Mike Hughes on TV

“Bridgerton” has more barriers to break

The lush “Bridgerton” series still has barriers to break. Its next season will apparently be the first with an LGBT romance at its core.
As filming began in London, the Netflix show said it will focus on Francesca’s relationship with Michaela (they’re shown here), her late husband’s cousin.
Through its first four seasons, “Bridgerton” has brought many inter-racial romances and marriages (including Francesca and her husband, John Stirling) to high society in the early 1800s. The fourth season broke class barriers, when Benedict Bridgerton fell in love with a servant. Gay romance has also been touched upon briefly; now it moves to the center Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 24, 2026

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for March 26: sports surge, plus music

1) “iHeartRadio Music Awards,” 8-10 p.m., Fox. Amid a sports surge, we also get pop music. Performers are Ludacris, who hosts, and John Mellencamp (shown here), who gets a special award, plus Alex Warren, Kehlani, Raye, Lainey Wilson and, for the first time, a linking of three classic girl groups — TLC. En Vogue and Salt-N-Pepa. Also getting a special award is Miley Cyrus. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 24, 2026

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for March 25: End is here for “Fear,” near for “Singer”

1) “The Masked Singer,” 8 p.m., Fox. We’re a week from the finale, with five people left, (One, viewers know, is Kylie Cantrall, shown here in Disney’s “Rise of Red” movie, as “Cat Witch.”) This edition has dumped some singers — Billy Ray Cyrus, Jack Wagner, Tone Loc — and others. Last week it unmasked actor-singer Evan Ross (Diana Ross’ son) and Greg Mathis, of “Judge Mathis” fame. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 22, 2026

Stories

A gentle pace: three seasons in 21 years

In TV’s olden days, situation comedies kept cranking out episodes — 39 a year, year after year.
And a modern-day contrast? Consider Lisa Kudrow’s “The Comeback” (shown here), which has just returned to HBO.
It had 13 episodes in 2005 … rested nine years, before doing eight episodes in 2014 … then rested a dozen years, before this eight-episode final season.
It needed a compelling reason to return, co-creator Michael Patrick King said at a press conference. That came with the rise of artificial intelligence. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 22, 2026

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets fo March 24: Doc, Daredevil & 500th “NCIS”

1) “NCIS” 500th episode, 8 p.m., CBS. Yes, 500 episodes. That’ s below “The Simpsons”(805) and the “Law & Order” shows (588 and 538), but it’s 499 above “Turn-on,” “South of Sunset” and others. This episode (shown here) has concocted a way to get everyone involved: A Marine’s son is desperate for help; the fractured team links for an off-the-books operation. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 22, 2026

Stories

Easter season brings epics, documentaries, more

As Easter nears, TV networks are paying attention.
They have sprawling epics from Hollywood’s past, plus shows that are more recent. They pack the final weekend (April 3-5), but also have some things a week earlier.
A couple of these are on the big networks: Fox has “The Faithful” movies on Sundays; ABC has its annual repeat of “The Ten Commandments” on April 4, the night before Easter.
But the real flurry is on smaller channels, ones that exist on cable or satellite or online or on digital sub-channels carried by local stations. Here are some of the choices. The times are ET, but that varies. For Fox or History, for instance, an 8 p.m. ET show is also 8 p.m. PT; for Turner Classic Movies, an 8 p.m. show is 5 p.m. PT: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 21, 2026

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for March 23: clever comedies, plus bowlers

1) “St. Denis Medical,” 8 p.m., NBC. Three stories pair the main characters neatly. Bruce (shown here) and Matt are on ambulance runs … Joyce and Alex are hiring a head midwife … and Ron and Serena battle over a pen, seemingly the only thing at the hospital that works. It all blend into a slick, funny episode. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 21, 2026

News and Quick Comments

“Marty Supreme” heading to HBO Max

We can now declare HBO Max the clear winner of this year’s awards chase.
On April 24, it will add “Marty Supreme” (shown here). That joins a pile that already has “One Battle After Another.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 21, 2026

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for March 22: a big, busy night

1) “The Forsytes” opener, 9 p.m., PBS. It’s PBS’ third time telling the massive story of wealth, greed and romance in the early 1900s. This time it has all the modern skills to create a visually gorgeous show(as shown here) … plus a modern emphasis on the women. This six-Sunday story is just the first season, but it also works beautifully as a stand-alone mini-series. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 20, 2026

News and Quick Comments

“Bachelorette” is dropped before it starts

“The Bachelorette” has suddenly been yanked from ABC’s schedule, three days before it was set to open its season.
The decision came after TMZ released a video showing Taylor Frankie Paul (shown here) seemingly attacking her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen and throwing several chairs at him. The incident led to Paul pleading guilty to aggravated assault. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 19, 2026