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Spin-offs swarm through the crime-show universe

Network televiison, it seems, will soon be plugged up with franchise spin-offs.
NBC has just ordered “Law & Order: For the Defense.” That comes after the debut of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (shown here) on NBC … and after CBS ordered spin-offs of “FBI,” “CSI” and “NCIS.”
The play-it-safe approach reflects a new reality, when networks simply can’t get their shows sampled. CBS has tried some non-franchise dramas, with “Tommy” and “Clarice” stumbling in the ratings and “All Rise” remaining on the fence. So spin-offs – most of them not yet cast – are set for next season: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 3, 2021

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CW sets surge of scripted summer shows

In the vast void of summer TV, is there a place for new, scripted shows?
We’ll find out this year, when the CW network makes a huge push. This summer, it will start the seasons of eight scripted shows (including “Dead Pixels,” shown here) … return two others after long rests … and continue five spring shows that overlap deep into the summer.
That follows the 2020 slump, when the COVID lockdown crippled networks’ summer schedules.
For this year, networks are planning a return to normal. But that means reality shows – “America’s Got Talent,” “Bachelorette,” “Big Brother,” etc. – plus a pile of ABC games. Broadcast networks are avoiding new, scripted shows in the summer … except for PBS on Sundays and CW almost every day. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 30, 2021

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ABC makes Monday switch: “Idol” out, cartoons in

There’s a quick change for Monday-night TV: Cartoons are in; “American Idol” is out.
“Idol” will remain on Sundays, picking a champion on May 23. The Monday editions, however, are gone; instead, ABC is reviving its old “Wonderful World of Disney” banner; that starts May 3 with “The Incredibles 2” (shown here).
Like most shows, “Idol” has seen ts ratings crumble this season. On Sundays, its total viewership is down 15 percent, which is about average; but in the key 18-49 age group, that’s down 27 percent.
And on Mondays – when the show goes eye-to-eye with NBC’s “The Voice” – the decline is huge: “Idol” is down 27 percent overall, and 46 percent in ages 18-49. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 29, 2021

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Oscar telecast: Lotsa talk, little fun

My favorite Academy Award winners this year were Anthony Hopkins and Ann Roth.
Not that I particularly thought they were best in their categories (actor and costumes) … but because they weren’t there. That meant two fewer speeches in this acceptance marathon.
Lots of jobs have been eliminated during this difficult year, but one task was absolutely vital to our happiness. That’s the bandleader who plays music when it’s time for someone to quit talking.
This year? No leader … and no band … and no end to the speeches. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 26, 2021

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CBS adds one “NCIS,” renews another

CBS won’t have an “NCIS” shortage next season, after all. And there’s no Hawaiian shortfall, either.
The network announced that it will launch “NCIS: Hawaii” … and that “NCIS: Los Angeles” (shown here) will be back for its 13th season. “NCIS” was already renewed for its 19th season.
Previously, CBS had cancelled two of its dramas: “MacGyver” ends its fith and final season Friday (April 30); “NCIS: New Orleans” ends iits seventh season and final season May 23. It renewed most of its other crime dramas, but “NCIS: Los Angeles”still had pending negotiations. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 25, 2021

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Netflix’s big Oscar night?

This is the Academy Award year that Netflix might have dreamed about … in a twisted, “Rosemary’s Baby” kind of way.
It’s the year the streaming channel leads everyone, with 37 nominations; several (including “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” shown here) would be deserving winners. But first, that reference:
In the 1968 movie, Rosemary’s husband landed a coveted role, when another actor was suddenly struck blind. That’s sort of like Netflix: It was forever considered to be second-tier, because its films show up only briefly in theaters; then came this year, when all the movies were like that.
We’re sure (well, somewhat sure) that Netflix wouldn’t want a pandemic to happen, just to give it an even playing field. Still, that’s what we have. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 24, 2021

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PBS plans a big, busy summer

A year after the pandemic put summer TV into a tailspin, things seem to be nearly normal.
PBS has just announced a summer line-up that includes four dramas, three classical concerts (including a solo concert by Anna Netrebko, shown here in operatic splendor), two Washington, D.C., events and – as usual – a ton of non-fiction. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 20, 2021

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An outsider shakes the Philadelphia courts

To some people, the idea — Larry Krasner (shown here) running for Philadelphia district attorney – seemed bizarre.
He had never been a prosecutor. He had spent 30 years as a defense attorney, often representing protesters and suing police. The police-union president called the idea “hilarious.”
Except Krasner won quite easily, even surprising himself. “I was a political unknown,” he told the Television Critics Association. Originally, “I thought I had about a 40 percent chance to win.”
Then came the tough part, traced in “Philly DA,” an eight-hour series starting 9-11 p.m. Tuesday (April 20) on PBS: He wanted to de-emphasize some crimes and to quit asking for cash bail for most. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 19, 2021

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Nashville soars; Hollywood snores?

On Sunday (April 18), Nashville reminded us of something important: An award show — shown here with Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans — can be very good.
A week later, Hollywood may remind us of the flip side: Awards can be truly, terribly awful.
These shows used to be partly built on the fun of seeing celebrities being themselves (or, perhaps, prettier versions of themselves). They said things that were funny or fumbling or emotional or whatever.
But all of that has changed lately. They recite names; they thank managers and agents and, worse, “my team.” They are dull; the show can only be saved with humor and/or music. So what will the Oscars do, from 8-11 p.m. ET April 25? It is banishing humor — no host, no funny presenters (so far) — and music; the five nominated songs will be wedged into the preview at 6:30 p.m., lest entertainment take any time away from droning speeches. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 17, 2021

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Beyond the blubber: Whales show rich personalities

We kind of know what whales are like – big and blubbery and such.
Or maybe we don’t know them at all. They vary widely, photographer Brian Skerry told the Television Critics Association. That can depend on the species, the region, even the individual.
“These animals do have languages,” said Skerry, whose richly crafted “Secrets of the Whales” (shown here) has an Earth Day debut on Disney+. “They do have dialects. (They) have rich lives, much like our own.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 17, 2021