Mike Hughes

Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Jan. 25: Cable has alien, supertrain

1) “Resident Alien” debut, 10 p.m. Wednesday, Syfy. It’s always difficult for a newcomer to fit in. So imagine if you’re from another planet (shown here), pretending to be the guy you just killed. It’s easy to disguise physically (what with shapeshifting and such), but how do you learn the attitudes? This is partly a comedy, with the Sheldon-style humor of trying to grasp the human condition. But it’s from Steven Spielberg’s company and offers sleek, science-fiction visuals, with gorgeous Vancouver backdrops. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 22, 2021
Stories

She wrestles with superhero stardom

Javicia Leslie’s childhood prepared her for three careers – wrestler, martial artist or superhero,
She abandoned one after learning the World Wrestling Federation was fake. “I really thought (it) was real …. As I got older, I realized they were acting,” she told the Television Critics Association.
But now she’s merged the other two: She’s the new star (shown here) of “Batwoman” (8 p.m. Sundays on CW), flexing some martial-arts moves. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 21, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 23: BBC has a natural high

1) “A Wild Year on Earth” (shown here), 8 p.m., BBC America. This is what BBC does magnificently – gorgeous wildlife scenes, weaved together with a grand score. The six parts will cover two months at a time. That starts with a few creatures – great horned owls (beautifully filmed) and polar bears — that are comfy in the frozen North. We also learn odd facts: Otters have nature’s thickest hair; manatees, by comparison, need warmth because (despite appearances) they lack blubber. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 21, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Yes, sitcoms are fine — mostly on Thursdays

TV keeps teetering between two extremes – comedy is king and comedy is dead.
Now we’re at the latter. Laughs are scarce … except on Thursdays, when they reach excess.
Now the best ones are back: After a four-week break, CBS’ Thursday comedies have new episodes Jan. 21. Three are very funny (including “B Positive,” shown here), one is adequate, all are welcome.
And all are in a tough time for situation comedies. As Variety, the trade paper, put it: “Three episodes of CBS’ ‘Young Sheldon’ were the only sitcoms to make this year’s list of top 100 telecasts with total viewers. Among adults 18-49, there were none.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 20, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 22: tough times for Red and Mac

1) “The Blacklist,” 8 p.m., NBC. After giving us exactly two episodes, “Blacklist” took a two-month break. At least, those two had some big moments – peaking with Red killing Liz’s mother, before she could reveal Red’s murky secrets to Liz. Now Liz is not happy; the former friendship (shown here in an earlier episode) has shattered. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 20, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 21: Comedies soar, “Walker” broods

1) “Mom,” 9 p.m., CBS. Even after a big loss – the departure of Anna Faris as Christy – this remains one of TV’s best comedies. Tonight, Jill (Jaime Pressly, right) worries that her romance with Andy (Will Sasso, left), the beefy cop, is over; her friends soon join her on a stake-out. That part is fairly good, but the big laughs come from Adam – Bonnie’s husband and Andy’s friend. When it comes to social signals, he’s genuinely clueless. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 19, 2021
News and Quick Comments

Inauguration adds Garth, Gaga, more

Some more starpower has been added to Inauguration Day.
Now Garth Brooks (shown here), Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga are scheduled to perform during the ceremony at noon ET Wednesday. That’s in addition to the evening TV special that will include Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, John Legend and many more. Details include: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 19, 2021
Stories

“Walker”: An eternal TV show walks anew

From time to time, people have asked Paul Haggis about “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which he co-created.
“You can’t kill it with a stick,” he would say with a grin.
Not that he would want to; the show has been an eternal payday. It ran for nine years and 196 episodes … was a TV movie … reran on cable … reached more than 100 countries … and now is back as “Walker,” debuting at 8 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 21) on CW.
It has spanned generations. When the show debuted in 1983, Jared Padalecki (shown here), the new Cordell Walker, was 11; Lindsey Morgan, who plays his ranger partner Micki Rodriguez, was 3. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 18, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 20: all-day inauguration

1) Presidential inauguration, noon ET, everywhere. It’s the start of a new era … or, at least, the end of a noisy one. Joe Biden will be sworn in and give his inaugural address. The news channels and the big networks plan to be there long before — starting with the morning shows — and afterward. Garth Brooks, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga perform at the ceremony; at night — see next item — Bruce Springsteen (shown here) and others perform. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 18, 2021
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 19: dramas on inaugural eve

1) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox. Here’s the rare case of a show that keeps getting better. Merely OK at first, it keeps adding depth. That peaked with last week’s season-opener, which focused on the COVID crisis, but also flashed ahead to a post-pandemic time and the Nicolette/Conad wedding. Tonight’s excellent hour stays in the future, with a high-profile patient (shown here) and aftershocks from last week: Devon’s father, a cab driver, died of COVID. Dr. Cain, nudged by his boss, did unneeded surgeries. And Austin and Okafor had a surprise kiss. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 17, 2021