Mike Hughes

Lopez rift was patched via TikTok and TV

Here’s a fresh approach to daddy-daughter problems:
He had too much alcohol and too many absences. She avoided him. “The only way these two were going to heal their relationship was on the set of their own NBC sitcom,” Debby Wolfe said.
Now that show is here. “Lopez vs. Lopez” (shown here) debuts at 8 p.m. Friday (Nov. 4) on NBC; Wolfe created it, with George and Mayan Lopez playing versions of themselves that are exaggerated – a little.
“There was a time when we didn’t speak and were estranged for about three years,” Mayan told the Television Critics Association. That split, George said, “was so painful and so much my fault.” Read more…

Updated best-bets for Nov. 3: Baseball bumps some of the comedies

1) “Welcome to Flatch” and “Call Me Kat,” 9:02 and 9:30 p.m., Fox. We’ll be watching “Kat” on the next four Thursdays, for the final bits from Leslie Jordan (shown here in an upcoming episode), the tiny actor who died Oct. 24, at 67. Alongside it, the inconsistent “Flatch” has a fairly good story: Last week, Barb (Jaime Pressly, 45) started a torrid affair with young Shrub. Now his cousin Kelly tries to break them up by transforming drab, dull Beth into a flashy mini-Barb. Read more…

It was another great Tuesday for TV doctors

There was a brief time when Thursdays were overloaded with great medical dramas. “ER” and “Chicago Hope” collided.
And now? Tuesdays are the time for very good – and, at times, great – ones.
Last week (Oct. 25), it was “The Resident” with one of its best episodes, complete with a wedding and a crisis. This week (Nov. 1), “New Amsterdam” (shown here) soars.
The two don’t directly compete anyway; “Resident” is usually 8 p.m. on Fox, “New Amsterdam” is 10 p.m. on NBC. That’s especially true this week, because the World Series has taken over Fox; “Resident” fans might seek out “New Amsterdam” to fill their no-doctors-tonight void. Read more…

Updated best-bets for Nov. 2: Woodpeckers, diligent and dutiful, get the spotlight

1) “Nature: Woodpeckers: The Hole Story,” 8 p.m., PBS. We could all learn from woodpeckers’ drive and diligence. They dot a tree with holes, fill each with a nut, then keep checking to make sure they have the right fit; they also assign a sentry to oust intruders. Eggs are hatched in a group home, with everyone – related to the chicks or not – helping the feeding. This fascinating hour has humor, warmth and some remarkable, in-the-nest photography. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov.1: Caan, “Coco,” more

1) “The Rain People” (1969), 8 p.m ET, Turner Classic Movies. Few people saw this drama, with Francis Coppola, 30, directing James Caan, 29. Three years later, LOTS of people saw their “Godfather.” Now TCM has a tribute to Caan (show here with Shirley Knight in “Rain People”), who died in July at 82. “Thief” (1981), at 10:15, is an acclaimed action film Michael Mann made before “Miami Vice.” Also: “Cinderella Liberty” (1973), “Freeebie and the Bean” (1974) and “Slither” (1973) at 12:15, 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 31: one last surge of Halloween

1) Halloween finale, everywhere. After a month of overkill, there’s one more day. “Dancing With the Stars” (8 p.m., Disney+) has a Halloween theme, with teams dancing to “Heads Will Roll” and “The Witches are Back.” Then “Quantum Leap” (10 p.m., NBC) has Ben (shown here) jump into a priest’s body on Halloween. In daytime, Kelly Clarkson sings “Monster Mash” on her syndicated show and Ray Parker Jr. does “Ghostbusters” on CBS’ “The Talk.” Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 30: debut, finales … and “Horrors”

1) “The Simpsons,” 8 p.m., Fox. Last week, “Simpsons” took a slight detour, with a half-hour take-off on “It.” Now it’s back for the 33rd – yes, 33rd – annual “Treehouse of Horror,” with three wonderfully weird stories. There are take-offs on two films — “The Babadook” and (in a charming anime style, shown here) “Death Note,” plus a “Westworld” that actually has a heroic Homer. The results are too gory for some viewers, but a delight for others. Read more…

“Doctor Who” streams into the future

For people who want ther shows to be offbeat, off-kilter and other-worldly, here are two pieces of good (sort of) news:
— “Doctor Who” will be around for a long time … albeit a bit harder to find. When it finally returns (in November of 2023), it will be on the Disney+ streaming service.
— And “Miracle Workers” has another season set. That starts at10 p.m. Jan. 23 on TBS, with Daniel Radcliffe and Geraldine Viswanathan in, the network says, “a dystopian future full of radioactive mutants, killer robots and a tyrannical homeowner’s association.”
“Who” has been around since 1963 (with long pauses) and has had 13 people starring as The Doctor. The current one, Jodie Whittaker, was the first female Doctor; David Tennant, who was the 10th Doctor, will do some specials, before Ncuti Gatwa becomes the show’s first Black star. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Oct. 31: A post-Halloween world awaits

1) Halloween’s final burst, today. The long scare-a-thon concludes. Even “Dancing With the Stars” (8 p.m., Disney+) and “Quantum Leap” (10 p.m., NBC) have Halloween themes. There are plenty of nasty films, but you can also go light. Freeform starts at 10:30 a.m., peaking with “Hotel Transylvania” (shown here, 2012) and “Hocus Pocus” (1993), at 7 and 9 p.m. The Paramount Network has “Addams Family” films (1982, 1984) at 8 and 10, then midnight and 2 a.m. Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 29: after a mini-rest, “SNL” is back

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. After pausing for a rerun, “SNL” has its fourth new episode in five weeks. The opener was disappointing, but the next two have been fairly good. Here’s the second straight new one to have the host double as music guest. On Oct. 15, it was Megan Thee Stallion; now Jack Harlow (shown here), 24, has his first turn as host and second as music guest. Read more…