CBS adds Australian spin-off
CBS will tap another international spin-off this fall, to fill a void in its line-up.
This one is “NCIS: Sydney.” On Nov. 13, it will take the 10 p.m. slot on Mondays, with “NCIS” reruns sliding down to 9. Read more…
News and Quick Comments
Season preview: relentless reality
(This has been updated.)
Ready or not, TV viewers are entering an autumn of relentless reality.
In past seasons, the big broadcast networks tossed in occasional reality shows. They were big ones – “The Voice,” “The Bachelor,” “Survivor” – adding variety to a sea of dramas and comedies.
But this season, amid the writers’ and actors’ strikes, it’s almost non-stop reality,
CBS is launching three new games (including “Buddy Games,” shown here) and giving two classics (“Survivor” and “The Amazing Race”) an extra half-hour apiece …. Fox will be non-stop reality, from Mondays through Thursdays .… ABC has retrieved “Dancing With the Stars” from Disney+ and will even have generations of romance – an hour of a 71-year-old “Golden Bachelor,” followed by two hours of frisky folks in bikinis and such. Read more…
“Emily” offers warmth and humor, amid a deep funk
An excellent movie arrives Friday (Sept. 8) on cable. The less you know about it in advance, the better.
I’ll tell you a few generalities for now, then have a spoiler alert before going any further:
“Guiding Emily” (shown here) is 9 p.m. Friday on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, rerunning at 7 p.m. Sunday. It has an Emmy-worthy performance by Sarah Drew (who played April for nine years on “Grey’s Anatomy”) and solid work from the others.
It also has things you don’t expect in a serious story – subtlety, vibrant visuals and a dab of humor.
OK, that’s all I can say without spoilers. Go ahead and watch it or read on: Read more…
Here’s a party that even outsiders will enjoy
OK, I might not be the target audience for “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.”
The movie (shown here) – which debuted today (Aug. 25) on Netflix – is about Jewish girls turning 13. I miss that by one gender, one Testament and two generations.
But I found it to be an enjoyable journey to a different world and to some too-common human frailties. Also, it has a bright look and a relentless barrage of pop music.
This is a family-friendly film and a family project. Adam Sandler produced it and plays the dad. His daughter Sunny (second from left) stars as Stacy and her older sister Sadie plays, logically, her older sister. Adam’s wife Jackie is confined to playing Stacy’s friend’s mom; instead, Adam’s wife is played by Idina Menzel. Read more…
CNN gets a new streaming site
The wobbly relationship between CNN and its new owner may be strengthened a bit.
A new streaming hub, “CNN Max,” was announced today by Warner Bros. Discovery. When it launches Sept. 27, it will be free to people who subscribe to the Max (formerly HBO Max) streamer. Specifics are unclear, but it appears to:
— Help cord-cutters, who might find themselves without a full-time news channel. This will have separate shows, but will cover breaking news and use the regular CNN anchors.
— Be a convenient place to find past productions, including the Oscar-winning “Navalny” (shown here) and two Emmy-winning travel series with Stanley Tucci and with the late Anthony Bourdain. Read more…
A sorta-super, teens-in-trouble era ends on CW
A TV era will end Wednesday (Aug. 23).
Not a great one — eras don’t have to be perfect – but one that often felt fresh and interesting: The CW network fed us a steady stream of heroes, super and semi-super.
There was Superman and Batman, Supergirl and Star Girl and Bat Woman. There was Flash and Black Lightning and Arrow and the “Legends of Tomorrow” crew. There was one show about zombies, one about witches, several about vampires, two about demon-hunters.
And there were ones about almost-ordinary teens in extraordinary situations. “Nancy Drew” (shown here) and “Riverdale” have their finales at 8 and 0 p.m. Wednesday. Read more…
For fall, FX sets horror, mystery and “Fargo”
This fall, the FX people will deliver something that is becoming scarce – new, scripted TV shows.
That will include a double shot of horror – in time for Halloween – plus a crime-solving mini-series and a “Fargo” mini-series (shown here with Dave Foley).
Even if the strikes are settled, TV will mostly lack new, scripted shows this fall. The exceptions will be premium cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz) and streamers, which work far in advance
FX occupies both worlds. Some of the shows it produces air only on the Hulu streaming service; others debut at 10 p.m. on basic-cable (FX or FXX), then reach Hulu the next day. Read more…
Good news: The CW/Canada link is sometimes fun
OK, my faith and optimism have been semi-restored.
That’s my faith in the shaky upcoming TV season. And in the wobbly CW network. And in Canada.
In short, the opening episode of “The Spencer Sisters” is surprisingly good.
The show arrives Oct. 4 on CW, which is one of the few networks to realize that Canada: 1) Is quite close to us, geographically; 2) Speaks a language very similar to our own; and 3) Makes TV shows like the ones we do … or, at least, like we did in decades past. Read more…
Emmys get a new date — on Martin Luther King Day
The Emmy Awards now have a new date – Jan. 15, four months later than the original plan.
That will be 8-11 p.m. ET (5-8 p.m. PT) on Fox, with Jesse Collins Entertaiment — producer of recent Super Bowl halftimes (shown here) and more — in charge. The announcement today (Aug. 10):
— Shows confidence that the actors’ and writers’ strikes will eventually be settled. Actors have been instructed to avoid functions until then.
— Comes just eight days after the Golden Globes telecast. The Emmys honor TV; the Globes do movies and TV.
— And is being planned partly as a Martin Luther King Day celebration. Read more…
Wonderfully weird “Asteroid City” starts streaming
There are two good ways to watch a Wes Anderson movie. You could:
1) Just let it wash over you. Don’t worry about details and distractions, such as … well, a plot. That’s especially helpful for “Asteroid City” (shown here), the odd gem that reaches Peacock on Friday (Aug. 11).
2) OK, I lied about that. It turns out there’s only one way. Read more…