Month: February 2020

Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Feb. 17: A time for farewells

1) “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” finale, 8-10 p.m. today, NBC. It’s time to name what the shows calls its “world champion.” This started with 22 people who had done well on “America’s Got Talent,” plus 18 from other “Got Talent” shows globally. Last week, its top 10 – six of them from “AGT” – performed and viewers voted. There are three singers (including young Norwegian Angelina Jordan, shown here) and three dance groups (one adding acrobatics), plus acrobats, a trapeze act, a dog act and a violinist. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 13, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 15: Great movie, nice continent

1) “Casablanca” (1942), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. The Oscar season has concluded now, but not on TCM. Its “31 Days of Oscar” – continuing through March 2 – peaks with Humphrey Bogart (shown here) and Ingrid Bergman in this bittersweet, black-and-white wartime drama. It won Academy Awards for best picture winner, director Michael Curtiz and its script. The American Film Institute puts it at No. 3 all-time, behind only “Citizen Kane” and “The Godfather.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 13, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 14: Charlie leads Valentine flurry

1) “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Valentine,” 8 and 8:30 p.m., ABC. Valentine’s Day turns out to be a cartoon event. Holiday specials are scattered throughout the day on PBS Kids, then reach ABC at night. One is a 1975 classic with the usual crises – no cards for Charlie Brown, no love for Lucy, a mix-up involving Sally and Linus. “A Charlie Brown Valentine” was created in 2002, after Charles Schulz’s death. Charlie(shown here with Sally) finally dares to call the little red-haired girl. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 12, 2020
Stories

“High Fidelity” has a high love for music

“High Fidelity” keeps marching across the media landscape.
It was a 1995 Nick Hornby novel … a 2000 John Cusack movie … and a 2006 Broadway musical. Now it’s a streaming series – a good one – arriving Friday(Feb.14) on Hulu.
In each version, we meet Rob, a young record-store owner who composes top-5 lists while facing romance setbacks.
Details change along the way. Rob was originally white and male; now the role is beautifully played by Zoe Kravitz (shown here), who is neither. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 11, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 13: Drama and comedy cohabit

1) “Grown-ish,” 8 p.m., Freeform. This well-crafted comedy-drama leans way to the drama side tonight. Nomi(Emily Arlook, at right with Yara Shahidi) takes the first ultrasound of her pregnancy; that’s followed by celebration … arguments … and life-changing questions. It’s a smart and serious episode, peppered by some comedy, with Sky in the midst of a serious debate: Is her new boyfriend black or white? Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 11, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Cable celebrates a long and lustful life

The long life and wondrous career of Kirk Douglas will be celebrated on Turner Classic Movies
.That will be March 5, with some of the best-known films at nighttime. It will be “Lust for Life” (shown here, 1956) at 5:45 p.m., “Paths of Glory” (1958) at 8 and “Spartacus” at 9:45.
Douglas died Feb. 5, after a life that was extraordinary in its length (103 years), its impact and how far he had leaped. His first memoir illusttrated that leap with its title: “The Ragman’s Son.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 11, 2020
Stories

Indigenous actors — from different continents — find stardom

It was one of the quieter moments in a busy Academy Award ceremony.
There was Taika Waititi, accepting the Oscar for the screenplay of “Jojo Rabbit,” which he directed and co-starred in. “I dedicate this to all the indigenous kids in the world who want to do art,” he said.
Before the ceremony, much of the focus had been on other underutilized groups – blacks and women. By the end of the night, however, we were reminded just how big the world is … even on shows like “FBI: Most Wanted,” shown here. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 10, 2020
News and Quick Comments

The Oscars: No host, no fun (at times) … but great music

My Oscar Day adventures began in the morning, long before “Parasite” (shown here) was named best picture.
I was in a movie theater, watching the pre-previews. (Yes, it’s my fault for getting there early.) Some onscreen idiot said the Academy Award ratings were up last year,  “and most people think it was because” the show had no host.
One small correction: Approximately NO ONE — or no reasonable human being — thinks that. In truth: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 10, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Feb. 12: All-champ “Survivor”

1) “Survivor” opener, 8-10 p.m, CBS. For its 40th edition, “Survivor” is bringing back 20 champions (shown here) … including Sandra Diaz-Twine, who’s won it twice. This goes as far back to Ethan Zohn, who won the third edition, in 2001 … and is as recent as the 2018 winners, Nick Wilson and Wendell Holland. It also includes Rob and Amber Mariano: He proposed (and she said yes) in 2004, when they were the two finalists. She won; seven years later, he won. Now they have four daughters, ages 5 to 10. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 10, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Red-carpet: Is EVERYONE an A?

Imagine a grading scale that goes all the way from A to … well, A-plus.
Imagine a 1-to-10 scale being replaced by … maybe a 9.9-to-10 scale.
That’s roughly what watching E’s red-carpet Osvasr coverage was like. Somehow, even Billie Eilish (shown here) — who seemed to be wearing her grandfather’s sweatsuit pajamas — was praised for bringing “a new era of fashion.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 10, 2020