Fan of “procedurals” – the TV dramas that wrap a story at the end of each hour – can get used to this:
For now, there will be lots of spin-offs from existing franchises.
CBS recently announced two of them for next season – a new “FBI” show and a reboot of the first “CSI.” with some of the original stars, including William Petersen (shown here). That comes as NBC airs its new variation of “Law & Order.” Read more…
Two timely specials are airing – or re-airing – this week:
– “Asian Americans Battling Bias: Continuing Crisis” is Wednesday (March 31) on the CBS News network, at www.cbsnews.com/live, with Elaine Quijano hosting. It’s at 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and midnight ET (3, 5 and 9 p.m. PT) and will air on the Smithsonian Channel at 10 p.m. Easter Sunday (April 4).
– CNN will rerun “COVID War: The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out” with Dr. Sanjay Gupta (shown here, pre-pandemic) from 8-10 p.m. ET (5-7 PT) Friday on CNN. Read more…
For the second straight year, television has a bigger Easter role.
Some churches remain closed by COVID; others downsize their events. TV, however, booms ahead. It has old movies — “Ben-Hur” (shown here) and “Ten Commandments” and such — and new ones, including “Mahalia,” on Easter eve. It has music and mini-seres and more.
Here’s a round-up of events between Palm Sunday (March 28) and Easter Sunday (April 4). Not included here are the kids’ shows, with bunnies and eggs and such. Read more…
Even in our overcrowded, overheated TV world, something has been missing lately.
That’s PBS. It provides things that are otherwise absent, even in a 500-channel universe.
For the first three weeks of March, the network mostly shut down during prime time, so individual stations could have their pledge drives. That’s fine if you happen to like music memories (we do) or self-improvement lectures (we don’t, but probably should), but it’s not what PBS does best.
Now comes a week ranging from Twyla Tharp’s choreography (shown here) to New Orleans funerals. For that, just look at its first week back (check local listings). Read more…
“The Simpsons” is now coming full-circle: Its first episode (shown here) was a Christmas tale; so is it’s 700th.
That’s on Fox, at 8 p.m. Sunday (March 21) – not your usual Christmas moment. But it’s a flashback story, with the usual “Simpsons” qualities: It’s fairly funny (in spurts) and always fresh and quirky.
Besides, the important thing is that number – 700 episodes.
Some sources list “Dragnet” (762) and “The Magical World of Disney” (736) as higher, but that’s only if you cobble together lots of different versions. Ignore those and “Simpsons” seems to have more episodes than any scripted, primetime show in American TV history. Read more…
New Orleans, it seems, is very good at good-byes.
Its funerals (shown here) are filled with music and color and passion. “This is what New Orleans does so beautifully,” someone says in “Frontline,” at 10 p.m. Tuesday (March 23) on PBS (check local listings).
But as the pandemic hit, everything changed. The death toll soared, but the traditions ceased.
Now “Frontline” looks at two Black-owned funeral homes. It’s an involving hour that happens to be at the same time as ABC’s excellent “Soul of a Nation,” which on that night views “Black joy.” Switching channels, we’ll pile joy upon sorrow upon rich human traditions. Read more…
“Mayans M.C.” is roaring back – full-throttle, as always.
The motorcycle drama (shown here) as returned to its slot at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. Add that to “Snowfall” (10 p.m. Wednesdays) and FX – the best channel on basic-cable – is finally near its full strength.
Both shows faced half-year delays because of the pandemic, leaving FX with few originals. Now both are in their usual state – passionate, profane, fiercely violent, fervently emotional. Read more…
Summertime television may be back to normal – or close to it – this year.
NBC has announced a prompt start for two audience favorites (“America’s Got Talent” and “American Ninja Warrior”) and a critics’ darling (“Making It,” shown here).
“Ninja Warrior” will start Monday, May 31, with “Talent” the next night. “Making It” is two days later, on Thursday, June 3. That compares to last summer: Read more…
The Disney people are back to what they’re good at –great, gorgeous visuals.
They’re also back to what they’re iffy at – compelling stories.
Both are evident in “Raya and the Last Dragon” (shown here), which starts its trek through the new media landscape. Read more…
As the streaming services harvest their latest Golden Globe awards, a newcomer arrives.
On Thursday (March 4), Paramount Plus debuts. It will immediately offer a new “SpongeBob” movie (shown here) and series, with plans to revive everything from “Frasier” to ”Beavis ad Butt-Head.”
And it leaves a key question: Do we really need another streaming service?
No, actually, but don’t worry. This is simply a bigger, bolder version of one of the first streamers. Read more…
