Month: January 2026

Stories

Cozy and not, PBS savors its mysteries

(This is the second of two stories; the first was an overview of TV mysteries, “cozy” and not.)
These days, mystery shows reach our TV sets from all sides — streaming, cable, broadcast and beyond. They range from “cozy mysteries” (including “Miss Scarlet,” shown here) to their opposite.
A generation ago, however, PBS virtually had a mystery monopoly.
The British, after all, were the mystery masters. And “until the late 1980s, there hadn’t been much competition for British drama,” Rebecca Eaton wrote in “Making Masterpiece” (Viking, 2013). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 25, 2026
Stories

Lots of mysteries, some of them cozy

(This is the first of two story about TV mystery shows; the second one focuses on PBS.)
Sprawling across the TV landscape, mystery shows seem to fit opposite categories.
There are “cozy mysteries” (including “My Life is Murder,” shown here) and, well, uncozy ones. Sometimes, the difference is small.
And there are good and bad ones. Often, the difference is enormous.
These mysteries are especially big on two streaming networks (Acorn and Britbox), two cable channels (Ovation and Hallmark Mystery) and many Sundays on PBS. But they also reach further. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 24, 2026
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 25: football, plus lots of crime

1) Football. The Broncos (shown here) host the Patriots at 3 p.m. ET on CBS; then it’s Rams-Seahawks at 6:30 on Fox, with both winners going to the Super Bowl. The Rams were 12-5 in the regular season; others were 14-3. But the Broncos’ quarterback is injured; veteran back-up Jarrett Stidham will face the team that drafted him in the fourth round, seven years ago. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 23, 2026
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 24: cheers for nature and comedy

1) “Kingdom,” 8 p.m., BBC America. David Attenborough (shown here in a previous film) remains the consummate voice of nature films. Shortly before he turns 100 (May 8), he narrates two epics from BBC crews. This six-parter follows families of lions, leopards, hyenas and dogs, competing (sometimes violently) for turf. And a five-part gem on animal parenthood starts Feb. 4 on PBS. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 22, 2026
News and Quick Comments

Wanna fight monsters? There’s a lot to learn

Sometimes you just have to learn by getting it wrong.
That’s especially true if you’re working the media and/or battling demi-gods. Just ask Walker Scobell (shown here), whose “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” airs its second-season finale today (Jan. 21).
Both seasons are on Disney+, where you can see Scobell evolve — from a 13-year-old novice to … well, a 17-year-old who’s still learning.
On Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show this week, he started talking into the microphone on the desk. Kimmel had to explain that it was a fake mic, just a decoration. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 21, 2026
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 23: time for good (and bad) comedy

1) “Stumble,” 8:30 p.m., NBC. This has quickly evolved into a terrific comedy. Fresh from last week’s hilarious sexual-relations lecture, it now has a small-town talent show (shown here). Courteney — the transplanted New Yorker — is flummoxed. Her husband, a folksy coach recovering from a concussion, fits in;Taran Killam plays him with subtle perfection. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 21, 2026
Stories

PBS is taking us back — WAY back — in time

This winter, PBS will be taking us back in time.
That’s way back. It will go to the start of life on Earth … and to the first mammals … and to one of the earliest civilizations,.
That’s on “Nova” at 9 p.m. Wednesdays, starting Jan. 21. (Shown here is Angkor, featured on Jan. 28.)
The shopw won’t be spending all its time as a way-back machine. The best hour of the season — or of just about any season — is a gem about dogs that learn words and express them by stepping on the right buttons.
Still, much of the year involves looking back. That includes: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 20, 2026