Day: September 23, 2019

Doc Martin is back, glower and all

For a good chunk of Martin Clunes’ year, the transformation is total.
The suit and tie go on; the glower returns. He becomes a country doctor with a city soul; he becomes a guy with great medical skill – unless blood is involved – and an awful bedside manner.
Then the “Doc Martin” filming ends and he reverts to being the opposite. “I’m far too keen to please,” said Clunes (shown here with Caroline Catz, who plays his wife(. “I wish I had his ability to explain to people that he is always right and they are wrong.” Read more…

Best-bets for Sept. 25: A farewell season begins

1) “Modern Family” season-opener, 9 p.m., ABC. It’s the 11th and final season for one of TV’s best comedies. For five straight years, this won the best-comedy Emmy; one year, all six adults were nominated. A lot has happened since this began: Haley, then barely a teen, tonight (shown here) is arguing with her parents about how to raise her twins. Read more…

Emmys: Hostless night sometimes turned dreary

For a while, it looked like the no-host Emmys might actually work
.There was a brilliant bit with Ben Stiller and Bob Newhart. There were funny moments from Anthony Anderson and from three people who should have hosted – Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers. The show was fast and funny and …
Then it skidded to a stop, reminding us why hosts are crucial. Sure, there were a few great moments, including the acceptance speech of Michelle Williams, a winner in the “Fosse/Verdon” mini-series; more often, people drably thanked their agents and such. Read more…