Day: May 22, 2020

Film finds global sweep of anti-semitism

Standing face-to-face with a racist, Andrew Goldberg found something surprising: He sort of liked him.
“He’s a very likable guy,” Goldberg said. “We had an interesting friendship.”
Goldberg interviewed Russ Walker(shown here) for “Viral: Anti-Semitism in Four Mutations,” the compelling documentary that airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday (May 26) on PBS. Walker proudly displayed a sign reading “What’s wrong with being a racist?” The flip side added: “God is a racist.”
Plenty of people saw the sign, knew Walker’s views … and voted for him anway, when he ran for the North Carolina House in 2018. “He was a 75-year-old guy with no staff,” Goldberg said, but he got 37 percent of the votes, running as a Republican in a strongly Democratic district. Read more…

Here’s a big jump in social-distance TV

The art of social-distance television has advanced quickly.
It’s been like watching evolution at hyper-speed. In just two months, the lowly water slug has transformed into a mighty cheetah.
OK, maybe just into a less-lowly land slug. But it’s been impressive, anyway.
The latest example – and the best so far – is an episode of “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet,” arriving today (May 22) on Apple TV+.With some great moments for Charlotte Nicdao (shown here in an earlier episode) and Rob McElhenny (who wrote it), it’s witty, warm (briefly) and ends with a dandy visual stunt. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for May 25: The summer shows begin

1) “Agents of SHIELD” season-opener, 10 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. In a summer devoid of new Marvel and DC movies, TV steps in. DC has the likable new “Stargirl” at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on CW; Marvel has this show’s seventh and final season. The team suddenly finds itself in 1931 New York City (shown here), with its ship ready to time-jump at any moment. It must figure out what happened, before the past, present and future face disaster. To lure us in, ABC has Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” (2014), from 8-10 p.m. Read more…

ABC will seem familiar this fall

Fans of the ABC line-up can quit worrying:
With few replacements available, most of their shows will be back this fall.
The network has canceled a few comedies – “Single Parents,” “Schooled” and “Bless This Mess” – and one drama, “Emergence.” But other shows with borderline ratings — “Stumptown” (shown here), “A Million Little Things,” “Black-ish,” “American Housewife” — will be back. Read more…