Day: June 21, 2019

Ailes’ loud life becomes a strong series

He had the loudest voice, the bulkiest body, the most relentless mind.
It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that Roger Ailes dominated television … then dominated American life.
Now a powerhouse Showtime mini-series — “The Loudest Voice” – captures that. Russell Crowe vividly depicts the late Ailes as a man of volume and venom and (when needed) subtlety. Read more…

The hotel is grand; the wedding was not

Stop and think about the weddings you’ve gone to.
Now do a calculation: In what percentage did the bride and groom say “I do” and become married?My own figure is 100 percent, but I might run with a dull crowd.
In the TV world, excluding finales, it seems closer to 50 percent. Read more…

Best-bets for June 23: Mega-music and deep dramas

1) BET Awards, 8 p.m., BET (which reruns it at 12:30 a.m.), MTV and VH1. On a night stuffed with music, Cardi B l(shown here) eads with seven nominations; that includes best album, facing Travis Scott, Meek Mill, Ella Mai and The Carters. She’ll perform; so will Billy Ray Cyrus, DJ Khaled, City Girl, Migus, Lucky Daye and more. Mary J. Blige gets a special award; Regina Hall hosts and is also up for best actress, going against Viola Davis, Taraji Henson, Tiffany Haddish, Regina King and Issa Rae. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for June 24: Ailes looms loudly

1) “The Loudest Voice” debut, 10 p.m. Sunday, Showtime. As Fox News prepares to premiere, its rehearsals are a disaster. A host bumbles, directors flail … and a dog has just taken an on-camera dump. The boss, Roger Ailes, will soon call a 4 a.m. meeting, filled with loud rage. Won’t this be a disaster? Not really. Ailes, understands a new TV era; instead of seeking a mass audience, he’s carving a specific one. Russell Crowe (shown here) plays the role with a skilled mix of subtlety, venom and volume. Read more…