Day: March 20, 2020

“One Day” adjusts to TV changes

For the “One Day at a Time” actors, there have been some sharp adjustments.
The first was the notion of having a studio audience. “I was terrified,” Justina Machado recalled.
And the second is NOT having one. On March 10, “One Day” became the first situation comedy to forego a studio audience because of coronavirus concerns.
By then, the show was taping its fourth season and actors were comfortable. “I could not even imagine this show without an audience,” Machado had told the Television Critics Association in January.
That’s been one or many changes for “One Day.” It was canceled by Netflix and then rescued by cable’a Pop network, where it starts its season Tuesday. Read more…

Virus puts TV music in limbo

The coronavirus has put TV’s music shows in limbo.
The latest news is that “American Idol” (shown here with Grace Leer) has sent its contestants home, at least for now. It had already taped episodes through March 29, but had planned to go live on March 30.
That joins other music-related changes, including: Read more…

Best-bets for March 22: Masterful “Women,” musical fun

1) “Little Women” (shown here), 8-11 p.m., PBS. Yes, the 2019 movie was masterful. Still, this 2018 mini-series is also first-rate. Given more time (but not more money), it has Louisa May Alcott’s special blend of unapologetic warmth and sentiment, alongside sibling rage and worldly ambition. Newcomer Maya Hawke (daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman) is a superb Jo, in a tradition from Katharine Hepburn in 1933 to Saoirse Ronan in 2019. Emily Watson and Angela Lansbury offer fine support. Read more…