Mike Hughes

Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10: The machines take control

1) “NeXt” debut, 9 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. For decades, science-fiction has fretted about robots taking over. In this solidly made series, that’s imminent. A driverless car refuses to take suggestions; an Alexa-type device whispers schemes to a little boy. What’s happening? A genius (John Slattery, shown here) knows: He wrote a code that lets computers educate themselves; it was too much, he realized – but he’s been fired and the program is unfettered. It’s a strong start to a 10-week tale that was set for spring/summer, then delayed. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 2, 2020
News and Quick Comments

PBS walks thin line between classy and soapy

There’s a thin line between quality drama and brash, soap-style excess.
“Flesh and Blood,” the new four-part “Masterpiece” tale, keeps skidding near the line. It stays on the good side, thanks to first-rate directing, dialog and … especially, acting.
This is a mini-series filled with skilled actors – led by Francesca Annis and Imelda Staunton (shown here, center and right, with Stephen Rea) – who are PBS favorites. They bring some gravity to a story that wants to spin wildly out of control.
The opener (9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4) sets up the basics: There’s been a tragedy – maybe an accident, maybe not – that left someone dead or critically injured. Police do interviews, spurring flashbacks. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 1, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 3: “SNL” is finally back

1) “Saturday Night Live” season-opener, 11:29 p.m., NBC. The show finally returns to its studio for the first time in seven months. It did three at-home episodes last spring, but now it ‘s full-scale, with Chris Rock (shown here in a previous hosting gig) hosting and Megan Thee Stallion as music guest. There will be five straight new episodes, leading up to the election, with Jim Carrey filling in as Joe Biden and Alec Baldwin contiuing as Donald Trump … unless news events cause “SNL” to shelve its Trump bits. All 17 cast members are returning, now joined by three newcomers. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 1, 2020
Stories

Fear and fun propel an animated “Black-ish”

Fear can be a great motivator, we’re told. And now it’s giving us a primetime, animated special (shown here).
That’s the second of two “Black-ish” specials that will follow basketball (at about 10 and 10:30 p.m.) Sunday on ABC. The idea came when “Black-ish” found itself off the fall schedule.
“We were trying to figure out a way to still have a presence, especially in an election year,” producer Kenya Barris said, in a virtual session this week with the Television Critics Association.
An election-themed special would be good, people agreed … except for one problem. “I was not ready,” said Tracee Ellis Ross, one of the stars. “(I was) terrified to go back to work and be on a set.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 1, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 2: Benign boss, double Dracula

1) “Undercover Boss” season-opener, 9 p.m., CBS. Waiting for its big shows to return, CBS has a loose blend – Sunday movies … a couple scripted shows from elsewhere … and lots of non-fiction. Now the amiable “Greatest #AtHome Videos” is followed by the 10th “Boss” season. Tonight has the CEO of TGI Fridays (shown here, right); coming are Bowlero, Club Med and Smoothie King, plus the mayor of Shreveport. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 30, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 1: Halloween get a whole month

1) Halloween marathon, Freeform. For two decades, Freeform has “13 nights of Halloween.” Now 13 isn’t nearly enough; the holiday consumes all of October. At 11 a.m. are three holiday “The Middle” episodes; later, light movies (which will rerun often) begin. It’s Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” (2005) at 3 p.m., the bland “Casper” (1995) at 5, the delightful “Hotel Transylvania” (shown here, 2012) at 7 and “Hocus Pocus” (1993) – an October tradition for Freeform – at 9. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 29, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 30: Basketball begins,”100″ ends

1) Basketball, 9 p.m. ET, ABC. This is just what a shut-down nation needs – a fresh burst of sports. On the same day that baseball begins its National League play-offs, basketball starts its best-of-seven finals, with LeBron James (shown here) and the Los Angeles Lakers) facing one of his old teams (the Miami Heat). Other games will be Friday, Sunday, Oct. 6 and (if necessary) beyond. Today has a pre-game show at 8:30 p.m. and a pre-pre-game show – “Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night” – at 8 … or after the game, on the West Coast. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 28, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 29: A debate, plus despicable alternatives

1) Presidential debate, 9-11 p.m. ET (6-8 p.m. PT), ABC, CBS. NBC, Fox, PBS and news channels. Sure there are alternatives (including the “Despicable Me” movies, shown here), that we’ll mention in a minute. But this is what counts — a high-stakes collision between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, with Chris Wallace of Fox News moderating. others will be Oct. 15 and 22 … plus an Oct. 7 vice-presidential debate with Mike Pence and Kamala Harris. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 27, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Sept. 28: “Comey” ends fiercely

1) “The Comey Rule,” 9 p.m., Showtime. If you missed the first half Sunday, don’t fret; it reruns at 7:25 p.m. today. It’s well-made … but no match for the fierce emotional energy of this conclusion. The opener ended with the 2016 election; now FBI Director James Comey faces a new boss (shown here, with Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson) and a new world. A tsunami of events is about to overtake him and the nation. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 26, 2020
Stories

“Fargo” is here — at last

The world seemed to conspire against there ever being another “Fargo” mini-series.
The first three – spread over four years – drew waves of praise. There were 53 Emmy nominations, a Peabody Award … and lots of Hollywood admirers. “I thought it was easily the best thing on television,” Chris Rock told the Television Critics Association.
But there was a three-year delay, while writer-producer Noah Hawley was busy making “Legion.” He finally started a fourth “Fargo,” to debut this April 19, with Rock (shown here) starring. Actors gushed, critics praised … and then, with three episodes left to shoot, there was the COVID shutdown. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 25, 2020