Mike Hughes

Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 16: Great music, un-great show

1) “Great Performances: Grammy Salute to Legends,” 9 p.m., PBS. Most music shows have beautifully adjusted to the pandemic … but not this one. It does have a few good moments – from Sam Moore, Yola and Brandi Carlile – and one great one – a Roberta Flack tribute, gorgeously sung by Cynthia Erivo (shown here in a previous performance) and Leslie Odom, Jr. Then things fall apart — badly written film tributes, so-so introductions and endless acceptance speeches … including separate ones from every member of Chicago. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 14, 2020
Stories

Yola inhabits the soulful Sister Rosetta

It was a time before Elvis or Aretha, a time when “rock” and “soul” were mostly just nouns.
That was when Sister Rosetta Tharpe brought a rocking, soulful feel to gospel music. Now she’s getting fresh attention, via PBS and, eventually, a Baz Luhrmann movie.
“Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s contribution to music – specifically to the creation of rock-and-roll – (was) very central to my music taste,” said Yola (shown here), the singer who gets two chances to inhabit Tharpe.
The first is on “Grammy Salute to Music Legends,” at 9 p.m. Friday (Oct. 16) on PBS. Yola sings Tharpe’s powerhouse, “Up Above My Head, I Hear Music in the Air.” And the second will be in a movie … well, sometime. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 14, 2020
News and Quick Comments

CBS finally sets its season-openers

A major chunk of the new TV season has finally been scheduled.
CBS announced November starts for 10 of its series. That includes all three “NCIS” shows and five of its six comedies — including one new show, “B Positive” (shown here) — plus “SWAT” and “All Rise.”
That still leaves 10 others waiting to be scheduled. Most are hourlong dramas, including the two “FBI” shows and the three Friday ones.
The move matches others made by big-three networks. NBC will launch several of its shows around the Nov. 10 season-opener of “This Is Us”; two days later, ABC starts its big moves with a crossover of “Station 19” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 13, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 15: a town hall … or maybe two

1) Town hall, 8 p.m. ET, ABC, with news follow-up at 9:30 ET. This was supposed to be the big one – the second debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden; then it fell apart. When Trump was infectious with COVID, the debate commission said this round would have to be done from separate locations. He said he wouldn’t do it… Biden promptly scheduled this town hall … and the commission dumped the debate. Biden’s event — moderated by George Stephanopoulos (shown here) matches Trump’s town hall with ABC last month; Biden also had an NBC town hall on Oct. 5 … and Trump (see next paragraph) has tried to set up a similar one for tonight. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 13, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 14: Long-delayed awards and “Race”

1) “Billboard Music Awards,” 8-11 p.m., NBC. Delayed a half-year by COVID, the awards arrive with lots of big names. Kelly Clarkson (the host), Garth Brooks (who’s shown here and will get the Icon Award) and Post Malone (leading with 16 nominations) will perform. So will BTS, Sia, Alicia Keys, Luke Combs and key collaborations – Deja Cat with Tyga, Khalid with Swae Lee and Kane Brown. Songs will range from a premiere by Demi Lovato to En Vogue celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Free Your Mind.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 12, 2020
News and Quick Comments

For Blacks, the car brings freedom and fear

For four centuries, mobility has been crucial to Blacks in America.
At first, a PBS documentary points out, it was banned. Many slaves never traveled more than a mile.
Much later, travel was joyous (shown here) … or perilous. The film takes us through the “Green Book” era of discrimination … and on to the fears that go with a modern traffic stop.
That leads to its title: “Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America” airs from 9-11 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 13) on PBS. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 12, 2020
News and Quick Comments

TV gets bonus football games and more

The sports world has been giving some big breaks to TV networks … and to viewers.
Breaks are needed, at a time when COVID has slowed the fall TV line-ups. During that time, any sports event brings a spurt of interest; lately, the breaks have gone to:
– CBS. For the second straight week, it gets a primetime, pro-football game. Both games were postponed because of COVID, then re-scheduled as a weekday bonus. This one could be a dilly: At 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (Oct. 13), two undefeated teams collide, with Josh Allen (shown here) and Buffalo (4-0) at Tennessee (3-0). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 11, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 13: Romance and football collide

1) “The Bachelorette” season-opener, 8-10 p.m., ABC; or football, 7 p.m. ET, CBS. Here’s a perfect night for some two-TV households; it offers two opposite shows – one romantic and one combative. ABC has a long-anticipated one – a “Bachelorette” (with Clare Crawley, shown here) that was set for summer, then delayed by COVID. CBS has an unanticipated one; a game making up for a COVID-postponement. It should be a good one, with two undefeated teams – Buffalo (4-0) at Tennessee (3-0). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 11, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Oct. 12: A double day for Justina

1) “One Day at a Time” season-opener, 9 and 9:30 p.m., CBS. For nine years this was a typical CBS comedy– smart, funny and produced by Norman Lear. Rebooted with a Latina cast and with Lear (now 98) still producing, it ran three seasons on Netflix and six episodes (before a COVID shutdown) on Pop. Now the Pop six spend three Mondays on CBS. Tonight’s first episode (shown here), with Ray Romano as a census-taker, is clever; the second is OK, but suffers from broad jokes and brash supporting characters. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 10, 2020
Stories

A pandemic-pink force Zooms ahead

Any reasonable soul might want to be in a Hollywood epic, one with big scenes, fancy costumes and, maybe, Tom Cruise or Meryl Streep.
“I wanted to be on a big set, doing these huge stories,” Otmara Marrero recalled.
Then came NBC’s “Connecting” (8 p.m. Thursdays), the exact opposite. It’s a comedy-drama about friends communicating via Zoom during the pandemic; each actor works alone, at home.
Marrero agreed to audition, secure in the belief that she would never get the job. “My hair was pink (shown here); I’d dyed it on a whim, because I needed some excitement in my life.” Surprises followed: She liked the scripts … the producers liked her … and they even liked the pink. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 9, 2020