Mike Hughes

News and Quick Comments

Dr. Adam — real and fictional — mixes humor and emotion

There are two key things to know about Dr. Adam Kay (the fictional version).
First, he says “I’m sorry” a lot. Second, he has good reason to.
And there are many things to know about former-doctor Adam Kay (the real one), starting with this: He’s a brilliant writer, one who can toss off funny asides, while building a deeply moving moment.
Now the two combine for “This Is Going to Hurt,” a terrific series streaming on AMC+. We meet a character – sharply written by Kay, perfectly played by Ben Whishaw (shown here) – a lot like the real Kay. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / June 2, 2022
Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for June 6: Tonys lead a lively time

1) Tony Awards, 8-11 p.m. Sunday, CBS. For the first time in three years, here’s a full-scale Tonycast. Ariana DeBose (the “West Side Story” Oscar-winner) hosts and we can expect numbers from the nominated musicals – six new and three revivals. Even if you’ll never reach Broadway, you may like the music of Michael Jackson (“MJ”), Bob Dylan (“Girl From the North Country”) or Stephen Sondheim (“Company”). Or the performances of Billy Crystal (“Mr. Saturday Night”) or Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster (“Music Man,” shown here). Or “A Strange Loop” or “Six” or more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / June 1, 2022
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for June 3: Papp, Pride & “Pistol”

1) “American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts,” 9 p.m., PBS. Papp had an audacious plan, bringing free Shakespeare to New York’s parks. He fought the city’s parks chief, won and built a permanent Central Park theater. (He’s shown here during construction.). Then he added indoor shows, launching “Hair,” “A Chorus Line,” “A Normal Heart,” “For Colored Girls (etc.)” and more. This “new” film (which reached film festivals a decade ago) offers a fascinating view of a strong public figure who kept much of his life – including four marriages and a hard-scrabble childhood – semi-hidden. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / June 1, 2022
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for June 2: basketball’s kings, England’s queen

1) Basketball finals, 9 p.m. ET, ABC. For the next couple weeks, the pros will dominate ABC and beyond. That starts with the Golden State Warriors (shown here) hosting the Boston Celtics. It happens again Sunday, then moves to Boston on June 8 and 10. The other games, if necessary, are June 13, 16 and 19. Games are at 9 p.m. ET (except 8 p.m. Sundays). The preceding hour (today, that’s 8 and 8:30 pm.) has a Jimmy Kimmel special and a pre-game show. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 31, 2022
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for June 1: “Abbott” gets promoted

1) “Abbott Elementary,” 9 p.m., ABC. At a time when most new shows stumble, this has been an exception. It arrived at mid-season, with just 13 episodes and a little-known star; praise (and solid ratings) followed. Now “Abbott” has been promoted to the central spot in the comedy line-up (nudging “Conners” to 8 p.m.) this summer and next fall. Here’s the pilot film, written by Quinta Brunson (shown here); she plays a new elementary teacher, with earnest colleagues and a clueless principal. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 30, 2022
Stories

Let’s all rise for a show that keeps surviving

In the fragile TV world, a small glitch might doom a show.
Then there’s “All Rise” (shown here), belatedly starting its third season on June 7. It has managed to survive:
— The Covid shtudown, late in its first season. It even did a special episode, with characters having only Zoom-type conversations.
— Controversies surrounding its creator/producer. He was investigated twice, then fired. By then, another executive producer and five of the seven original writers had quit, complaining about his views on Black and female characters.
— And what’s usually the final blow: After the second season, CBS canceled it. “We thought we were over,” showrunner Dee Harris-Lawrence told the Television Critics Association. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 30, 2022
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for May 30: dueling biographies — Julia and Teddy

1) “Julia,” 8 p.m., CNN; rerunning at 10. Julia Child (shown here) grew up comfortably, going to prep school and Smith. She did office work during wartime, moved to Paris with her husband … and discovered French cuisine. That changed her life; then she changed cooking, publishing and public TV. Child spent a dozen years co-writing “The French Chef,” sort of invented the book tour and, at 50, created breezy, no-script TV. Here’s a delightful documentary, from the people who profiled Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 28, 2022
News and Quick Comments

Yes, it’s still pleasant to visit Downton

A visit to Downton Abbey always seems to be pleasant and unassuming.
That doesn’t sound like much … but it’s what we need now. “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (shown here) is not a great movie (or even an exceptionally good one), but it’s still worth catching.
For a couple hours, we’re in splendid settings, re-meeting people who – flaws and all – are good and well-meaning.
The film starts sluggishly, with a dispassionate wedding and then some stiff scenes about an unexpected windfall. “New Era” seems determined to show us everyone – it’s a HUGE cast – while getting us involved with no one. Clearly, something more is needed. We get that, when a movie is filmed in the mansion, at the very end of the silent-film era. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 27, 2022