like: Suddenly, the Chicago Cubs (shown here with Kris Bryant) get a spot on ABC … the first in decades.
And the streak is only one game, following a dizzying, 11-game losing streak. Turnarounds are great.
Usually, ESPN carries the Sunday-night basetball games. At 7 p.m. ET on Aug. 8, however, the Cubs-White Sox game will be produced by ESPN, but will air on its sister channel, ABC.
ABC did carry a wild-card game last year, but that was its first post-season game in 25 years. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 8, 2021

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Summertime silliness overload? Switch to PBS

Occasionally, it seems, TV veers away from its summer silliness.
You just have to know where to look … which is mostly PBS.
The network has just announced three “Frontline” films, plus six on “POV.” Those documentaries span the globe – Palestine, Peru and Puerto Rico, plus India, Afghanistan and the U.S, – and cover serious issues, from toppling statues (shown here) to propping up the economy. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 2, 2021