Wandering into the lobby during “Wicked: For Good,” I saw reassuring signs of life.
There were kids scurrying about, eager to see “Zootopia 2.” And there were the boom-boon sounds of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”
Together, those three films remind us that people are — at least for now — returning to movie theaters. They also remind us that: Read more…
We might have to order some extra drinks and chips for New Year’s Eve.
This year, ABC’s broadcast will stretch over eight hours. It will continue until 4 a.m. ET, 90 minutes longer than previous years, and add a stop in Chicago.
That’s in the latest version of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” from the late Dick Clark’s production company. Ryan Seacrest (Clark’s chosen successor) anchors from Times Square, alongside Rita Ora.
Those New York moments tend to have live performances, with most of the others taped in advance. The New York performers haven’t yet been announced, but ABC has set 32 acts so far. Read more…
When PBS hits its mid-season stride, it will have lots of strong women.
Some are real (Bella Abzug, Barbara Jordan, Vivien Hargrove), some are fictional (Eliza Scarlet, shown here), some are yet-to-be-determined (female gladiators).
All will share the channel with Henry David Thoreau, Adam Sandler, animal parents, ambitious European dramas and an age-old question: Do dogs really understand words? Read more…
If you missed Monday’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” special, don’t fret.
In a quick change, CBS will rerun it at 9 p.m. Friday (Nov. 28).
And yes, this is one special worth repeating. It overflowed with humor and moments of warmth Read more…
“Wild Cards,” the clever Canadian take on crimesolving, will start a new season on Jan. 26.
The show is one of the few successes, as the CW network tries to mine Canada for scripted series. It links a handsome cop (Giacomo Gianniotti of “Grey’s Anatomy”) and a charming con artist (Vanessa Morgan, shown here), in efforts to outsmart the thieves.
Now it will be one of four shows starting seasons in January. They are: Read more…
(This is the “Raymond”/”Cheers” over view that was written previously. Now CBS has set a rerun of the “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion for 9 p.m. Nov. 28.)
When Les Moonves took over CBS, he was in a hurry.
The network’s only top-15 show was “60 Minutes.” He needed something that would make a quick impact.
“I was told he wanted high-profile shows with big stars,” Phil Rosenthal recalled in his memoir. “What chance did we have?”
He had a semi-known star (Ray Romano), in a show that was mostly family members talking. But Moonves liked it and audiences gradually agreed. From 8-9:30 p.m. Monday (Nov. 24), CBS will celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Everybody Loves Raymond” (shwon here).
That same night, “TV We Love” (9-10 p.m. on CW) will celebrate “Cheers,” a show in a similar mode: It started with no stars (Sid Caesar and William Devane auditioned unsuccessfully) and an unflashy format; it scored big. Read more…
Two divas — generations apart — will be on the Christmas-week “Saturday Night Live.”
Ariana Grande (shown here), 32, will host for the third time. Cher, 79, will be the music guest for only the second time; the first was in 1987 … six years before Grande was born.
That’s part of the latest batch of new shows “SNL” announced today. After a two-week rerun break (Nov. 22 and Nov. 29), it has: Read more…
In a world that keeps changing, here’s some reassuring news:
This year, we can again see the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (shown here) … often. It will be on cable nine times, as soon as Nov. 10 (7:30 p.m.) and as late as Dec. 21 (7:30 and 10:30).
“Grinch” debuted in 1966, with a confluence of genius — a clever Dr. Seuss book, brilliant Chuck Jones animation and a booming song. It could stand at the top of TV’s holiday history, alongside “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
The difference is that Charlie is now confined to steaming (Apple TV+) “Grinch” will be on both TNT and TBS. Read more…
Maybe we should quit grumbling about all those airline delays.
We should use that down time to create hit TV shows. That happened once.
The latest “TV We Love” episode (9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, on CW) looks at “Happy Days” (shown here), First, let’s catch an account of the show’s birth: Read more…
ABC will again go into holiday overdrive. The four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas will be stuffed with music, movies and more.
Some things, of course will simply be re-re-reruns. We’ll get double Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music”), plus “Home Alone,” “The Santa Clause” and some familiar cartoons.
But alongside that are:
— New specials. A third “Prep & Landing” (shown here) arrives, filling out a three-hour animation block. Also, the “Dancing With the Stars” people will have a holiday hour. Read more…
