Most people knew that Malcolm-Jamal Warner (shown here) was a skilled comedy actor. He’d been doing that since he was 13.
But in recent years, the Fox network has shown us something else: This guy was gifted at drama — filled with subtle intensity.
Now we see one final example: Warner — who died in a swimming accident in July, at 54 — has an emotional role in “Murder in a Small Town,” at 8 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 7) on Fox. Read more…
Somehow, situation comedies have become cozy artifacts.
They once ruled television. Now they provide fond memories, sort of like your grandpa’s checkers set.
The latest example is “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion,” from 8-9:30 p.m. Nov. 24 on CBS and Paramount+. That’s a Monday, putting it against a nostalgia show on CW … and a flurry of nostalgia networks. Read more…
The Fox network is going back to the beach — again.
Last season, it tried “Rescue HI-Surf,” which never quite found the vibe of the old “Baywatch” (shown here). So next season it will … well, reboot “Baywatch.”
There will be different characters, but the same red swimsuits and, perhaps, same concept — lifeguards who look good in beachwear, while saving lives. Read more…
TV’s retro-surge has another player.
Now CW is jumping in, with a series of one-hour documentaries. Over eight Mondays (starting Oct. 13), “TV We Love” will range from the esteemed “I Love Lucy” (shown here) to … well, “The Brady Bunch.”
Retro-TV took hold with the changeover to HDTV. Suddenly, each station had three extra channels that viewers could reach without cable.
PBS used those to create PBS Kids and other specialties. Most stations, however, simply lined up channels that offer oldies, from “Star Trek” to “All in the Family” to cowboy movies. Read more…
As TV networks scramble for their niches, CBS has found a big one — music, especially the kind that spans generations and continents.
Earlier, the network announced an “Earth, Wind & Fire” celebration for Sept. 21. Now it has added Cyndi Lauper one (shown here) for two weeks later.
Those specials, also on Paramount+, involve top music producers from different eras. The EWF one is from Ben Winston, 43; the Lauper one is from Ken Ehrlich, 82. Read more…
Grasping for more (and younger) viewers, ABC has found a fresh treasure trove: “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
That show’s central character — Taylor Frankie Paul (shown here), 31 and a mother of three — has been announced as the new “Bachelorette” star.
The news comes shortly after two of the show’s other regulars were chosen for ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
Both Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt will be dancing on the show, which starts its season from 8-10 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 16). “Secret Lives” returns Nov. 13 on Hulu (which, like ABC, is owned by Disney). “Bachelorette,” is merely listed for some time in 2026. Read more…
Here’s new turf for a TV crossover — a mystery that spans three decades.
That will happen Nov. 11, when CBS juggles the order of two shows.
“NCIS: Origins” (shown here), which usually follows “NCIS,” this time will air first. The show follows Gibbs’ early years, starting in 1991; he’ll face a mystery … that will then be tackled by the “NCIS” crew, in modern times.
That was one of several moves announced by CBS. Others include: Read more…
Let’s call this “Dancing With the Sorta-Stars.”
When “Dancing With the Stars” starts its season (Sept. 16 on ABC and Disney+), it will have a few actual stars (Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, shown here, for instance) and a lot of others. That includes influencers, reality-show people, former teen actors and the brothers of Zac Efron and Bindi Irwin. Read more…
Now that it’s finished its 50th year, “Saturday Night Live” seems to be paying extra attention to its future.
The 51st season (starting Oct. 4) is adding five new people, one of biggest turnovers in decades. That includes Ben Marshall (shown here) — the towering redhead from “Please Don’t Destroy” videos — plus four lesser-knowns.
The show is also dropping some, but hasn’t said how many. In recent weeks, four people — Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Emil Watkin and Michael Longfellow — have said they won’t be back, without mentioning whether that’s by choice. Read more…
A micro-mini sports conference is enlarging its national TV deal.
Right now, the Pac-12 has (despite its name) exactly two teams. But it will add seven more next season … as its deal with the CW network grows to annually include 66 games in three sports.
The Pac-12 has a steep sports tradition, including 51 Rose Bowl winners in football and 15 national championships in men’s basketball. But prior to last season, most of those winners — including UCLA, with 11 of the basketball titles — left. The Pac-12 had only Oregon State (shown here) and Washington State. Read more…
