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ABC austerity: a wobbly, makeshift line-up

Maybe we should start worrying about ABC.
At first, its apparent austerity program seemed logical. Faced with giant jolts – the pandemic and two strikes – ABC scrambled. It added unscripted shows; it also borrowed shows from cable and streaming networks.
But now that’s gone overboard. After the season had already started, ABC decided to pillage all of “Monday Night Football,” pushing two game shows and “Scamanda” until 2025.
They won’t be missed; the world certainly has no shortage of games or true-crime stories. ABC does have some good shows — including “High Potential,” shown here, at 10 p.m. Tuesdays — but it continues its austerity trend; consider: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 21, 2024

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All the ABC comedies (and more) set for Halloween

For decades, ABC had an October tradition:
Each of its situation comedies had a Halloween episode. “Roseanne” (later re-titled “The Conners”) was the best; “Modern Family” was close.
And now? Once again, every sitcom is involved … but, ABC only has one. That’s “Abbott Elementary,” a comedy island stranded between unscripted shows on Wednesdays. “The Conners” has been renewed for a final season, but that will be later; it’s on the shelf during its favorite holiday.
So ABC is making do with Halloween themes for other shows. Its first samplingias Oct. 13; it starts a three-Sunday string of light scare movies with “Haunted Mansion,” surrounded by spooky themes to an “America’s Funniest Home Videos” rerun and a new “Celebrity Family Feud.” The others — including “Hocus Pocus,” shown here — will be Oct. 20-31. They are: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 13, 2024

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At last: CBS’ season arrives in one big bunch

As the new TV season chugs along, something has been missing.
Something big, actually. CBS, the ratings leader, has held back its shows.
Now they arrive in one burst, in what the network calls “Premiere Week.” From Oct. 13-19 (three weeks later than usual), it will debut two shows (including “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” shown here), have the second episode of one and the season-openers of nine more. Three more shows arrive a week later.
And mostly, this is a good batch. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 7, 2024

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After fading away, award show tries a comeback

The American Music Awards had a foolproof route to high ratings.
It honored popular people, many of whom performed on the show. Viewers saw Michael moonwalk, Prince rock, Mariah soar. It couldn’t fail.
And then it did. Ratings crashed; the AMA’s almost vanished. The next awards (in May of 2025) will be the first in 30 months.
Before that, a special – 8-10 p.m. ET Sunday (Oct. 6) on CBS – will be the first step in a comeback attempt. It will have lots of new performances (including Jennifer Hudson, shown here), plus clips that go back 50 years Read more…

By Mike Hughes / October 3, 2024

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Two Aussies help fill American comedy void

Let’s thank some Aussies for filling our comedy void.
The second season of “Colin From Accounts” (shown here) has arrived in one bunch at Paramount+, with eight episodes. A couple of them are merely OK, but the rest are moving (occasionally) and funny (often).
Americans used to be known for comedy. We gave the world Lucy and Cosby and Bunker and Seinfeld, “Friends” and “Frasier” and the “Big Bang” gang.
But lately? The big-four networks combine for 81 primetime hours; but if you exclude cartoons, it goes like this: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 30, 2024

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ABC’s movie mix: classics, reboots and Halloween

ABC has finally answered a lingering question about its fall schedule:
What, exactly, will it show Sundays, on the Disney movie night?
The answer is a mix of new-ish films — the reboots of “Little Mermaid” (shown here) and “Haunted Mansion” and the latest Indiana Jones tale — and classics (“Coco,” “Moana” “Mrs. Doubtfire”). There will be a Halloween emphasis in October, before broadening the range.
All of that will start a week later than originally announced – on Oct. 6, instead of Sept. 29. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 25, 2024

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A funny guy takes an angry look at Hispanic history

The world has long known that John Leguizamo can be a funny guy,
His starred in a Mario Brothers movie in 1993, had his own sketch-comedy show on Fox in ‘96. He’s been the voice of Sid the Sloth in “Ice Age” movies and specials. He’s also been the voice of Jack Sprat, Sir Butterscotch and folks named Dizzy, Fluffy, Ziggy and Zip.
But there’s another side “I am a history nerd …. I’m like the Rain Man of Latin facts,” Leguizamo (shown here) told the Television Critics Association. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 23, 2024

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Amid new-world chaos, she found literary fame

Julia Alvarez was 10 when her sunny life began to spiral.
Her father was linked to an attempt to kill the Dominican Republic dictator. She fled to the U.S. with her parents and sisters. The family was “losing everything,” she told the Television Critics Association. It was a new language and a new culture, with little money or sunshine.
And 30 years later, that would lead to a novel (“How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”) that would bring praise from readers and disagreement within her family. Now she’s the focus of “American Masters,” at 9 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 17) on PBS. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 16, 2024

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Emmy telecast: At least, it was fun and funny

If you’re planning an awards show, here’s the essential requirement:
Make sure that Steve Martin is there early as (at least) a presenter.
Martin has been a delight working solo … or with Martin Short … or as part of the “Only Murders in the Building” triad, with Short and Selena Gomez.
That’s what he did Sunday, early in the Emmys (shown here). Alongside some great work from the hosts (Eugene and Dan Levy), we knew this would be a fun night. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 16, 2024

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Her quirky show helps fill a comedy void

When it comes to comedies, TV has turned upside down.
Now it’s the broadcast networks that fail to be funny. And it’s the streamers or a basic-cable network that fill the void.
Already arrived are FX’s “English Teacher” and Hulu’s “How to Die Alone” – a delight (shown here) that we’ll get back to in a minute.
Coming next are the second seasons of the “Frasier” reboot and “Colin From Accounts” (Sept. 19 and 26, both on Paramount+) and “Shrinking” (Oct. 16, Apple TV+). Also, there’s the final season of the delightful “What We Do in the Shadows” (Oct. 21, FX), with more coming. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 14, 2024