News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

Tony Bennnett: a long and musical life

Tony Bennett learned early that life is short and time should be savored.
His paternal grandfather had died before his father was born. Eleven years later, his dad (disguised as a girl, so he could travel with his own mom) had survived a three-week trip from Italy.
Bennett (shown here) heard that story often from his dad, he wrote in “The Good Life” (Simon & Schuster, 1998), always being reminded that he wouldn’t be here if the ship had capsized. “He made light of it, but the joke only caused me, at a very young age, to contemplate the delicate balance of my own mortality.”
Except, of course, early mortality didn’t turn out to be a problem for him. He died today (Friday, July 21), two weeks shy of his 97th birthday. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 21, 2023
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CBS patches fall line-up with “Yellowstone,” more

Battered by two strikes, CBS is turning to its corporate allies.
It will borrow “Yellowstone” (shown here) from the Paramount Network and two shows — “SEALS” and “FBI True” — from Paramount+. And, like other networks, it will load up on reality shows.
Several networks – ABC, Fox and CW – have already announced full schedules designed to circumvent the writers’ and actors strikes. CBS hasn’t finalized one yet, but it announced key pieces: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 17, 2023
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As others scramble, PBS plans a busy fall

As the upcoming TV season crumbles, PBS becomes more important.
The network has just released its plans for the fall. It has lots of Sunday dramas, a string of Friday profiles, a speck of music and, as usual, loads of non-fiction.
That includes a strong Latino emphasis, plus subjects ranging from buffalo (shown here) to Elon Musk, from nature to reflections on integration, busing and women’s sports. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 17, 2023
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CW tries a makeover, just as the TV world wobbles

It’s sort of like doing landscaping during a tornado.
The little CW network was in the midst of a full makeover. Then the writers’ and actors’ strikes swirled in, forcing more changes.
The result is a revised schedule, strong on scripted shows from overseas and unscripted ones from the U.S. It ranges from the lusty “FBoy Island” (shown here) to the biblical “The Chosen.”
The CW survived for years on a unique financial model. Its expensive science-fiction shows – “The Flash,” “Arrow,” etc. — had weak ratings, but did well overseas, keeping its producers (who also were CW co-owners) happy.
Then the network was sold and the new owners began shedding most of that, replacing it with lower-cost alternatives. It still has “Riverdale” and “Nancy Drew” on Wednesdays this summer, with a few of the old CW dramas renewed for the new season. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 14, 2023
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HBO dramas dominate the Emmy nominations

In a changing TV world, one thing remains solid: HBO dominates the Emmy awards, especially when it’s linked to a streaming network.
The nominations, announced today (July 12) were led by “Succession” (shown here), “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus.” They totaled 27, 24 and 23 nominations; only Apple’s “Ted Lasso,” with 21, came close.
Those first three are all on what used to be HBO Max and is now simply Max. All three are up for best drama series, with the final season of “Succession” as the frontrunner.
(The comedy category includes the final seasons of “Ted Lasso,” Amazon Prime’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Barry.”) Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 12, 2023
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Fox sets a strike-resistant schedule for fall

Depending on how you look at it, the Fox network is way behind its competition … or a tad ahead:
BEHIND: It has finally announced a schedule for this fall. The others set theirs two months ago.
AHEAD: That schedule is in full strike mode. It has four nights of reality shows (including “The Masked Singer,” shown here), two nights of sports and one of animated shows … none of them touched (for now) by the writers’ strike.
Until now, only one network had a schedule that completely reflects the ongoing strike. That was ABC, planning a full non-fiction slate, except for an hour of “Abbott Elementary” reruns. Now comes Fox, planning: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 12, 2023
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As strike lingers, cartoons and games get ready

TV networks are bracing for their scriptless season. New reminders come with:
— CBS hinting that “The Buddy Games” will debut this fall, joining a reality-show deluge.
— Fox setting its plans for Sunday animation. “Krapopolis” (shown here) – with ancient Greeks clumsily trying to create civilization – debuts with two episodes Sept. 24. The other shows – “The Simpsons,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Family Guy” – start their season a week later. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 11, 2023
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Second “Lincoln Lawyer”: same charm, a bit less fun

It might be difficult to pass a rule requiring David E. Kelley to write all TV mini-series.
That would raise constitutional questions. Also, the unions haven’t yet approved the cloning of writers.
Still, it sometimes seems like a good idea. The latest example involves the second season of Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” (shown here).
The first half of the 10-episode season has just arrived, with the second half coming Aug. 3. It’s still enjoyable – great characters, crisp settings – but no match for the previous season. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 8, 2023
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Indiana Jones fulfills his destiny

I had kind of assumed that Indiana Jones had done it all.
He had saved the world (often), stopped the Nazis, retrieved artifacts, conducted seminars and fought a burly guy atop an airplane. Was there more to do?
Apparently, He had never ridden a horse through a subway, driven a rickety cart down a stairway or stolen a wedding car. Now his fifth and final film has taken care of all of that.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (shown here) is the sort of movie that could bring people back to theaters, where they belong. Not just young people, looking for action films, but most ages and types. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 4, 2023