Day: June 16, 2023

Stories

Two passions — birds and Black-rights — merged

Like most people, Christian Cooper (shown here) didn’t expect to have the world’s attention.
But when he did, he was ready. “If all these people are going to shove microphones and cameras in my face, I’m going to use it to say what I think (is) important,” he told the Television Critics Association.
At the top of that list are … well, birds and race relations.
The two merged one day in Central Park, indirectly leading to “Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper.” The show debuts at 10 p.m. Saturday (June 17) on the Nat Geo Wild cable channel, then reaches Disney+ on Wednesday (June 21). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / June 16, 2023
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for June 18: Mysteries and zombie tale begin

1) “Endeavour” season-opener, 9-11 p.m., PBS. It’s been a long run – eight seasons of “Inspector Morse” … nine of the “Inspector Lewis” sequel … and now the ninth and final one of this prequel (shown here). Like Ridley (see next paragraph), Endeavour Morse (left) is somber; his one romance (with his colleague’s daughter) crumbled and he’s back from alcohol rehab. But unlike Ridley, his movie-length stories air in one night. This first one, involving a famous orchestra, is excellent. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / June 16, 2023
Stories

Juneteenth is packed with music, movies, more

As a very old – and very new – holiday, Juneteenth is becoming a TV event.
Hit your remote Monday (June 19) and you’ll find documentaries, movies (LOTS of movies) and a mega-concert.
The concert, simulcast by CNN and the Oprah Winfrey Network, will have rap, pop and R&B stars, old and new. It will also have a Tina Turner tribute by Chloe Bailey (shown here), who’s best known for teaming with her sister (Halle Bailey, the “Little Mermaid” star) in Chloe + Halle.
It’s set for 8-11 p.m. ET … which crosses over lots of other events, including music documentaries on E (8 p.m.) and ABC (10). Then there are all those movies, ranging from the classics (“In the Heat of the Night,” “Do the Right Thing”) to the more-recent “Black Panther,” “Till” and “Respect.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / June 16, 2023