Year: 2025

Stories

She dreamed of Africa … then triumphed there

At 10, Jane Goodall loved the “Tarzan of the Apes” book, with one exception:
“He married the wrong Jane,” she said recently. “His Jane was a wimp.”
Most fictional women were, when Goodall read the book (1944) and when Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote it (1912). But this Jane (Goodall) didn’t fit any such stereotypes.
Mostly, Goodall (shown here) was known for her perpetual calmness. “I think it’s because of all the months and months I spent in the Rain Forest,” she said.
Now — after her death Wednesday (Oct. 1) at 91 — we can look back at an amazing life of working face-to-face with jungle primates. We can catch her new “Famous Last Words” on Netflix … And National Geographic documentaries, led by the 2017 “Jane” and the 2020 “Jane Goodall: The Hope,” both on Disney+ … And PBS documentaries … And her books. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 4, 2025
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Oct. 6: Elsbeth, “Grey’s” and more

1) “Elsbeth” season-opener, 9 p.m. Sunday, CBS. Here’s some logical casting: Stephen Colbert plays a talk-show host, which he is …. Andy Richter plays a sidekick, which he was …. Amy Sedaris plays his wife (isn’t), a comedy writer (is). We quickly see a murder, then watch Elsbeth (shown here with Sedaris and Richter) at work. It’s s fairly good episode; the next one (on Oct. 16) is brilliant. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 3, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 5: music, Maigret, more

1) “A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper,” 8-10 p.m., CBS. In 1983, Lauper (shown here) told us “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” That was in a Grammy-winning album that also had “She Bop” and “Time After Time.” More hits followed, led by “True Colors” and the Tony-winning “Kinky Boots.” She performs here with Cher, John Legend, Sza, Mickey Guyton and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 3, 2025
News and Quick Comments

Coming up: one more strong performance by Warner

Most people knew that Malcolm-Jamal Warner (shown here) was a skilled comedy actor. He’d been doing that since he was 13.
But in recent years, the Fox network has shown us something else: This guy was gifted at drama — filled with subtle intensity.
Now we see one final example: Warner — who died in a swimming accident in July, at 54 — has an emotional role in “Murder in a Small Town,” at 8 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 7) on Fox. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 2, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 4: “SNL” and a great little movie

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-opener, 11:29 p.m., NBC. After a huge 50th season — winning nine Emmys for the “SNL50” special — the show regroups. It has five newcomers and lost two key people (Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim) and three newer people (Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker). Bad Bunny hosts the opener, with Doja Cat (shown here) as music guest. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 2, 2025
News and Quick Comments

“Raymond” special joins the nostalgia flurry

Somehow, situation comedies have become cozy artifacts.
They once ruled television. Now they provide fond memories, sort of like your grandpa’s checkers set.
The latest example is “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion,” from 8-9:30 p.m. Nov. 24 on CBS and Paramount+. That’s a Monday, putting it against a nostalgia show on CW … and a flurry of nostalgia networks. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 1, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 3: end of “Blue” (almost), start of “Brand”

1) “Blue Bloods,” 10 p.m., CBS. Next week, this will rerun its finale (shown here). First, here’s a busy hour: Jury-tampering charges against Erin affect key things for her brother Danny and sister-in-law Eddie … whose husband Jamie links with his nephew Joe, to find his stolen car. That follows “Fire Country” episodes involving a ski resort at 8 p.m. and house fire at 9. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 1, 2025
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 2: triple reruns for “Elsbeth,” “9-1-1”

1) “Elsbeth,” 8-11 p.m., CBS. With the season-opener coming up Oct. 12, we get a three-rerun blitz. The first two are excellent — Vanessa Williams as an upscale jewelry customer, Eric McCormack leading a “wellness” camp. The third (shown here) brings a shoddy ending to the story that had Michael Emerson (husband of series star Carrie Preston) as a corrupt judge. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 30, 2025
Stories

A time of tumult in 1970 … and in 2025

When “The Hard Hat Riot” arrives — 9 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 30) on PBS — it will deliver everything we expect from a great documentary.
It has two strong sides, dozens of passionate voices, plenty of conflicting values. In big and small ways, it shows the world transforming.
But the film (shown here) has one other distinction: For now, at least, it’s the second-to-last one aired by the award-winning “American Experience.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 28, 2025