Day: April 6, 2020

News and Quick Comments

All rise for a social-distance drama

While many TV shows have stopped filming, “All Rise” will take an alternate approach:
On May 4, it will have an episode about the shutdown … filmed shutdown-style.
One of the show’s producers is Gil Garcetti, the former Los Angeles County district attorney. He’s been talking to the others, CBS said, about how the legal system works amid social-distancing.
That led to a story in which Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick) presides over a trial from her home. Other characters will be shown in their homes, using FaceTime, WebEx, Zoom and more. Director Michael Robin will use some special effects and will have a lone camera person, inside a vehicle, getting shots of a now-desolate Los Angeles Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 6, 2020
Stories

Easter TV: “Superstar,” gospel, epics and more

Our TV sets have a new function this weekend: They can be portals to a virtual Easter.
Other years have had plenty of Easter shows, but they didn’t seem as necessary. People went to church and to family gatherings and more.
This year, however, many churches are closed, sending their services online. TV has a bigger role.
The broadcast networks do a little. ABC has already had its annual “Ten Commandments”; NBC came up with a late addition: At 7 p.m. Sunday, it will rerun its “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” an ambitious production with John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper and lots of Broadway stars. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 6, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 8: Farewell to a comedy classic

1) “Modern Family” series finale, 9 and 9:30 p.m., ABC, with an overview at 8. For 11 seasons and 22 Emmys (five for best comedy), this has offered consistently clever comedy, built around a lovingly mismatched family. “Modern Family” (shown here in a previous episode) started with Mitchell and Cam adopting a baby; now they have their new baby and new house. Also, Phil and Claire decide that one of the kids must move out. And Gloria is successful at work, but frets that her husband and son don’t really need her. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 6, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for April 7: Wedding bliss on “Schitt’s Creek”?

1) “Schitt’s Creek” series finale, 8 p.m., Pop, rerunning at 10. This pleasant little Canadian show (shown here) ends just as we’d hoped it would, with a low-key mixture of warmth and craziness. The crazed one is David, played by Dan Levy, who created the show with his dad (Eugene) and wrote and co-directed the finale. David has been obsessing about the perfect wedding to Patrick. Naturally, things go very wrong … and quite right. There are some adult moments (including F-words) and then a sweet farewell. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 6, 2020
Stories

“Creek” ends and TV evolves

Two long-running comedies say farewell this week.
One is much-loved, one much-liked. Both will be greatly missed. And together, they show how life (especially TV life) has changed in a decade or so.
Planning “Modern Family” in 2009, producers decided to start with a gay couple adopting a baby. “I remember saying to Chris (Lloyd), ‘Well, there goes Middle America,’” Steve Levitan recalled.
Now jump ahead 11 years: When “Schitt’s Creek” closes its season Tuesday, the entire focus will be on the wedding of David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid), shown here. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 6, 2020