Day: July 31, 2020

News and Quick Comments

Lewis tribute leads flood of Black-themed shows

John Lewis will receive another TV tribute –this time in prime time on CBS.
“John Lewis: Celebrating a Hero,” will be 10 p.m. Tuesday, hosted by Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Brad Pitt and Gayle King. That’s one of many shows that have been added lately, as TV networks pay increased attention to Black people and issues.
Lewis died of cancer July 17 at 80, after 33 years in Congress and 57 years of civil-rights leadership. He was a prime force in the March on Washington in 1963 and the Selma bridge march in 1965. (He’s shown here in a reunion march at the bridge.) Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 31, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Aug. 2: Funny tasks and bouncing balls

1) “Taskmaster” debut, 9 p.m., CW. These are games we rarely try: Make a ventriloquist dummy from odd objects … Bite doughnuts off a line, so they fall into your pail … Play hide-and-seek at a railroad yard … And bring a potent smell from home. Alex Horne created and writes this oddity, but works as the semi-silent sidekick to the flashier host, Greg Davies. (They’re shown here.) An American version had a one-season run on Comedy Central, but these are the original British episodes, which are weirdly likable. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 31, 2020
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Aug. 3: “Big Brother” is back, “Coroner” is strong

1) “Coroner” (shown here) debut, 9 p.m. Wednesday, CW. This mini-network keeps importing shows to plug holes. Some are goofy (“Killer Camp,” “Task Master”) or bland (“Fridge Wars”), but this one is surprisingly good. Based on a series of novels, it starts with a life-changing moment for Dr. Jenny Cooper; then we flash forward. She’s the new coroner in Toronto, ready to help solve cases. The first – set in in a youth detention center – is a tough, smart story. Sharply written and acted, “Coroner” is a summer surprise. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 31, 2020
News and Quick Comments

African immigrants (fictional or real) have their TV moments

Stories of African immigrants are getting a rare spurt of TV attention.
You can find them Monday (Aug. 3) in a witty comedy – “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m. on CBS — and a serious documentary, “POV,” 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). You can even see this beneath the reality-show glitz of “Real Housewives of Potomac,” at 9 p.m. Sundays on Bravo.
And yes, that’s a huge range – from comedy and glitter to the PBS film. which describes the six-year ordeal of a woman simply identified as Sabine (shown here), who went from country to country. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 31, 2020