Month: September 2020

News and Quick Comments

“Van der Valk”: English actors, Dutch settings, strong stories

Piet Van der Valk is sort of your standard TV (or movie) detective.
He’s handsome and brooding; he’s single and lives on a boat. Handsome detectives often brood; they also live in odd places – boats or bars or backrooms or such.
What’s unusual about him, though, is that he’s:
1) On PBS, in a smart and deeply layered show. “Masterpiece: Van der Volk” (shown here) is 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 20 and 27). You could call it the first scripted show of the broadcast TV season; it’s a good one … and a huge jump over this summer’s disappointing “Endeavour.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 8, 2020
Stories

Wonder-ful Elinor sparks new cartoon series

There really is an Elinor, it seems, and she often wonders why.
That’s key to “Elinor Wonders Why,” which has just started. (It’s 10:30 a.m. weekdays on most PBS stations, plus 3:30 and 11:30 p.m. on PBS Kids.) “We wanted the show to be fun for the kids and to engage with them,” said co-creator Daniel Whitson.
So each episode has a little girl/bunny named Elinor discover things about nature. And yes, that girl is a lot like Elinor Cham, daughter of the show’s co-creator. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 7, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 9: Compelling journey to science future

1) “Nova” season-opener, 8-10 p.m., PBS. Here is PBS at its best – taking an impenetrable subject and making it easy to understand – and even compelling, almost in a science-fiction way. The subject, gene-editing, is explained by animation and more. We meet Jennifer Douda, the Berkeley biochemist who linkeed with  Emmanuelle Charpentier (they’re shown here, right to left) to find ways genes can be altered … and David Sanchez, 17, stricken by sickle-cell disorder. Could this be prevented? What are the ethical traps? These are compelling questions, beautifully posed. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 7, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Gene-editing stokes sci-fi type dreams, fears

The worlds of science-fiction and science-fact seem to collide when the subject turns to CRISPR.
That’s a type of “gene-editing” (illustrated here) which could lead to something very good – blocking genetic diseases. Or to some very bad forms of human engineering.
This debate has come up before, Alta Charo told the Television Critics Assoication recently. “Each time, we (ask): ‘Are we able to withstand the temptation to do things that are really destructive to the fabric of society and yet keep the value to prevent disease and help build families.”
She’s a University of Wisconsin professor, both a lawyer and a bioethicist. And she’s one of the key people in a compelling “Nova” season-opener, from 8-10 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 9) on PBS. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 7, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 8: “Transplant,” “Talent”

1) “Transplant,” 10 p.m., NBC. In a terrific opener last week, we slowly learned the basics: Bashir was a doctor who treated rebels in Syria, then fled to Canada with his little sister. Rejected by hospitals, he was working in a restaurant when tragedy struck. He saved the hospital’s medical chief, who then hired him. In another strong episode tonight, Bashir (shown here) finds more problems: The makeshift methods he used in Aleppo are viewed harshly in this by-the-book workplace; also a friend is undocumented and homeless. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 6, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 7: Ninjas leap; leopard prowls

1) “American Ninja Warrior” (shown here in previous year) season-opener, 8-10 p.m., NBC. This summertime hit has turned into a fall show. It’s getting a late start, but will sprawl across autumn, when NBC needs temporary help. That’s what “Big Brother” and “Love Island” do for CBS. Like those two, “Ninja” has a “bubble,” keeping everyone in one place. Instead of tryouts around the country, it does everything at America’s Center in St. Louis. Some 150 people start by tackling the six-obstacle qualifier. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 5, 2020
Stories

NBC, ABC join plans for a scrambled fall

Right about now, TV viewers should be getting antsy. Hey, this is September. When will the new network TV seasons start?
Soon, but in trimmed form. The two most reluctant networks finally now have plans:
– NBC will bring back some of its top shows in a four-week stretch between Oct.19 (“The Voice”) and Nov. 13 (“The Blacklist”). That November week also includes “This Is Us” (shown here) “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and all three Chicago shows. Many others, however, will wait until January or beyond.
– ABC will prop up four of its nights with games or reality shows – Mondays, starting Sept. 14; Thursdays, Sept. 24; Tuesdays, Oct. 13; and Sundays, Oct. 18. Its scripted shows remain in limbo. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 5, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 6: There’s power in fiction and in basketball

1) “Power Book II: Ghost” debut, 9 p.m., Starz. The “Power” series was a ratings winner for Starz – tough, taut and often lethal. Even the main character – a drug boss known as Ghost – was killed; his son Tariq did it, but Ghost’s wife Tasha was charged. Now Tariq is in college (shown here), stretching for ways to make money and get his mom free. Meanwhile, there’s a new drug boss, played by Mary J. Blige. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 4, 2020
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Sept. 7: Chiefs and ninjas and putters and such

1) Football season-openers, 8:20 p.m. ET Thursday and Sunday, NBC. This is what we need now – the fun and zest of pro football. It starts with the champion Kansas City Chiefs, hosting the team (Houston Texans) they beat to get to the Super Bowl (shown here). On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Rams (9-7 last year) host the Dallas Cowboys (8-8). All the other teams play earlier on Sunday or in ESPN’s doubleheader on Monday. And after a slow first week, college football will have a fairly busy line-up on Saturday. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 3, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 5: The semi-start of college football

1) College football season-openers, cable. The first football Saturday is a modest one, with a bigger line-up coming next week. For now, ESPN packs in three games – Eastern Kentucky at Marshall at 1 p.m. ET; Southern Methodist at Texas Tech at 4:30; and Arkansas at Memphis at 8. It also has two games on its ESPN3 streaming service. The CBS Sports Network had the first game, Thursday; today, it has Army (shown here last season) hosting Middle Tennessee — with a crowd consisting only of cadets – at 1:30 p.m. ET. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 3, 2020