Month: May 2025

Stories

Summer TV: sun and games, music and more

There was a time when TV networks seemed to take long summer snoozes.
Viewers could just watch reruns. After all, there weren’t many alternatives.
Not any more. With streamers and pay-cable channels pouring out new shows year-around, the broadcast networks struggle to remain relevant. This summer, they’ll have scripted dramas (a few), sports (A LOT), specials and the usual collection of reality and game shows, including “Bachelor in Paradise” (shown here in a previous year). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 18, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 20: finale time for “Voice” and FBI’s

1) “The Voice” finale, 8-11 p.m., NBC. This starts with a recap of Monday’s songs by the final five (shown here, from left, Jadyn Cree, Renzo, Lucia Flores-Wiseman, Jaelen Johnston and Adam David). At 9, there are guest performances: the coaches (with their finalists); former coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys and Chance the Rapper; plus Joe Jonas, James Bay and more.
Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 18, 2025
Stories

“Cards” and “Crown” and such: Netflix takeover began

(This is a re-written version of the latest chapter of a book-in-progress, “Television, and How It Got That Way.” For the full book, so far, click “The Book,” under “categories.)

People thought television would kill the movies. It didn’t.
They thought cable would kill television. It didn’t.
Then streaming came along and killed (or seriously wounded) all of them.
That started in 2013, when Netflix suddenly had “House of Cards” and a Marvel surge. It broadened two years later, with “The Crown” (shown here) and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 16, 2025
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for May 19: Season ends; summer begins

1) “The Voice” finale, 8-10 p.m. today, 8-11 p.m. Tuesday. NBC. Tonight, finalists have a last chance to grab votes. On Tuesday, those songs are recapped at 8 p.m., with guest performances at 9. That includes the coaches; former coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys and Chance the Rapper; plus Joe Jonas, James Bay, Foreigner and previous winner (shown here) Bryce Leatherwood. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 15, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 17: A farewell for “SNL50”

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-finale, 11:29 p.m., NBC. The 50th season ends with a big night for Colin Jost. His wife, Scarlett Johansson (shown here) has her seventh time as host, this time with Bad Bunny as the music guest. And there’s a season-finale tradition: On “Weekend Update,” Jost and Michael Che each write jokes the other must read. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 15, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 16: the end of an eight-year run

1) “SWAT” series-finale, 9-11 p.m., CBS. An eight-year, 163-episode run is ending. First an auto-carrier is hijacked, sparking a frantic chase and a search for a mysterious, $60-million car. Also, Hondo (shown here in a previous episode) confronts a violent thief he thought was dead. Then he finds that Russian mercenaries have planted bombs throughout Los Angeles. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 14, 2025
Stories

ABC joins the creep away from scripted shows

ABC is joining a TV trend — gradually creeping away from scripted series.
Still, it’s doing it in moderation. On the scripted side, the fall schedule — announced today (May 13)– does include:
— One new show, “9-1-1: Nashville.”
— Only one major cancellation, “Doctor Odyssey.”
— And good slots for two successful rookies from this season, “High Potential”(shwon here) and Tim Allen’s “Shifting Gears.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 13, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 15: a flurry of finales

1) “Grey’s Anatomy” season-finale, 10 p.m., ABC. It’s finale time everywhere, including all three ABC shows. There’s “9-1-1” at 8 p.m., “Doctor Odyssey” at 9 and “Grey’s,” wrapping its 21st season. After last week’s festive wedding (shown here), things seem cheerful The interns are ending their first year; then an emergency intervenes. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 13, 2025