Mike Hughes

“Only Murders” is back and better

The streaming world is full of brief pleasures — movies … six-episode series … epics that take two years between seasons.
But then there’s “Only Murders in the Building” (shown here). Each summer, it brings a fresh, 10-episode season; each seems even better than the previous ones.
That’s especially true of this fourth season, which arrives Tuesday (Aug. 27) on Hulu. It’s fresh and different, yet richly mines its past. Many actors return from previous seasons … even some whose characters were killed or jailed. Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 27: movie master & “Murders”

1) “American Masters,” 8-9:30 p.m., PBS. Blake Edwards was known for cinema silliness — “Pink Panther” films (shown here), “The Great Race,” lots of sight gags. But before that was “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” later came films (including “10”) reflecting his depression and mid-life crisis. Here’s a superb portrait of a talented and complicated guy. Read more…

PBS has fresh surge of election specials

As the political conventions ended, networks retreated to their previous lives.
They have new game shows and old cop shows. The election is confined to their newscasts and occasional debates.
With one exception. PBS was the only broadcast network to give all of prime time to the conventions; now it has more coverage. In addition to “PBS News Hour” (7-8 p.m. weekdays on most stations) and any debates, that includes:
— “Counting the Votes” (shown here), 9:30 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 27). Margaret Hoover starts with Jeb Bush and the bipartisan reforms that followed the 2000 election chaos in Florida. She goes on to tour other states and finds, among other things, that virtually every presidential vote is now on paper. (I posted a story on this previously, but I’ll include it at the end of this list.) Read more…

Best-bets for Aug. 23: zesty concert and lotsa movies

1) “Great Performances,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. Amid the beauty of an Austrian palace (shown here), Here’s a high-octane concert by the Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor Andris Nelsons opens with Wagner, closes with waltzes and has propulsive numbers in between, led by “Sabre Dance.” Lise Davidsen, who often sings of death and despair, gets a burst of Verdi joy. Read more…