News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

Josh Johnson brings fresh approaches to comedy

It’s great to have new ideas, Josh Johnson says … except sometimes it’s not.
“Sometimes, something hasn’t been done before because it’s a bad idea,” Johnson, who has a new HBO special, said in a video press conference.
“Things like peanut-butter-and pickle sandwiches: No one’s done that before, because it’s a bad idea.”
He’s impressed critics with good ideas — both in his comedy and in the way he presents it. Now his “Josh Johnson: Symphony” special (debuting at 8 p.m. Friday and 10:10 p.m. Saturday, May 22-23, and also on HBO Max) offers a fresh approach, including the way he uses music. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 21, 2026
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Old master revives young monster?

A very old comedian will be working on “Very Young Frankenstein.”
Mel Brooks –who turns 100 on June 28 — is one of the producers of the comedy, which will be on FX and Hulu.
The show is from the people behind FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” the vampire comedy that drew four Emmy nominations for best comedy series. Taika Waititi, co-creator of “Shadows,” directed the pilot film, which stars Zach Galifianakis, Dolly Wells and Spencer House.
This is based on Brooks’ 1974 “Young Frankenstein” (shown here) which the American Film Institute puts at No. 13 on its list of all-time funniest movies. (Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers” are No. 6 and 11.) Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 19, 2026
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ABC joins the no-new-shows trend

TV networks are shedding one of their grandest traditions — the debut of big-deal shows each fall.
Today (May 12), ABC announced a schedule with zero new shows. That comes a day after Fox did the same.
Add in CBS and NBC (three apiece) and you still have only six new shows this fall. In the old days, there would be 20-plus.
The flip side is that current shows keep surviving. ABC says this is the first time in its history that it has renewed all of its scripted shows. That includes “R.J. Decker” (shown here) that debuted in March.
To do that, it has many wait for mid-season. That includes a comedy (Tim Allen’s “Shifting Gears”) and three dramas (“High Potential,” “Will Trent” and “The Rookie”), plus “The Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 12, 2026
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NBC’s fall line-up: with time-sharing, plenty of shows

Even as sports gobble up the network, NBC has room for new shows.
Its schedule — announced today (May 11) — has three new ones this fall, with three more for mid-season. In both cases, there’s one of each — a comedy (including “Newlyweds, shown here), a drama and a reality show.
That’s being done with only moderate cancellations. The network is dropping one comedy (“Stumble”) and two dramas (“Brilliant Minds” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime),” while keeping “The Hunting Party” in limbo. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 11, 2026
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It’s dancing and games for ABC’s summer

Dance will replace romance, as the Monday key to ABC’s summer line-up.
That’s “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro,” hosted by Robert Irwin (shown here). It debuts July 13, as part of line-up that also has three returning game shows and two specials.
For a while, ABC is dominated by the pro-basketball playoffs. This year, they start June 3 and could go as late on June 19.
Then summer has its delayed start — a three-hour annual country-music special is June 25, with other shows starting in July. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 8, 2026
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Amid creepy terror: a huge acting challenge

We know that actors can stretch far beyond themselves. They can… well, act.
But they don’t usually stretch this far.
Judith Light (shown here) one of the most involved and articulate people inshow business. In the six-part “The Terror: Devil in Silver” (debuting Thursday, May 7, on AMC+ and Shudder), she’s Dorry, her life crumbling inside a mental hospital.
“She’s fragile and she’s heartbreaking,” Light told the Television Critics Association.
And now even her simple world is wobbling. This hospital — the only place she’s known for 30 years — is full of death and dismay. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 5, 2026
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Still sexy at 81? Sir Roderick sets a CBS special

So the new question might be: Do we still think he’s sexy?
That’s Rod Stewart (shown here), of course. Now “Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live” will be 8-10 p.m. May 19 on CBS.”
Stewart was 33 when he asked the musical question: “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” It was one of his three singles to reach No. 1 in the U.S,; joining “Maggie May” and “Tonight’s the Night.”
Now, at 81, Sir Roderick Stewart has sold 120 million records and is still touring. He launched his “One More Time” tour in 2024 and then extended it. This special will include a Miami concert, plus backstage and archival footage. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / May 1, 2026
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Patience pays off; PBS adds to summer line-up

Summer Sundays will be a little fresher, after all.
PBS has announced that it’s putting the second season of “Patience” into the 8 p.m. slot, from June 14 to Aug. 2. That will lead into the 11th and final season of “Grantchester,” at 9.
Previously (see separate story), the network had announced a summer that will be fairly heavy on reruns — including “American Experience” ones on Fridays and the second “Downton Abbey” season at 10 p.m. Sundays. Its new shows included some scattered documentaries, plus the four-part “Once Upon a Time in Space,” which will range from Space Station Mir to commercial spaceflight. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 28, 2026
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Likable? Subtle? Sometimes that’s not needed

Movies, we’re told, need to have likable characters. They need people who are easy to root for.
That’s true … unless it’s a really well-made movie. Then rules are discarded.
Which brings us to HBO and its current streak: One Saturday (April 25), it had “Marty Supreme”; the next (May 2), it will have “Wuthering Heights”(shown here).
Both films (each reaching HBO Max a day earlier) center on hugely selfish and obsessive people. “Wuthering Heights” goes even further by giving us no one to like; even the servant girl is nasty.
And yet we watch for the best of reasons: Everything — the visuals, the dialog, the performances — is brilliantly executed. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 27, 2026