News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

Post-strike, CW sticks with lower-budget plan

When the big networks return to full-budget, scripted shows, the CW will stand fast.
It will have the same sort of shows it (and others) settled for during the strikes. There will be lots a non-fiction, plus Canadian shows (including “Children Ruin Everything,” shown here) and a movie night.
For years, the CW had youthful shows — often high-octane, superhero ones. But 15 months ago, it got a new owner with plans to lower the costs; then the strikes saw all the networks trying that. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 13, 2023
News and Quick Comments

Shows’ return dates? Here’s an alphabetical list

As the real TV season finally nears, viewers can start to ask about their favorite shows.
They might wonder when the final seasons begin for “Young Sheldon,” shown here, or “Blue Bloods” (Feb. 15 and 16). They might want the first season of Jon Hamm’s animated “Grimsburg” (Jan. 7), the 20th of “Grey’s Anatomy” (March 14) or the 25th of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (Jan. 18).
Most of those details are available now, so we’ve put them into two alphabetical lists. One has 14 new shows; the other has 49 returning ones.
This sticks to prime time in the five main broadcast networks, plus the Sunday dramas on PBS. It skips cable and streaming networks, which tend to have fluid schedules, even during the strikes. It also skips the few shows (“Simpsons” or “60 Minutes,” for instance) that never went away. A few shows haven’t been scheduled yet and everything is subject to change: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 10, 2023
News and Quick Comments Stories

When does the real season start? Soon … or not

(This is an updated version, adding several CW shows)
After waiting semi-patiently for three months, TV viewers have a logical question:
Now that the strikes have ended, when will the real season start? The answer varies; it will be:
— Quite soon. Two comedies (one is shown here) arrive Dec. 23; 11 more shows arrive in the first week of January.
— Really late. Another 12 shows – led by the eternal “Grey’s Anatomy” – wait until March.
— Or somewhere in between. You could think of the Super Bowl, on Feb. 11, as the turning point. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 10, 2023
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Lear specials set for CBS, PBS and mini-networks

Two broadcast networks have now set tributes to the late Norman Lear on Friday.
CBS will have a new hour at 8 p.m.; many PBS stations will rerun a 2016 “American Masters” profile at 9.
Lear wrote and produced “All in the Family” (shown here) and other shows that nudged TV into its first golden age of comedy. After his death Tuesday, at 101, several mini-networks scheduled tributes. Now two larger ones have also jumped in; the list includes: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 7, 2023
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Christmas mega-list? Here’s an update

Yes, the Christmas TV season has already been going on for a few weeks (or a few months or maybe a few years).
But there’s a lot more coming, so it’s time for an update. We’ve added several late-scheduled shows, plus details on some of the others, including the “CMA Christmas” special Dec. 14 with (shown here) Trisha Yearwood and Amy Grant. We’ve also deleted everything before today (Dec. 5), plus one show that was shelved.
(For general reference, the original list still exists, under “stories.”)
This skips most Christmas episodes of regular shows and (with a few exceptions) reruns of TV movies. For theatrical films, it includes the eternal ones and skips the rest. Also, it barely scratches the vast resources of streaming networks; check your streamer for details. Here we go: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 5, 2023
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News bits: Oliver, Capote, “Dance.” more

Here’s some definite job security: “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (shown here) has been renewed for three more seasons.
That takes the show (11 p.m. Sundays on HBO, then on Max) through its 13th season. It’s currently on a roll, with seven straight Emmy awards for best variety talk series … approaching the string of 10 straight by “The Daily Show” … where Oliver was a correspondent.
Other TV news involves a new “Feud” mini-series. the return of “So You Think You Can Dance” and a new season of “Independent Lens” documentaries: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 5, 2023
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“Golden Bachelor” plans a quick wedding

Here’s one reason to feature older folks in dating shows: They actually get married.
When “The Golden Bachelor” concluded Thursday (Nov. 30), ABC promptly made an announcement: The couple’s wedding will air live Jan. 4 on ABC.
Gerry Turner, 72, a widower, is a retired restaurant owner with a lakeside home in Indiana. On the show, he met 22 women, ages 60-75, then chose Theresa Nist, 70, who does financial services work in New Jersey. (They’re shown here.)
The “Bachelor” show has produced few marriages, “Bachelorette” has done better … and this wedding will make “Golden Bachelor” one-for-one. In other TV news: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 1, 2023
News and Quick Comments

Good news: ABC gets “Only Murders” reruns

In this fractured season, there’s good news for people who still watch broadcast networks:
“Only Murders in the Building” (shown here) – Hulu’s much-praised, Emmy-nominated comedy-mystery series – is coming to ABC. Its first season will run from 9-11 p.m. Tuesdays, starting in January.
That’s part of the patch-up phase, as ABC waits for its post-strike shows to be ready. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / November 30, 2023