Chances are, we’ll never know what happened in the streets of Chicago or in the recesses of Jussie Smollett’s mind.
But we can say this: Smollett is terrific in his final “Empire” episode. Read more…
My website reboot is finally here
.For a decade, I had a site that was designed for someone with my techno-talent (just north of zero). But now, some nice people who have lots of skill – Pamela Weil, Matt Borghi, Ryan Hughes (my son) – have nudged me into the 21st-century.
This new version includes all the things I send to papers – stories, daily best-bets, a weekly top-10. It also adds brief news items and/or random comments, such as these: Read more…
1) “Empire,” 8 p.m, Fox. In a grim year for Jussie Smollett, here’s good news: He’s perfect in his final “Empire” episode. Smollet was fired amid suspicion that he faked a crime report; by then, however, this episode had been filmed, centering on the scheduled wedding of Jamal (Smollett) and Kai. We won’t say if the wedding happens – Jamal’s dad faces a federal probe and his own discomfort about a gay wedding – but we will say this: Smollett, an understated actor, is superb in a deeply moving hour. Read more…
1) “1969” debut, 10 p.m., ABC. Last year, TV eyed the 50th anniversary of 1968, the year when heroes were killed and cities were burned. Now ABC starts a six-part look at ’69. It puts a strong focus on the July 20 moon landing, but includes the backdrop of tragedy and transformation – Manson murders, Chappaquiddick, Woodstock (shown here), Vietnam and the Stonewall Inn raid that sparked the drive for gay rights. Read more…
1) Earth Day shows. Shouldn’t there be a gap between holidays? Fresh from all the Easter events, we find that this is Earth Day. Kids get a special “Nature Cat” (shown here) episode, at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on most PBS stations and 6 p.m. on PBS Kids. Adults can try National Geographic’s “The Last Animals” at noon ET and a jungle episode of the splendid “Hostile Planet” at 9 p.m., rerunning at 11. Or they could all go to a movie theater; “Penguins,” a delightful DisneyNature film, is in its first week. Read more…
Each Sunday, Chicago has a new responsibility.
On TV, it represents all of urban America. It’s the backdrop for:-
– “The Red Line,” from 8-10 p.m. on CBS for four Sundays, starting April 28.
— “The Chi,” at 10 p.m. on Showtime. April 28 brings the fourth of 10 episodes. Read more…
What follows, after a few paragraphs, is the commentary I wrote Monday, as the “Gotham” finale neared.
It describes the great/bad quality of a show that has stunned us — but only with its visuals.After I wrote it, the finale became available to critics. It’s better (and, occasionally, worse) than I’d expected. Read more…
1) “The Red Line” opener, 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday, CBS. For years, CBS has remained No. 1 by playing it safe — dependable dramas with an ending (happy, usually) for each hour, Now comes a bold risk, a story spread over eight hours on four Sundays. We see a tragic mistake and its tangled impact. There are flaws here: The incident is too clear-cut; a key admission (late in the first hour) is unmotivated. Still, this is beautifully done; in the second hour, Noah Wylie (shown here) delivers some deeply moving moments. Read more…
1) “Motown 60,” 8-10 p.m. Sunday, CBS. It was 60 years (and three months) ago that Berry Gordy borrowed $800 and created Motown Records. It soared; one week, it had eight songs in the top 10. Some of the stars – Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Martha Reeves, Thelma Houston, Smokey Robinson (shown here with Pentatonix) will perform and others (Mary Wilson, songwriters) will offer memories. Also performing: Tori Kelly, John Legend, Meghan Trainor, Fantasia, Ne-Yo, Ciara, more. Read more…
