Mike Hughes

Stories

Burst of Broadway brightens PBS

Each year, PBS gives us a brief burst of Broadway.
For several Fridays, it has a mix of musicals and plays and such. Most years, that’s important for those of us who live far from New York; this year – no Broadway, no tours – it’s important for everyone.
That starts Friday, with James Corden in a wild comedy. It follows with a documentary … a musical rerun … and a Lea Salonga (shown here) concert, peppered with Broadway and movie hits.
There are flaws here and there. The comedy and the musical both suffer from weak scripts; one is salvaged (mostly) by gifted actors, the other by rousing, Irving Berlin songs. But the documentary is extraordinary – a rich, 56-year, six-nation journey. And Salonga is magnificent. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 4, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 5: Lots of laughs and a new star

1) “B Positive” debut, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, CBS. The first new, scripted show of the season is a delight, with great characters and sharp humor. Thomas Middleditch (the former “Silicon Valley” star) is great as a divorced dad who needs a kidney donor. But the real joy is Annaleigh Ashford (shown here with Middleditch) as Gina, a former high school classmate with a kidney to spare. A Broadway veteran (and Tony-winner), Ashford skillfully makes Gina seem caring and clueless, helpful to strangers and unable to help herself. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 3, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 4: A final night of reality overload

1) “American Ninja Warrior” (shown here in a previous week) finale, 9-11 p.m. NBC. Last week, only four of 16 finalists finished the course. There are still 11 more to tackle it tonight; then the top eight overall will face the “Power Tower” for the $100,000 prize. Lucas Reale, 21, a business student, is at the top so far. The others who finished: Najee Richarfdson, 29, a coach and ex-gymnast … Austin Gray, 22, a coach; he donated a kidney to a friend … and Jesse Labreck, 30, a gym-owner; her fiance, Chris DiGagi, fell shot. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 2, 2020
Stories

It’s positively a good show, great star

This is just what we need as the dark winter approaches. There’s a fresh, new star – well, new to many people – in a first-rate comedy.
The show – “B Positive,” at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays on CBS – is no surprise, really. It’s from producer Chuck Lorre, whose comedies range from good to great; its Nov. 5 debut is sandwiched between two of his shows, “Young Sheldon” and “Mom.”
The first two episodes offer the sort of sharp writing we expect from Lorre, plus a bonus. That’s Annaleigh Ashford (shown here winning a Tony award), one of the show’s two stars. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 1, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 3: Great movies while the votes are counted

1) Election coverage, all night, everywhere. Several networks – ABC, CBS, NBC – plan to start at 7 p.m. ET, an hour before polls start closing. Fox will wait until 8, but PBS will start at 6 … and the news channels will be at it all day. But with a cascade of absentee ballots, it may be approximately forever before anyone knows the winner. While waiting, you can catch such movies as “Godfather,” “Rocky” (shown here) and more; they’re mentioned next. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 1, 2020
News and Quick Comments

It’s a Sean-a-thon on Nov. 6

A Sean-a-thon is coming to cable on Friday (Nov. 6).
It’s a BBC America nod to Sean Connery, who died Oct. 31 at 90. His first three James Bond films will run back-to-back — “Dr. No” (1962) at 3:30 p.m. ET, “From Russia With Love” (1963) at 6 and “Goldfinger” (shown here) at 8:30.
Watch them in order and you’ll see the Bond films transform. “Dr. No” is a fairly straightforward, tough-spy tale. “From Russia With Love” also starts that way, adding some glitz in the later scnes. “Goldfinger” is sheer golden glitz, setting a pattern for decades to come.
You’ll see the transformation again on Nov. 29, when BBC America reruns those three movies, plus one apiece with Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. You also may agree on this: Craig and Brosnan are very good, but Connery is the ultimate Bond. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 31, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 2: A good doctor, a great documentary

1) “The Good Doctor” season-opener, 10 p.m., ABC. Some shows ignore the COVID crisis, but others embrace it. Here’s the latter; working with infected patients makes everyone wary. Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, shown here with Hill Harper) loves Lea, but can’t be near her; Dr. Reznick, banned from surgery, navigates around the clinic, putting herself and others at risk. There’s more, in this start of a two-parter: Dr. Park prepares to return to Phoenix; Dr. Brown mourns Dr Melendez, who was killed in the season-ending earthquake. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 31, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 1: Spooky Simpsons, troubled Laurie

1) “Masterpiece: Roadkill” opener, 9 p.m., PBS. We meet Peter Laurence (Hugh Laurie, shown here) in a moment of victory. He successfully sued a newspaper that accused him of corruption. All is fine … except the newspaper may have been right. Also, he’s cheating on his wife … he’s distant with his daughters … he’s surrounded by schemers … and there are big twists ahead. We don’t know whether to like or hate him; we still won’t know when the four-parter ends, but there are big surprises along the way. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 30, 2020
News and Quick Comments

Waiting for CW shows? Be patient

It will be a slow roll-out – very slow, in some cases – for CW’s new-season shows.
Most will arrive in an eight-day stretch from Jan. 17 (“Batwoman,” now with a new star, shown yhere) to Jan. 24 (“Charmed”). But viewers will have to wait until Feb. 8 for “Black Lightning” and Feb. 23 for “The Flash” and the new “Superman & Lois.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 29, 2020