News and Quick Comments

News and Quick Comments

Sam Spade’s wine-sipping detour concludes

Sam Spade’s French adventure is ending now. Zombies are ready to take his timeslot.
First, the story needs to be resolved – or, in this case, semi-resolved. The “Monsieur Spade” (shown here) finale is 9 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 18) on AMC.
Viewers can also catch the full, six-episode experience on the Acorn or AMC+ streaming services. They’ll find an Americana classic – the tough, terse-talking private eye – transferred to an opposite world.
“I just thought it was as far away from Sam Spade as possibly could be: Having a vineyard, even drinkng wine at all,” producer-director Scott Frank told the Television Critics Association. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 16, 2024
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This year, Olympics won’t wait for primetime

For Olympic fans, the days of the primetime surprise may be over,
NBC will have a different approach for the games (July 26 to Aug. 11) in Paris: Every major event (including gymnastics, with Siimone Biles shown here) will be live in the daytime, then repackaged for night.
That’s a big change from the days when it was easy to keep secrets. Major events – including, in the winter, U.S-Russia hockey and Kerrigan-Harding skating – could be delayed for hours, then delivered to surprised viewers at night.
Not any more. “The network is going to be live (in the daytime), no holding back,” Molly Solomon, president of NBC’s Olympics coverage, told the Television Critics Association. At night, the same events will be in “a curated presentation – the best performances of the day, distilled down to three hours.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 15, 2024
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Equality in space? It faced some hurdles

One day in 1961, Ed Dwight’s high-flying life took an abrupt turn.
“I had a very successful military career … flying five different airplanes, which is a pilot’s dream,” he recalled.
Then he got word that he should prepare to become the first Black astronaut. He didn’t particularly want it, but his mother did; so did John Kennedy.
Dwiight’s story is at the core of “The Space Race” (shown here with Victor Glover, Dwight and Leland Melvin), an intriguing documentary about Blacks and NASA. It reaches Hulu and Disney+ on Tuesday (Feb. 13), after debuting at 9 p.m. Monday on the National Geographic Channel. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 10, 2024
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Spanning a 200-year gap, Hallmark meets Austen

Two fonts of romance – Jane Austen and the Hallmark Channel – are finally together.
The channel has been around for 31 years, the Austen books for 223. Both have wise women fall in love (carefully and chastely) with sturdy men.
Now – each Saturday in February – Hallmark has an Austen-oriented tale.
“She was so ahead of her time,” said Deborah Ayorinde, who stars as Elinor in a “Sense and Sensibility” remake (shown here) on Feb. 24, adding: “A lot of the things that Elinor was dealing with, I felt like I could relate to.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 7, 2024
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Apple — the new HBO? — offers size and spectacle

An old tradition – the Television Critics Association tour – has returned, with a surprise:
For now, it seems, Apple TV+ — with “The New Look” (shown here) and other large mini-series — has become the new HBO.
Certainly, the old HBO is still around and sometimes thriving. “Successiion” has gobbled up all those Emmys and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has returned.
But in the past, HBO led the semi-annual TCA sessions. It delivered the biggest stars (Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman, Garth Brooks, Briitney Spears, etc.) and shows (“Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones”). This time? Under new ownership (as part of Warner Bros. Discovery), it didn’t show up. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 6, 2024
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TV gets a burst of gospel glory

At times, gospel music might be overlooked in a rock/rap world.
Not now, though. Coming is a five-day stretch overflowing with big voices and huge passion. That includes:
— Friday (Feb. 9): “Gospel Live,” at 9 p.m. on PBS, with some stations repeating it at 10. Henry Louis Gates hosts the show with Erica Campbell, who opens with some impressive vocals. More big moments are coming from Shelea, John Legend (shown here in a previous performance), LaTocha, Anthony Hamilton, Mali Music, Lena Byrd Miles and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 3, 2024
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Jewison was a master of all genres

There are plenty of movie directors who have mastered a genre.
Then there was Norman Jewison, who died Jan. 20 at 97. He mastered them all.
He directed two powerful racial dramas, “In the Heat of the Night” (shown here) and “A Soldier’s Story.” He made two musicals, one Christian (“Jesus Christ Superstar”), the other Jewish (“Fiddler on the Roof”). His comedies ranged from the light fun of two Doris Day films to the satire of “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.”
Jewison never won a competitive Academy Award, but one of his films won best-picture and four others were nominated. The winner, and then the nominees, were: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 27, 2024
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Jodie Foster: After a half-century, it’s still her time

Jodie Foster was talking about life’s phases, about sometimes stepping back.
The important thing, she said, is “being able to recognize that it’s not my time. It’s someone else’s.”
That’s a fine concept for many 61-year-old actors. But right now actually IS her time. She’s just received an Academy Award nomination (for “Nyad,” shown here), while she’s starring in an acclaimed cable series (“True Detective,” 9 p.m. Sundays on HBO and then on Max).
All of this arrives 32 and 35 years after she won best-actress Oscars for “The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Accused.” This nomination is for best-supporting actress … just like the oe she got (for “Taxi Driver”), 47 years ago. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 25, 2024
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Oscar nominees? Several stream now or soon

For some fans of at-home movies, the Oscar nominations were neatly timed.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” reached Apple TV+ on Jan. 12. Eleven days later, it got 10 Academy Award nominations, including best picture.
Others best-picture nominees arrive soon. “Past Lives” reaches Paramount+ on Feb. 2; “Oppenheimer” (shown here) – the leader, with 13 nominations – is on Peacock two weeks later.
And some have been streaming for a while. It’s “Barbie” on Max, “Maestro” on Netflix, “The Holdovers” on Peacock. Netflix also has films with nominations for actors (“Nyad,” “Rustin”) and original script (“May December”). Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 23, 2024