1) Disney movies, TBS and Freeform. On a slow night for other shows, Disney films come to the rescue. The one TBS film — the gorgeous “Beauty and the Beast” (2017) at 6 p.m. – isn’t a cartoon, but Freeform counters with an animation spree. It has “Finding Nemo” (2003) at 2:10 p.m., “Ratatouille” (2007) a 4:40 and then two gems — “Moana” (2016, shown here) at 7:20 and “The Lion King” (1994) ar 9:50. Read more…
1) “Gone With the Wind” (1939), 10 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Last week, a TCM film called 1939 Hollywood’s greatest year; instant proof was provided with “Wizard of Oz” and “Ninotchka.” Both were Academy Award nominees for best picture, but that Oscar (and seven others) went to “Gone With the Wind” (its poster is shown here). Today, it’s preceded by a day of black-and-white, 1939 films; that peaks at 8 p.m. ET with “Dark Victory,” an Oscar nominee for best picture, actress (Bette Davis) and music. Read more…
1) “Hollywood Game Night” season-opener, 9 p.m., NBC. This reminds us of a sad fact: Thursdays – usually the best night for situation comedies – have suddenly become sitcom-free. Summertime reality shows have bumped comedy from CBS (“Big Bang,” “Mom,” etc.) and NBC. As a slight consolation, this opener has people from NBC’s “Superstore” (Nico Santos) and “The Good Place” (D’Arcy Carden, Marc Evan Jackson and Jameela Jamil, shown here), plus the “Ninja Warrior” hosts. Read more…
1) “Jane the Virgin,” 9 p.m., CW. With just five weeks left, “Jane” is clicking again. Yes, it sputtered for a while, especially with its Rafael-or-Michael storyline. But now Jane and Rafael are engaged; this episode ripples with sharp plot twists and brief bursts of humor. Jane frets about finishing and selling her book … and about being a good stepmom to the twins of Petra (who has her own evil mom to worry about) and Rafael. Also, many people – Jane’s dad, Rose, the twins (shown here)– scheme in the telenovela fashion. Read more…
1) “Bring the Funny” debut, 10:01 p.m., NBC. For a dozen years, NBC had a shaky relationship with “Last Comic Standing.” Once, it ordered a second edition for the fall … then failed to run the final episode. It cancelled the show three times – once for a year, then for three, then forever. Now, four years later, a new show debuts. Like “Last Comic,” it has stand-up comedians; unlike it, there are also sketch comedy (shown here), magicians and more. Kenan Thompson, Jeff Foxworthy and Chrissy Teigen are judges. Read more…
1) “The Bachelorette,” 8-10:01 p.m., ABC. It’s time for Hannah Brown (shown here) to visit the home towns and meet the families of the final four. And that means mostly staying close to her Southern roots: She’s 24, a former Miss Alabama. Luke Parker, 24, an import/export manager, is from Georgia … Jed Wyatt, 25, a singer/songwriter, is from Tennessee … Tyler Cameron, 26, a contractor, is from Florida … and Peter Weber, 27, a pilot, is from California. Read more…
1) “The Movies” debut, 9 p.m. ET, CNN (barring breaking news), rerunning at midnight. This is like the former Disney World ride that zipped us through Hollywood history — fast and fun, but never really staying anywhere for long. The opener takes us through the 1980s. It has fresh interviews with the great filmmakers – Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Rob Reiner, Tim Burton, Ridley Scott, the late John Singleton – and a few actors, critics and historians. It has a few insights — Tom Hanks calls “Roger Rabbit” (shown here) the most difficult filmmaking ever — and lots of quick, fun clips. Read more…
1) “A Star is Born” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” (both 2018), 5:40 and 8 p.m., HBO. Two stories about singers – the first fiction, the second true – beautifully blend music and emotion. Both drew Academy Award nominations for best picture. “Star” — superbly directed by Bradley Cooper, with great performances from Cooper and Lady Gaga (shown here) – won a best-song Oscar; “Rhapsody” won best actor (for Rami Malek as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury) plus three Oscars for sound and for editing. Read more…
1) “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), 8 p.m. Friday, Turner Classic Movies, and more. First is “Oz,” which on Aug. 25 will turn 80. Then is a 10 p.m. documentary, “1939: Hollywood’s Greatest Year.” That’s no exaggeration: The American Film Institute lists “Oz” as the 10th-best movie ever … but it won only two Oscars, both for music. That year had “Gone With the Wind” (No. 6 with the AFI), plus “Mr. Chips,” “Mr. Smith” (No. 26), “Ninotchka” (6 p.m. today), “Stagecoach,” “Of Mice and Men” and more. Read more…
1) A Capitol Fourth,” 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 10. Here’s the annual, feel-good blend of music and fireworks. It’s strong on Broadway – Carole King with the cast of “Beautiful,” Vanessa Williams, Laura Olnes. But it also has gospel (Yolanda Adams), country (Lee Brice), R&B (The O’Jays) and lots of pop: Colbie Caillat is part of the Gone West band; there are also winners of “American Idol” (Laine Hardy) and “The Voice” (Maelyn Jarmon), plus an “America’s Got Talent” runner-up (Angelica Hale). Read more…
