Day: June 27, 2020

A 4th of July void? TV has an answer

For four decades, “A Capitol Fourth” has had a cozy place in holiday plans.
It was a choice – a traffic-free, mosquito-free way to catch music and fireworks on the 4th of July. Some years, it was PBS’ most-watched show.
And now? Suddenly, it’s gone from being “a choice” to being almost “the only choice.” With cities canceling fireworks — and with only one other network (NBC) stepping in – “Capitol Fourth” (shown here in a previous year, with Kelli O’Hara) gets a fresh focus.
“So many people have called, wanting to be part of this,” said Michael Colbert, the producer. “We have 15 new performances – the most we’ve ever had.” Read more…

Best-bets for June 29: Activist women, horny men

1) “POV: And She Could Be Next,” 9-11 p.m., PBS; concludes Tuesday. Filmed in 2017-18, this fits the current surge in minority activism. We see women fighting the odds in political races. Tonight wraps up two stories: In Michigan, Rashida Tlaib (shown here) tries to be the first Muslim woman in Congress; in Chicago, Bashra Amiwala, a Palestinian-American teen, runs for county board. It also starts several other stories, including Stacey Abrams in Georgia. The result is long and slow, but involving.
Read more…