News and Quick Comments

While money men work out the future, the former Ted Turner networks have basic plans for now.
The billion-dollar stuff – merging Warner and Discovery channels – is for later. For now, the “TNets” range from the silliness of “Wipeout” and “Go-Big Show” to the dead-serious “Snowpiercer” (shown here) and “Claws.”
Coming is what Brett Weitz, general manager of TBS, TNT and TruTV, calls “a very packed summer.” That will range from the comic “Miracle Workers” to the crime drama “Animal Kingdom,” and will include a fresh twist to movie night.
TBS’ “Friday Night Vibes” will have Tiffany Haddish hosting films and chatting with friends; that starts June 18 with a Juneteenth celebration that includes a “Creed” double-feature. “She’s such a pro …. I can’t wait to see who she gets to hang with her each week,” Weitz told reporters. Read more…

For ABC, the new TV season will have a diverse look.
Of the four new shows the network has announced, three have predominantly Black casts. That includes a “Wonder Years” reboot (shown here) that now has Don Cheadle voicing the grown-up narrator, recalling a 1960s childhood in Montgomery, Ala.
That news comes shortly after ABC canceled two Black-themed shows (“For Life” and “Mixed-ish”) and three others (“Rebel,” “American Housewife” and “Call Your Mother”). The network’s other shows have been renewed, including some – “The Rookie,” “Home Economics,” “Big Sky,” “American Idol,” “A Million Little Things” – that might have been close calls.
ABC will present its line-up to advertisers at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, but sent news over the weekend about four new series. They are: Read more…

This year’s Tony Award telecast will be last year’s Kennedy Center Honors … sort of.
And that could satisfy people who want high-class celebrations of the performing arts.
CBS has set the Kennedy Center show for 8-10 p.m. June 6. Gloria Estefan will host and the honorees will range from violinist Midori, 49, to actor Dick Van Dyke, 95; others are country’s Garth Brooks (shown here), 59; folk’s Joan Baez, 80; and actress-dancer Debbie Allen, 71. Read more…

The Classic Film Festival is at its mid-point now, with lots more top films on Turner Classic Movies.
That starts Saturday morning (May 8), with some cartoons for grown-ups. It continues through Sunday night, with “Goodbye Girl” (shown here), “Fame” and more.
Or you could go to the TCM hub of HBO Max, where lots more classics are waiting. A separate story offers an overview of the festival; meanwhile, here’s the schedule, trimmed down to the final two days: Read more…