1) “The Quiz With Balls” season-opener, 9 p.m., Fox. Like “Family Feud,” this takes a clever game and adds lots of less-clever hype and noise. This opener is noisier than usual, pitting families from New Jersey and New York. The questions are wildly uneven and the show sometimes fails to show which answers were right, Still, Jay Pharoah (shown here) keeps it fun. Read more…
“Jaws” — the film that changed beach-going (a little) and movie-going (a lot) is about to turn 50.
And yes, TV will celebrate. The movie (shown here) debuted on June 20, 1975; now:
— On June 7, the AMC network will show “Jaws” and its sequel (1978) at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m., repeating them at 7 and 10. The less-regarded “Jaws 3” (1983) will be at 12:30 a.m., with “Jaws the Revenge” (1987) at 2:45.
— At 9 p.m. July 10, the National Geographic Channel debuts “Jaws@50: The Definitive Insider Story.” It’s produced by Amblin, the company run by “Jaws” director Steven Spielberg. He’s in the film; so are actor-screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. composer John Williams and the family of novelist Peter Benchley. Also included are other filmmakers (George Lucas, James Cameron, J.J. Abrams, etc.), plus maritime experts Read more…
1) Cartoons. This summer, Fox has bumped its animation to Thursdays. That leaves a void, which can be filled today by trying “Phineas and Ferb” (shown here, see No. 2) or catching a marathon on Freeform: The gorgeous “Frozen” films are at 12:45 (2013) and 3:15 p.m. (2019), with “Ratatouille” (2007) at 5:25, “Elemental” (2023) at 8:05 and “Up” (2009) at 10:15. Read more…
1) Tony Awards, 5 p.m. PT Sunday, CBS, repeating at 8. Cynthia Erivo hosts a night packed with big-deal musical numbers. We can expect the nominated musicals — five new ones and four revivals, including Audra McDonald’s “Gypsy” and Nicole Scherzinger’s “Sunset Boulevard.” And there will be a 10th-anniversary performance by the origial “Hamilton” cast (shown here). Read more…
1) “Destination X” and “Yes, Chef,” 8 and 9 p.m., NBC. As summer starts, it’s hard to keep up with all the reality shows. Here are second chances: “X” reruns its Tuesday debut; Jeffrey Dean Morgan hosts, with contestants trying to figure out where, in Europe, they are. (The photo here shows next week’s episode.) “Chef” reruns Monday’s hour; at a family-style dinner, chefs assess each other’s work. Read more…
1) “Kiss Me, Kate,” 9 p.m., PBS. After airing two grim, modern musicals, PBS goes the opposite way. Written in 1948, this ripples with great Cole Porter songs– some of them wildly unrelated to the story. (The second act begins with a “Too Darn Hot,” shown here, that’s long, vibrant and totally random.) Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J. Block are strong leads; the songs — “Too Darn Hot,” “So In Love,” “In My Fashion,” etc. — are delightful. Read more…
1) “Bob’s Burgers,” 8 p.m., Fox. With sports gobbling up summer Sundays, Fox moves its cartoons to Thursdays. Each has new episodes (3-6 of them), before needing reruns. “Bob’s” (shown here) find a conspiracy theory … “Grimsburg” has male sex workers dying … “Family Guy” has a “White Lotus” take-off … and “Great North” has Judy try dinner theater. Read more…
Les Moonves, a very wise (and sometimes foolish) man, once told me, “There’s no such thing as trying too hard.”
He was wrong, of course. (Wise people sometimes are.) And the latest proof is “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (shown here).
Granted, there are many good things about the film. Its action scenes are sensational; a marathon biplane chase through canyon country is about as good visually as a movie can be. Tom Cruise is intense (as usual) and perfect; his cast is full of top people in small roles. (We only see Oscar-winner Angela Bassett briefly. She does, however, save the world.)
The script, by director Christopher McQuarry and Erik Jendresen is smart … to an excess. There’s a lot of excess here. Read more…
1) “Raid the Cage” season-opener, 9 p.m., CBS. As the summer begins, CBS’ plans are surprisingly modest. There are occasional specials (including the Tonys, June 8), lots of reruns, plus this show, starting its second season. Damon Wayans Jr. hosts with Jeannie Mai. Contestants answer questions to get extra time; then try to grab prizes (shown here) before a gate closes. Read more…
1) “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” finale, 9 p.m., Fox. It may be the end of the line for this well-made drama. (Fox hasn’t renewed or officially canceled it.) Despite some credibility gaps, this finale has a sharp, twisty story of prom, politics and a multiple-kidnapping. Scott Caan and guest star Malcolm-Jamal Warner (shown here) provide some strong starpower. Read more…
