1) “Destination X” and “Yes, Chef,” 8 and 9 p.m., NBC. As summer starts, it’s hard to keep up with all the reality shows. Here are second chances: “X” reruns its Tuesday debut; Jeffrey Dean Morgan hosts, with contestants trying to figure out where, in Europe, they are. (The photo here shows next week’s episode.) “Chef” reruns Monday’s hour; at a family-style dinner, chefs assess each other’s work. Read more…
1) “Kiss Me, Kate,” 9 p.m., PBS. After airing two grim, modern musicals, PBS goes the opposite way. Written in 1948, this ripples with great Cole Porter songs– some of them wildly unrelated to the story. (The second act begins with a “Too Darn Hot,” shown here, that’s long, vibrant and totally random.) Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J. Block are strong leads; the songs — “Too Darn Hot,” “So In Love,” “In My Fashion,” etc. — are delightful. Read more…
1) “Bob’s Burgers,” 8 p.m., Fox. With sports gobbling up summer Sundays, Fox moves its cartoons to Thursdays. Each has new episodes (3-6 of them), before needing reruns. “Bob’s” (shown here) find a conspiracy theory … “Grimsburg” has male sex workers dying … “Family Guy” has a “White Lotus” take-off … and “Great North” has Judy try dinner theater. Read more…
Les Moonves, a very wise (and sometimes foolish) man, once told me, “There’s no such thing as trying too hard.”
He was wrong, of course. (Wise people sometimes are.) And the latest proof is “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (shown here).
Granted, there are many good things about the film. Its action scenes are sensational; a marathon biplane chase through canyon country is about as good visually as a movie can be. Tom Cruise is intense (as usual) and perfect; his cast is full of top people in small roles. (We only see Oscar-winner Angela Bassett briefly. She does, however, save the world.)
The script, by director Christopher McQuarry and Erik Jendresen is smart … to an excess. There’s a lot of excess here. Read more…
1) “Raid the Cage” season-opener, 9 p.m., CBS. As the summer begins, CBS’ plans are surprisingly modest. There are occasional specials (including the Tonys, June 8), lots of reruns, plus this show, starting its second season. Damon Wayans Jr. hosts with Jeannie Mai. Contestants answer questions to get extra time; then try to grab prizes (shown here) before a gate closes. Read more…
1) “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” finale, 9 p.m., Fox. It may be the end of the line for this well-made drama. (Fox hasn’t renewed or officially canceled it.) Despite some credibility gaps, this finale has a sharp, twisty story of prom, politics and a multiple-kidnapping. Scott Caan and guest star Malcolm-Jamal Warner (shown here) provide some strong starpower. Read more…
Let’s officially designate this as “The Summer of Laurence Leboeuf.”
For most of her 39 years, Leboeuf (shown here) has been in obscurity and/or Montreal. But now that can’t continue: Her subtly perfect performance in “Transplant” (8 p.m. Thursdays on NBC) demands attention.
Granted, Leboeuf is already fairly well-known in quieter (and, perhaps, saner) parts of the world. For two decades, she’s been busy in Canadian films and TV shows, working in French or English. She’s drawn nominations for roles ranging from a cop (“19-2”) to a teen tennis star (“15/Love”), a bike-racer caught in a cheating scandal (“The Little Queen”) and a free-spirited, post-apocalyptic hero (“Turbo Kid”).
But most of those never got here; her U.S. roles have been rare. Read more…
1) “American Music Awards, 8-10 p.m., CBS. Shorter than most award shows (two hours, not three), this still packs in the music. That includes Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Benson Boone, Renee Rapp, Lainey Wilson, Gloria Estefan and — getting career awards — Rod Stewart (shown here) and Janet Jackson. Jennifer Lopez is the host. Read more…
(This is the latest chapter of a book-iu-progress, “Television, and How It Got That Way.” For the full book, so far, click “The Book,” under “categories.”)
For a cozy time, streaming networks were just a bonus fringe.
They were kind of like an Imax theater in a multiplex or a luxury box in a stadium: They offered appealing alternatives (including “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” shown here), without affecting the masses.
Then Covid came and spun everything into overdrive.
In less than nine months, four major streamers were born — Apple TV+. Disney+, Max and Peacock. Others grew. Streaming seemed like a made-for-Covid phenomena. Read more…
1) “National Memorial Day Concert,” 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 9:30.On the eve of Memorial Day, this offers an emotional blend of music and stories. The music includes gospel great Yolanda Adams (shown here); opera star Angel Blue; Loren Allred, who dubbed “Never Enough” for “The Greatest Showman”; and Scotty Hasting, a wounded veteran turned emerging country star. Read more…
