Mike Hughes

Yes, Sunday has semi-Super alternatives

There are plenty of people, it seems, with no great stake in the Super Bowl
.For various reasons – sanity or sobriety or sheer orneriness – they don’t carer whether it’s a Chief or a 49er who dumps Gatorade on his coach
.They want to watch TV on Sunday … which isn’t easy. With the game on Fox, the other commercial broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, even CW) are all ducking into rerunsw. So are Showtime and Starz. Still, that leaves some solid alternatives that includes: Read more…

Best-bets for Feb. 1: The Oscar rush begins

1) “Doctor Zhivago” (1965) and “Funny Girl” (1968), 8 and 11:30 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. The 25th year of “31 Days of Oscar,” starts splendidly. It will be stuffed with Oscar-winners, each with a connection to the film that follows, In this case, the link is Omar Sharif (. He stars in the large and lush “Zhivago,” then co-stars in the musical “Funny Girl.” Both were nominated for best picture, but didn’t win. “Zhivago” won five other Oscars; “Funny Girl” won for Barbra Streisand’s great performance, mixing humor, heartbreak and superb music. Read more…

Best-bets for Jan. 31: “Magnum” leaves, country grows

1) “Magnum P.I.” mid-season finale, 9 p.m., CBS. Faced with a drama overload, CBS keeps shuffling. Next week, “Tommy” (an excellent Edie Falco cop show) takes over the “Evil” slot on Thursday and “MacGyver” (on the shelf for four-plus months) returns to Fridays. .“Magnum” steps aside for a while, after tonight’s episode (shown here): Jin, the pickpocket, learns that an innocent woman is the target of a hit; he asks Magnum and Higgins to protect her. Read more…

Best-bets for Jan. 30: Farewell to a great place

1) “The Good Place” series-finale, 8:30-10 p.m., NBC. One of the TV’s best and brightest shows is leaving – voluntarily and way too soon. “Good Place” (shown here in a previous episode) has won the best-comedy award from the Television Critics Association and been nominated by the Emmys and the Golden Globes. It’s won Peabody and American Film Institute awards, while taking a smart and offbeat look at the afterlife. Last week, our characters finally got to the real “good place” and Michael (Ted Danson) was put in charge. Read more…

Grammys reflect the pain of losing Kobe, Whitney

It’s happened twice now in eight years.
The Grammy people were ready for the usual fun and flash and spectacle. Then, at the last moment, there was a stunning death.
In 2012 it was Whitney Houston, who had some of her greatest moments at the Grammys
This year it was Kobe Bryant (shown here), who had his greatest moments at the Staples Center, where the ceremony is held.Both times, the Grammy people responded beautifully. Both times, they had the right person hosting. Read more…

Best-bets for Jan. 28: Miracle Workers return, Arrow leaves

1) “Miracle Workers: Dark Ages,” 10:30 p.m., TBS. King Cragnoor the Heartless earned his name as a young man. His son, alas, remains Prince Chauncley the (To Be Determined). He’s not sure about taking over the family business; neither is Mary Poopshoveler (we’re using a euphemism). She dreams of getting an education … except there’s not currently any knowledge available. This is from the writer of last year’s brilliant “Miracle Workers,” with the same actors (Daniel Radcliffe, shown here,, Steve Buscemi, etc.) in new roles. The result is hilarious.
Read more…

Best-bets for Jan. 27: We (heart) Gina

1) “Bob (hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. Gina Yashere (shown here) has been the semi-secret strengths of this terrific show. She’s a writer and producer, guiding it through the intricacies of Nigerian/American customs; she also co-stars as Kemi. In this dandy rerun, Kemi has lied – or, at least, been slow to tell the truth – to her friend Abishola. And with Bob’s mom remaining ill, her kids insist she should make a will. Read more…

Retrieving a once-famous chemist

History tends to remember a few rebels and reformers
.They’re authors and politicians, mostly. But then there’s the guy – now semi-forgotten – who was once the world’s most famous chemist
.That’s Harvey Wiley (shown here with his young “poison squad”), subject of a fascinating PBS profile Tuesday. He was an early target in the war against science. He also was also a reason why we know (sometimes) what we’re eating. Read more…