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New comedy gets a post-football boost, Jan. 18

Another TV network is adapting Fox’s idea: If you REALLY want someone to sample a new show, put it after a football game.
Now it’s NBC’s turn: In a late change, it will air “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (shown here) at about 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) Sunday, Jan. 18, after the Rams-Bears playoff game.
That will be a week before Fox does the same thing: It will debut Patrick Dempsey’s “Memory of a Killer” at about 10 p.m. ET Jan. 25, after the game that decides which NFC team will be in the Super Bowl. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 17, 2026

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ABC sets a “Florida gothic” crime show

ABC will add a burst of Florida-quirkiness to its Tuesday line-up.
“RJ Decker” (shown here with Scott Speedman) — based on a Carl Hiasson novel — debuts at 10 p.m. March 3. It will follow “Will Trent” and “High Potential,” nudging “The Rookie” to Mondays behind “American Idol.:
The “Florida gothic” genre — mixing sunny settings, weird characters and the occasional alligator — has surged with the novels of Elmore Leonard, Dave Barry and more, including Hiasson. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 14, 2026

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Double-birthday looms: the U.S. and Route 66

An upcoming TV series has found a fresh way to link the birthdays of the United States and (shown here) its Route 66 highway system.
“The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition” will start May 13 on the CW network. It will continue on Wednesdays and conclude on July 22 — two-and-a-half weeks after the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on Independence.
This won’t be a race, with fast-and-furious cars smashing speed limits. Instead, the 10 cars — each aligned with a charitable cause — will pause in different towns, for fundraising and awareness events. Still pending are: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 13, 2026

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Hulu loads up on Kardashians, new and old

Let’s say you feel there just aren’t enough ways to see the Kardashians.
Now you can quit worrying. Starting Feb. 17, all of the shows — that’s a lot — will be on Hulu and Disney+.
That’s the result of a deal that includes streaming rights to all 20 seasons of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (shown here with Khloe, Kendall and Kylie), plus its spin-offs and specials. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 9, 2026

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Weekend (Jan. 9-11) adds true crime, contrived horror

This weekend has added a triple burst of real-life murder and contrived horror. Newly added to the schedule are:
— Friday (Jan. 9): A TMZ special (8 p.m., Fox) about the death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. The tabloid-style show claims it has new information that will complicate prosecutors’ attempt to convict their son Nick.
— Saturday: A rerun (8 p.m., CBS) of the opener of “Harlan Coben’s Final Twist.” This looks at the small-town Tennessee murders of a husband and wife, both named Billy. It includes sudden surprises, involving some incredibly gullible people.
— Sunday: An advance premiere of Fox’s “Fear Factor: House of Fear” (shown here). That will be at about 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT), after the pro-football playoff game between the 49ers and Eagles. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 7, 2026

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Gates guides us through the past, bright and grim

As other shows bounce in and out of the PBS line-up, there’s one we can count on:
“Finding Your Roots” is usually there, With new episodes or reruns, it anchors most Tuesdays at 8 p.m., with Henry Louis Gages (shown here) finding deep insights into stars’ pasts.
The show has already done 11 seasons and 116 episodes, profiling about 232 people. Now a new season starts Jan. 6, adding 10 more hours.
It begin with a sometimes-cheery hour, focusing on actors America Ferrera and Darren Criss. Then things turn serious. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 2, 2026

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He’s a supremely diligent (and talented) actor

I’ve never had anyone wave millions of dollars at me, begging me to star in an action movie or a cute romance.
But if that did happen, I’d be tempted. Which is why I have such esteem for Timothee Chalamet.
He’s had all the things that create pop-culture fame — two “Dune” epics that made a combined $1.3 billion … a romantic supporting role in one great film (“Little Women”) … a musical role in another great one (“Wonka”) … and a photogenic romance with Kylie Jenner.
From there, he could have made easy money anywhere — from sci-fi to rom-coms to hair-gel ads. Instead, he took two roles that are amazingly complex and (in some ways) totally opposite — first as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” then as the supremely hyper Marty (shown here) in “Marty Supreme.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 28, 2025

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O, what to do today (Dec. 17) during Trump talk?

For TV networks — and TV viewers — President Trump’s speech creates instant complications.
The talk is planned for 9 p.m. ET today (Wednesday), just as networks are at a key moment.
That’s halfway through Fox’s “The Floor” finale, a third of the way through CBS’ “Survivor” family. For music fans, it’s halfway through ABC’s new “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2025” and just before NBC starts its “Christmas in Nashville” rerun (shown here with Lauren Alaina).
All four of those networks plan to simply pause their regular plans, then simply resume when Trump is done. The delay is variously estimated at 15 to 22 minutes. But what about viewers who don’t want to hear Trump or wait him out? Their options include: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 17, 2025

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CBS adds specials viewing Reiner, Raymond and Aguilera

(This updates a previous story, adding a newly scheduled Rob Reiner special on Sunday.))
For now, CBS’ line-up is in a state of perpetual change.
Three new specials have been added, focusing on Rob Reiner (Sunday, Dec. 21) and on Christina Auilera (shown here) and “Everybody Loves Raymond” (both Monday, Dec. 22). Other shows are being moved around.
Chronologically, the changes are: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 16, 2025

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Reiner and “Raymond” specials scheduled

Two specials — one somber and one fun — have been added to network schedules. They are:
— Tuesday (Dec. 16): “The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy,” 10 p.m., ABC. This is from ABC news and will follow the ongoing news story — the death of Reiner and his wife Michelle and the arrest of their son — while also serving as a biography/obituary. It will look back at Reiner’s career, from starring in “All In The Family” to directing “This Is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and more. On Wednesday, it will move to Hulu and Disney+.
— Monday (Dec. 22): “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2,” 8 p.m., CBS. The original (shown here) aired twice on CBS, on Nov. 24 and 28, totaling just over 10 million viewers. Now CBS says it has an additional hour of clips and comments. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 16, 2025