Day: June 19, 2026

Burrows was TV’s comedy master

Some people are simply the best at what they do.
No one can match Spielberg at making movies or Williams at scoring them. No one matches Ohtani at baseball or Elvis at doing Elvis things.
And no one could match James Burrows at an important and dwindling art –directing a comedy that’s done in front of a studio audience.
Burrows died today (June 19) at 85; I’ll have a full story about him later, but for now the basics: Read more…

Music, masses and fireworks: TV’s set for the 4th

On the July 4 weekend, it seems, all Americans will simultaneously be:
— Partying outdoors, with music and fireworks and such; and
— Sitting at home, watching music and fireworks and such.
At least, that’s the plan, as networks set massive 250th-birthday plans.
Fireworks? NBC will be in New York, as usual … CBS and Fox News will be in Washington, D.C. … ABC and its cable and streaming chanels will be in Nashville and Disneyland …PBS will be in Colonial Williamsburg — a day after many of its stations are at Mount Vernon.
Music? You’ll find lots of country stars — Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, Clint Black, etc. — plus others, including Post Malone, Bebe Rexha, Ne-Yo, Jon Batiste, Kelli O’Hara and Judy Collins.
Here are the plans, with details pending; all are for the 4th, except where noted. We’ll start with the networks that have been doing this every year: Read more…