Daily Best Bets
Best-bets for Nov. 9: “SNL” will try to laugh Best-bets for Nov. 9: “SNL” will try to laugh Best-bets for Nov.8: a semi-happy place; a musical salute Best-bets for Nov.8: a semi-happy place; a musical salute Best-bets for Nov. 7: ABC is back; CBS is fun Best-bets for Nov. 7: ABC is back; CBS is fun
Stories

It’s a wild world — even in our cities

By Mike Hughes / November 1, 2024
Stories

Preston’s husband becomes her “Elsbeth” foe

By Mike Hughes / October 28, 2024
Stories

“Lincoln Lawyer” juggles sleek and serious drama

By Mike Hughes / October 25, 2024
of
Stories

New worlds? Percy is ready for them; so is Walker

The notion might seem overwhelming: A regular lad is whisked away to a special place, where he must do big things.
That happened to Harry Potter … And to Percy Jackson, the centerpiece of an epic series that starts Wednesday (Dec. 20) on Disney+ … And, sort of, to the actors playing them.
To Walker Scobell (shown here), who stars as Percy, such changes are a natural part of life. He grew up in a military family, accustomed to new schools and new lives.
“I think that helped with being an actor in general,” he said at a virtual press conference. “My dad is so used to moving a lot and our whole family is. So it wasn’t a big change.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 15, 2023
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Dec. 18: Big-deal finales … and two debuts

1) “The Voice” finale, 8 p.m. today and Tuesday, NBC. Tonight, the five finalists each do a ballad and an uptempo song; then viewers vote. The performances will be recapped at 8 p.m. Tuesday; at 9, finalists perform with their coaches – Lila Forde with John Legend, Ruby Leigh and Jacquie Roar (shown here) with Reba McEntire, Huntley and Mara Justine with Niall Horan. Also performing: Keith Urban, AJR, Tyla, Jelly Roll and Earth, Wind & Fire and Dan + Shay. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 14, 2023
News and Quick Comments

Christmas TV soars; here’s updated schedule

As Christmas nears, networks have made a few additions, subtractions and schedule-flips.
ABC added “The Sound of Music” (shown here) for Dec. 17 and gave it the full Sunday-night landscape, from 7-11 p.m. CW added an extra night of “The Chosen,” nudging “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” to Dec. 22. And the Turner networks (TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies) made several swithes.
With that in mine, here’s an updated round-up for Dec. 14-24. (For general reference, the original list still exists, under “stories.”)
This skips most Christmas episodes of regular shows and (with a few exceptions) reruns of TV movies. For theatrical films, it includes the eternal ones and skips the rest. Also, it barely scratches the vast resources of streaming networks; check your streamer for details. Here we go: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 14, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 16: Kate, Grinch & Frosty

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. A good season could turn into a great one: Kate McKinnon (shown here) is hosting and Billie Eilish is the music guest. “SNL” often seems to have one person who dominates the sketches. It’s Bowen Yang now (with Kenan Thompson a close second); at other times, it’s been Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and, especially, McKinnon. Add Eilish and you may have one of the show’s best episodes. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 14, 2023
News and Quick Comments

Post-strike, CW sticks with lower-budget plan

When the big networks return to full-budget, scripted shows, the CW will stand fast.
It will have the same sort of shows it (and others) settled for during the strikes. There will be lots a non-fiction, plus Canadian shows (including “Children Ruin Everything,” shown here) and a movie night.
For years, the CW had youthful shows — often high-octane, superhero ones. But 15 months ago, it got a new owner with plans to lower the costs; then the strikes saw all the networks trying that. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 13, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 15: Christmas tree, parade, movie

1) “National Christmas Tree Lighting,” 8 p.m., CBS. We don’t think of President Calvin Coolidge as a festive guy, but in 1923 he presided over the first lighting of the national tree. A century later, that’s a TV-ready celebration. Mickey Guyton (shown here) hosts and sings, with Dionne Warwick, Joe Walsh, Ledisi, Darren Criss, St. Vincent, Renee Rapp and Samara Joy. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 13, 2023
Stories

British custom — Christmas Day TV — reaches U.S.

A British custom – TV episodes planned for Christmas Day – is making modest inroads in the U.S.
The big one this year is a “Doctor Who,” introducing a new Doctor and his companion (the stgars are shown here). It marks the show’s move to Disney+.
In addition, however, there are two others arriving exactly on Dec. 25 (PBS’ “Call the Midwife” and Acorn’s “Madame Blanc Mysteries”), two that come a day earlier (Britbox’s “Lot 249” ghost story and its “Beyond Paradise”) and some others from earlier in the month. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 13, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Dec. 14: “Crown,” country, Christmas

1) “The Crown” conclusion, Netflix. A great series wraps up. In each of its previous five seasons, “The Crown” drew an Emmy nomination for best drama series. (It won once, with last season still pending.) It has 64 more nominations, 20 wins and an admiring audience. Four weeks ago, the season’s first four episodes arrived, taking us to Diana’s death; now the final six spend more time on the William-and-Kate (shown here) and Harry stories, and on the struggles of a changing monarchy. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 12, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 9: “SNL” will try to laugh

By Mike Hughes / November 7, 2024
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov.8: a semi-happy place; a musical salute

By Mike Hughes / November 6, 2024
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 7: ABC is back; CBS is fun

By Mike Hughes / November 5, 2024
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 6: San Diego goes wild; Fox has fun, fun, fun

By Mike Hughes / November 4, 2024
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 5: The election … and alternatives

By Mike Hughes / November 3, 2024