Month: February 2021

Best-bets for March 2: Hospitals and “news variety”

1) “New Amsterdam” season-opener, 10 p.m., NBC. Filming in New York, where the pandemic peaked early, this hospital drama abruptly ended its season. Now, almost a year later, it’s back. First, a terrific montage takes us through the crisis; then we’re in a post-pandemic time, with emotions still raw for Max (Ryan Eggold, shown here with Freema Agyeman) and one of the doctors near death. And then … well, a plane crashes. It’s a strong hour. Read more…

ABC adds a fresh burst of soul

“Soul of a Nation” arrives Tuesday on ABC, eluding all the usual categories.
It’s “a journey through Black storytelling,” Marie Nelson, creator of the six-week series, told the Television Critics Association.
It’s also “sort of a news variety show,” said producer Robe Imbriano. It can have Common (shown herein a previous performance) one moment and a look at Black reparations the next. Read more…

Best-bets for March 1: NBC rules with “Voice,” “Debris”

1) “Debris” debut, 10 p.m. , NBC. When an alien spacecraft exploded, it scattered debris over the hemisphere. Those chunks have an other-worldly power to manipulate physics (including a floating body, shown here) and feelings. Now officials, working in secret, try to find and suppress the debris; bad guys want to harness the energy. “Debris” faces an eternal problem: Networks often cancel sci-fi shows abruptly, leaving crises in limbo. Still, this one can tell a self-contained story with each piece found; the opener packs strong emotions. Read more…

Best-bets for Feb. 28: Golden Globes rule the night

1) Golden Globe awards, 8 p.m. ET, NBC, with red-carpet at 7; on the West Coast, 5 p.m. PT (red-carpet at 4), rerunning at 8. Two terrific hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (shown here) are back … but not together. They’re in New York and Los Angeles, respectively. Viewers might not recognize many of the nominated movies; even the TV shows – all from cable or streaming – are sometimes obscure. The dramas: “The Crown,” “The Mandalorian,” “Ozark,” “Ratched” and “Lovecraft Country”; comedies: “Emily in Paris,” “The Great,” “Ted Lasso,” “Schitt’s Creek” and “The Flight Attendant.” Read more…

Week’s top-10 for March 1: A fresh surge for NBC

1) “The Voice” opener, 8-10 p.m. today, NBC. This is a stretch when NBC hopes to surge. That started over the weekend, with Nick Jonas hosting “Saturday Night Live” and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the Golden Globes. Now this ratings-leader starts its 20th edition, with Jonas taking his second try as coach. Blake Shelton has done every edition, with seven winners. Also returning are Kelly Clarkson (three winners in six editions) and John Legend (one in four). They’re shown here; more NBC debuts follow. Read more…

Best-bets for Feb. 27: Clark Kent and Nick Jonas

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Nick Jonas (shown here) has his first turn as host (and second as music guest), launching a busy streak for NBC. Coming are the Golden Globes on Sunday and the season-openers of “The Voice” (with Jonas in one of the spinning chairs) on Monday and “New Amsterdam” on Tuesday, plus the debut of “Debris” – a well-made, science-fiction show – on Monday. Read more…

Best-bets for Feb. 26: cops, crooks and a classic

1) “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. John Frankenheimer was a master of TV’s first golden age and beyond, getting 10 Emmy nominations for directing, with four wins. But he also made movies, peaking with this black-and-white masterpiece, which toys with characters’ memories. It drew Oscar nominations for its editing and for Angela Lansbury (shown here with Laurence Harvey); Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh also starred. There was a 2004 remake, but this one is hard to top. Read more…

CW sets two new shows, three season-openers

With its “fall season” finally in place (five months late), the CW is set for mid-season and beyond.
The mini-network has set dates for two new shows – a “Kung Fu” reboot (shown here via promotional art) and “The Republic of Sarah.” It also set the season-openers for “Dynasty,” “In the Dark” and “Legends of Tomorrow.” Read more…

Yes, she’s still sorta spunky, sorta Punky

Most child actors nudge cautiously into interviews.
Handlers lurk nearby. Producers and co-stars show up to do most of the talking.
None of that was needed when “Punky Brewster” began in 1985. Soleil Moon Frye, 8, strode in alone; she soon was talking to reporters about everything from horror movies to footware.
Her show lated four years and Frye then faded from attention; most young actors do. But now a new “Punky Brewster” series (shown here) arrives Thursday (Feb. 25) on the Peacock streaming service, with Frye still in the title role, now as a mom. “Punky is such a part of me,” she told the Television Critics Association. “I don’t know where I end and she begins.” Read more…