Daily Best Bets
Best-bets for Jan.17: a double-Sam night Best-bets for Jan.17: a double-Sam night Best-bets for Jan. 16: “Law” returns, “Dutch” improves Best-bets for Jan. 16: “Law” returns, “Dutch” improves Best-bets for Jan. 15: laughs, Hitchcock and a Biden farewell Best-bets for Jan. 15: laughs, Hitchcock and a Biden farewell
Stories

UFO’s: Lots of answers … and some enigmas

By Mike Hughes / January 13, 2025
Stories

First the day jobs, then classy British dramas

By Mike Hughes / January 5, 2025
Stories

“Origins” steps one Foote into the light side

By Mike Hughes / December 31, 2024
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News and Quick Comments

A perfect blend: Chalamet becomes Dylan

Two remarkable talents fuel the movie “A Complete Unknown.”
One is Bob Dylan, the eternal enigma. The other is Timothee Chalamet, who doesn’t seem enigmatic at all; he’s simply in the Hanks/Streep/Newman mode, combining steep talent and hard work.
Now that pays off at the Golden Globes (8-11 p.m. ET Sunday, Jan. 5, on CBS). Of the six nominees for best motion picture drama, two – “Dune: Part 2” and “A Complete Unknown” – star Chalamet.
In the latter, he’s also nominated for best actor. This is the film where he becomes Dylan and, at 29, shows his range as an actor. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 2, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 4: fun, football and Cruise

1) Football, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN2. The bowl barrage finally ends, with a game that’s early and sunny. The Bahamas Bowl has Buffalo – possibly delighted to be away from snowstorms – and Liberty. Afterward, ABC and ESPN have the regular-season pro finales for the Browns (3-13) and Ravens (11-5) at 4:30 and the Bengals (shown here, 8-8) and Steelers (10-6) at 8. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 2, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 3: It’s a semi-happy mix

1) “Happy’s Place,” 8 p.m., NBC. Let’s at least credit this show for being one of the first with a new episode after the holidays: Competing with Gabby to be a comedy emcee Bobbie (Reba McEntire) gets coaching from her half-sister. (They’re show here.) The story requires four characters to be wildly overwrought. The others, Takoda and Emmett, provide enough laughs to make it sort of fun. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 1, 2025
Stories

“Origins” steps one Foote into the light side

Rippling through “NCIS: Origins” are all the usual elements – murder, arson, treason and generally impolite behavior.
But there’s one thing more: “There’s so much humor in the show,” David North, one of the two showrunners, told the Television Critics Association.
Well … not “Big Bang” or Three Stooges humor, but neat niches of levity from Caleb Foote (shown here) and others. Viewers can sample that as “Origins” reruns the start of its season.
So far, 10 episodes have aired. Before the second half of the “Origins” season starts (Jan. 27), all will have had a second run.
Two reran early. Now come the others – one on Monday, Dec. 30; three on Wednesday, Jan. 1; one Monday, Jan. 6; the other three on Sunday, Jan. 12. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 31, 2024
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 31: music, music and football

1) “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” 8-10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., ABC. Ryan Seacrest will be in Times Square, where Carrie Underwood (shown here in a previous concert) does the last songs of 2024, the Jonas Brothers the first of 2025. Also, Megan Moroney, TLC and Sophie Ellis-Bextor in Times Square; Luis Fonsi in Puero Rico; Blake Shelton in Las Vegas; Lenny Kravitz and more in Los Angeles. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 29, 2024
Stories

Here’s the line-up of new shows and season-openers

Here’s a list of 42 shows — debuts or season-openers — coming this mid-season. Some are terrific (“The Americas” is shown here), some aren’t, but all provide fresh choices. The story below this has more details.

NEW SCRIPTED SHOWS
— “Going Dutch,” 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, Fox. The career of a tough colonel (Denis Leary) implodes. He’s sent to a gentle Dutch base, run by his estranged daughter. The opening episode is flat; the second is better.
— “Doc,” 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, Fox. Here’s a brilliant concept, beautifully executed. Recovering from a traffic crash, a doctor has lost eight years of memories. Now she must update her knowledge … and adjust to her misdeeds during those years. Molly Parker leads a terrific cast. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 28, 2024
Stories

It’s time for the mid-season surge

As the New Year confetti gets swept away, TV starts its in-between phase.
At the worst, that can mean reruns and time-fillers. At the best, there’s a burst of new-show energy.
Listed separately (see story above this) are 42 shows coming to broadcast networks, ranging from the compelling “Doc” (shown here) and gorgeous “Americas” to the so-so “Watson” and “Going Dutch.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 28, 2024
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan.17: a double-Sam night

By Mike Hughes / January 15, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 16: “Law” returns, “Dutch” improves

By Mike Hughes / January 14, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 15: laughs, Hitchcock and a Biden farewell

By Mike Hughes / January 13, 2025
Stories

UFO’s: Lots of answers … and some enigmas

By Mike Hughes / January 13, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 14: Tuesdays are funny again

By Mike Hughes / January 12, 2025