News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

CBS has a clever August/autumn plan, but …

So now CBS’ late-summer surge has begun.
It’s a clever strategy, an attempt to make do as the writers’ and actors’ strikes crush any hopes for a normal fall season. The network delayed four reality shows until August; that lets them sprawl into the fall, to be joined by … well, more reality.
It can work … IF those shows are well-liked. For one of them (the awful “Superfan,” shown here), that’s a big if.
First, let’s look at the overall plan: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 2, 2023
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“Dogs” drifts through quietly compelling tales

There’s a type of show that ripples through the history of the FX network.
It goes from “Louie” to “Better Things” to “Atlanta” and now to “Reservation Dogs” (shown here), which starts its final season Wednesday (Aug. 2).
Yes, this show is different in some key ways: The others were on FX; “Reservation Dogs” is produced by the FX people, but is strictly on Hulu. The others each focused on one star – Louis C.K., Pamela Adlon, Donald Glover; “Dogs” centers of four teens, drifting through life.
But the spirit is the same. These are shows that feel no compulsion to extract consistent laughs or huge plot twists; it is enough to see interesting people go through life’s odd twists. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 31, 2023
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Oppenheimer and Barbie are kindred spirits?

So it turns out that Barbie (the doll) and Oppenheimer (the physicist) have something in common.
Neither one liked math. Nor did Einstein.
Barbie was famous for once saying “Math class is tough.” That drew controversy and was soon eliminated from the talking doll’s repertoire.
But now the terrific “Oppenheimer” movie (shown here) – which arrived on the same day as the “Barbie” one – offers a key scene: J. Robert Oppenheimer has been given fresh computations, saying an atomic bomb would be far more destructive than first imagined. He shows them to Albert Einstein, who has no opinion; both men are theoretical physicists, not math men. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 26, 2023
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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