Day: March 19, 2020

Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for March 23: Time for tears & rage

1) “This Is Us” season-finale, 9 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. As last week’s fascinating episode ended, Rebecca reluctantly agreed to go away for a clinical trial, trying to head off Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages. That soothed one son (Randall), but may enrage the other (Kevin), who wants her near home. Now the two guys collide (shown here) at the first birthday party for Jack, the blind son of their sister Kate and her husband Toby. Expect something good; “This Is Us” has ended its seasons with deeply emotional jolts. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 19, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Country-music finds a socially-distant show

Here’s a fresh approach to the entertainment void created by the coronavirus:
On April 5,  musicians will offer intimate performances from their homes. That replaces the Academy of Country Music awards show (shown here last year, with George Strait and Miranda Lambert), usually a big Las Vegas spectacle; the awards had already been postponed until September. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 19, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for March 21: A world without sports

1) Sports override, everywhere. This was supposed to be an all-sports night – pro basketball on ABC, college basketball on CBS (and cable), figure-skating on NBC. Now all three are gone, replaced by reruns and newsmagazines. ABC has “Shark Tank” and “American Idol” (Hollywood Week begins) … NBC has “Ellen’s Game of Games” and “Dateline” … CBS has “FBI” (Sasha Alexander, shown here, as an endangered presidential candidate), “NCIS: New Orleans” (a theater explosion) and “48 Hours.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 19, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Virus specials pack together

As coronavirus dominates TV news, that reaches a new peak: Two virus specials – one on CNN, the other on PBS – will air at the same time (in some time zones), 8 p.m. Thursday (March 19).
In addition, Fox News Channel will have a special at 10 p.m. Sunday. The details are:
– “Coronavirus: Fact and Fears” will be 8-10 p.m. ET Thursday. That’s the second CNN special, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (shown here), to use a “town hall” approach on the subject. It will include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Celine Grounder and an interview with a patient in the vaccine clinical trial. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 19, 2020