Day: May 25, 2023

At last, a bit of good news: There will be a Tonycast

With TV mired in its summer-and-strike slump, viewers need a shred of good news.
Now they have one: There will be a Tony telecast, after all. It will be June 11, Ariana DeBose (shown here) will again host and – if the past is any indication – it will be great fun.
CBS had already been promoting the show, but others had doubts. If writers were picketing, performers might have stayed away in support. Read more…

Bet-bets for May 27: NBC’s night of laughs and music

1) “Comedy and Music Superfest,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. Byron Allen’s first NBC jobs were milder: He did a stand-up routine on Johnny Carson’s show at 18, then was a “Real People” reporter. He had ups and downs, then scored in business; Allen (shown here) now has a company that owns stations, digital networks and the Weather Channel. Here’s a rerun of his special, with Toni Braxton, John Legend, Gladys Knight, Boys II Men, Roy Wood Jr., Tiffany Haddish, Keenan Thompson, Loni Love and more. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for May 29: Summer starts with reality, Roosevelt, “Riverdale”

1) “America’s Got Talent” opener, 8-10 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. The summertime ratings champion (shown here is last year’s Mayyans victory) starts its annual auditions. Unlike CBS – which is delaying its summer reality shows until August – NBC hopes to start fast. Today (8-10 p.m. May 29), it has its third “American Ninja Warrior” women’s championship … on Tuesday is “AGT” … on Sunday, both rerun (7-9 and 9-11 p.m.) … and next Monday, the new “Ninja Warrior” season begins. Read more…