Month: August 2023

Best-bets for Aug. 21: “Bachelorette,” Bernstein, “Breeders”

1) “The Bachelorette” finale, 8-11 p.m., ABC. For a while, Charity Lawson (a Georgia therapist, 27, shown here) was down to two guys — Joey Graziadel (a Hawaii tennis pro, 27) and Dotun Olubeko (a Fresno medical consultant, 30). But then Aaron Bryant (a Texas software salesman, 29), whom she’d already dismissed, somehow returned. Now she confers with her family and makes her choice. Also, we meet the new “Bachelor” and peek at “Bachelor in Paradise.” Read more…

Amid melancholy, a character actor soars

Defying the wise counsel of his career advisors, Adrian Scarborough became an actor – and a busy one.
He had subservient roles – the valet in “Blunt Talk,” butler in “Upstairs Downstairs,” chauffeur in “Don Juan in Soho.” He had bigger ones – Villanelle’s handler in “Killing Eve,” the iffy doctor in “Sanditon.” He played more doctors, plus vicars, a goblin, a bunny, a mole and Winston Churchill.
It’s been an enviable career, sort of. “You have these great character roles,”said Scarborough, 55, “but only for two or three days …. You parachute in, do a few scenes and don’t really get to meet people.”
Then came “The Chelsea Detective” (shown here). It’s a chance to dig into a person and place he finds fascinating. Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 20: historic dramas, in fact and fiction

1) “761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers,” 8 p.m., History. Tonight is filled with pioneering Black military units. Reruns tell of the Tuskegee Airmen (7 p.m.), Buffalo Soldiers (10:03) and Civil War heroes (11:05). This new film, produced by Morgan Freeman (shown here), tells of the unit that trained for two years, then was sent to Europe shortly after D-Day. It fought in the Battle of the Bulge and its men won 11 Silver Stars and a Medal of Honor. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Aug. 21: Archie and Charity end; debate and football seasons begin

1) “Riverdale” finale, 9 p.m. Wednesday, CW. A fun tradition ends. For decades, CW has been the home of shows based on superheroes or other youth-culture folks. Now, under new owners, that mostly stops with “Riverdale.” This season, Archie and pals jumped to the ‘50s, then returned to now with their memories wiped. It’s been an odd show, but Lili Reinhart has been excellent as Betty (shown here with Veronica). In this finale, she’s 86 and want to relive the final day of her senior year. Read more…

For fall, FX sets horror, mystery and “Fargo”

This fall, the FX people will deliver something that is becoming scarce – new, scripted TV shows.
That will include a double shot of horror – in time for Halloween – plus a crime-solving mini-series and a “Fargo” mini-series (shown here with Dave Foley).
Even if the strikes are settled, TV will mostly lack new, scripted shows this fall. The exceptions will be premium cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz) and streamers, which work far in advance
FX occupies both worlds. Some of the shows it produces air only on the Hulu streaming service; others debut at 10 p.m. on basic-cable (FX or FXX), then reach Hulu the next day. Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 19: Networks link with laughs and songs

1) “Stand Up to Cancer,” 8 p.m., ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and more. Every two years, people combine for comedy sketches and talks, raising millions for cancer research. This show, the eighth, comes during the writers’ and actors’ strikes, so it will rerun sketches with Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Melissa McCarthy Bill Hader and more. It also reruns music by The Who, Brittany Howard (shown here) and the widow of Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer at 43. Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 18: memories of music and Essence

1) “CMT Summer Sessions,” 9 p.m., CMT, On most Fridays in July and August, CMT has a concert by one country star. This time, it brings most of the previous people togethet for a “90s Country” half-hour. “Strawberry Wine,” “Maybe It Was Memphis,” “A Little Too Late” and more are performed by Lee Brice (shown here, who hosts), Tanyya Tucker, Chris Janson, Breland and Ashley McBryde. A week later, McBryde’s solo show will close the season. Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 17: comedies, gentle or not

1) “Young Sheldon,” 8 p.m., CBS. Elsewhere, reality shows seem to take over the summer schedules and the strike-torn fall line-ups. Still, “Sheldon” reruns remain in the top-10 in the weekly Nielsen ratings. Now the show is back near the start of this season, with some sharp twists. Sheldon’s mom lost her church job because of ill-feelings involving Georgie being an unwed father-to-be. With finances shaky, Sheldon and Missy (shown here) try to help. Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 16: finales for “Wonder Years,” “Food Stars”

1) “The Wonder Years” finale, 9 and 9:30 p.m., ABC. It’s been a so-so season for this comedy-drama (which, alas, often forgets about the comedy), but it ends surprisingly well. Both episodes have large stories, solid drama and adequate comedy. First (shown here), Dean’s dad (Dule Hill) fumes when his brother (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) makes a splash at their father’s birthday. Then this 1969 Alabama family plans a whirlwind week — a Texas college visit and Disneyland. Read more…

Here’s what’s coming in the strike-torn fall

TV networks – and TV viewers – are near their make-do phase.
Even if the writers’ and actors’ strikes are settled soon, the usual shows won’t be back until mid-season. Starting next month, networks will make do with tacked-together schedules; viewers will make do by sticking to streamers and cable (also wounded by the strikes) or maybe even reading a book.
But yes, the traditional networks will have shows this fall – even some scripted episodes (incluing “Magnum,” shown here) you haven’t seen before. Here’s a round-up of the commercial broadcast networks, plus the scripted shows on PBS: Read more…