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Two potent Shakurs share a compelling film

In the quarter-century since his death, Tupac Shakur’s fame has flourished.
He would have appreciated that, filmmaker Allen Hughes said. “He was a myth-builder.”
Now Hughes’ documentary adds a second legend.: “Dear Mama” – starting at 10 p.m. Friday (April 21) on FX, then going to Hulu – is a compelling “dual narrative” of Shakur (shown here) and his mother, Afeni.
“Afeni was unapologetically truthful,” said Jamal Joseph, a producer of the film and her former Black Panther colleague. “She never sugarcoated anything. Aveni was that person who could be cussing you out one minute and in tears the next.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 19, 2023

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Summer isn’t cruel to scripted-drama fans

This summer, the Freeform network will deliver a relatively rare commodity – new, scripted episodes.
It will bring back two series – the final season of “Grown-ish” and the overdue second season of “Cruel Summer” (shown here). It will also debut an animated show, “Praise Petey.”
Summers have fallen into a habit — plenty of scripted shows on premium cable (HBO, Showtime, etc.) and streamers, with the others sticking mostly to reruns and reality shows.
Now Freeform, a basic-cable channel, will make a small dent in that. It has: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 18, 2023

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“Snowfall” ends; Idris soars

In the fierce, six-year run of “Snowfall,” Damson Idris has mostly been ignored by awards voters.
That’s understandable. Idris’ job, which he did perfectly, was to play Franklin Saint (shown here in an earlier episode), a cool-eyed drug kingpin. Hollywood doesn’t give awards for stoic and stony.
But now all of that changes with the series finale, at 10 p.m. Wednesday (April 19) on FX, rerunning at 11:39 p.m. and 1:06 and 2:39 a.m., then going to Hulu. The steely exterior is gone; Idris gives a performance that’s … well, Pacino-esque. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 18, 2023

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One more marvelous season

By now, TV viewers might decide that only the good die young.
This spring, some of the best shows are leaving voluntarily. HBO’s “Succession” will depart after just 39 episodes; PBS’ “Sanditon” will leave after 20. “Alice,” alas, had 192.
Now let’s add one more to the list: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (shown here) is starting its fifth and final season on Amazon Prime. It has three episodes April 14, then adds one each Friday, through May 26.
That will make 43 episodes in five seasons. We would have preferred 143, but great shows obsess on quality; bad ones just keep puttering along. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 12, 2023

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PBS this summer: mysteries, music, more

As long as there’s a PBS, summertime viewers won’t be confined to reruns, reality and game shows.
The network will have new mystery episodes on Sundays this summer, including “Grantchester,” the final season of “Endeavour” (shown here) and two new arrivals. It will also have an opera, a symphony, a Little Richard profile and the annual 4th-of-July mega-concert.
Viewers looking for new, scripted shows in the summer often turn to cable or streaming networks, or to CW, which will have new “Nancy Drew” and “Riverdale” episodes through Aug. 23.
But the bigger broadcast networks have resisted. For instance: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 7, 2023

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Fox stuffs its summer with food

As soon as this TV season ends, Fox will start stuffing its line-up with food.
In a quick stretch (May 22-24, plus May 29), it will launch five summer shows – three centering on food. The line-up includes four returnimg shows – “MasterChef,” “Crime Scene Kitchen,” “Beat Shazam” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” – plus the new “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.”
That last one is sort of a “Shark Tank”/”Apprentice” blend: Contestants are entrepreneurs with food-related businesses. Ramsay(shown here) – also the producer and host of “MasterChef” and more – will give them challenges, then invest $250,000 in one of their businesses. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 7, 2023

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Religion begins its Easter TV surge

For some viewers, a seasonal search is beginning:
Surely, the vast TV landscape must have some Easter-type shows.
It does, but only a few are in familiar places. ABC has its annual “Ten Commandments”(shown here) on Saturday (April 1) … A week later, History reruns its “The Bible” mini-series, re-rerunning the last two chapters shortly before Easter sunrise services … And on April 8 and 9, BET has a big-deal gospel concert.
Beyond that, however, viewers may have to discover less-familiar spots. There’s UpTV (on cable or streaming), plus some digital-only channels. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 3, 2023

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Quiet comedy and zesty action blend neatly

As “Murder Mystery 2” unfolds, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler (shown here) become action heroes.
She’s dangling from the Eiffel Tower, he’s fighting a muscular villain, both are battling bad guys inside a speeding van.
But the strength of this film – which debuted Friday (March 31) on Netflix – involves their quieter bits.
They play a husband and wife who can’t help questioning and correcting each other – even when there are bigger things to focus on. That provides the fun, as we wait for the next big moment. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 1, 2023

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“FBI” event: no place for the timid (or the subtle)

Let’s assume you’re a fan of pregnant pauses, subtle shrugs and mixed emotions.
If so, you’ll want to avoid CBS this Tuesday (April 4). Until the final moments, there’s not a hint of subtlety, not a moment of mixed anything.
Then again, if you prefer rampant rage, I have a show for you.
It’s three shows, actually – “FBI: International,” “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted,” all in a seamless story (shown here), from 8-11 p.m. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / April 1, 2023

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ABC’s summer: lots of games and some “Wonder”

ABC is planning another few-rerun summer.
That includes lots of game shows, filling two nights and sprawling into two more. But it also has:
— The long-delayed season-opener of “The Wonder Years” (shown here).
— The next “Bachelorette,” this time centering on Charity Lawson, 26, who finished fourth in the current “Bachelor.” She has a Master’s Degree from Auburn and works as a child and family therapist.
— And some pre-summer games. “Jeopardy” will have its “Masters” tournament, May 8-24; the pro basketball tournament will continue through mid-June. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 25, 2023