For those who grew up with movies and TV shows, there’s something missing from real politics.
It’s that “Inherit the Wind” moment – the one where one side dissolves. We never get that in real life – or we didn’t until the capitol riot (show here). Let me back up: Read more…
Neil Bremer has all the key qualifications to be mayor.
He’s tall and silver-haired, with an agreeable countenance and an affable manner. He has everything except … well, plans, proposals, projects and such. Maybe he’ll think of some later.
He’s the central character in “Mr. Mayor,” which debuts at 8 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 7) on NBC. It has all of NBC’s key Thursday people: Ted Danson (shown here) stars; Tina Fey and Robert Carlock are producers.
You may remember NBC Thursdays: That used to be “must-see TV”; then it became “might-see TV” and then sort of “whatever.” Read more…
To savor “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” – which starts its second season Tuesday (Jan. 5) – you must buy into one tiny little premise and …
OK, it’s actually a huge premise: Zoey was listening to her headphones inside a CAT scan. There was an earthquake, creating an anomaly. Now, of course, she keeps seeing people expressing their deepest personal thoughts via pop songs.
Yes, that’s a lot to accept. But we’ve seen a teen-ager gain the strength of a spider … and a guy turn into a hulk when he gets angry … and (in one cartoon series) a boy turn into an automobile. Unlike some of those shows, this one offers warmth, humor and intelligence.
“Playlist” (8 p.m., NBC), which has the TV’s brightest color palette, could have settled for silliness. Instead – with the writing and with the casting of Jane Levy (shown here) – it makes Zoey smart and caring. Read more…
On Christmas Day, the mega-movies suddenly crowded into our streaming services.
It was “Wonder Woman 1984” on HBO Max, “Soul” on Disney+ and (two days earlier) George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky” on Netflix. It was so crowded that we could almost overlook the other Christmas arrival – “Bridgerton,” an eight-part Netflix mini-series.
Still, “Bridgerton” (shown here) shouldn’t be ignored. It’s part classy Jane Austen and part tawdry Harlequin novel; it’s part classic-style period piece, part revisionist … and all Shondaland. Read more…
For good and bad, PBS keeps surprising us.
We don’t expect it to be involved with New Year’s Eve, a holiday that includes confetti, inebriation and silly hats. Arbor Day is more its style.
And we do expect it to be consistent. But now comes a surprise: A music special Thursday (New Year’s Eve) is beautifully crafted … in many of the same ways that a recent PBS one was badly botched.
The new special (8 p.m. Thursday, rerunning at 9:30, checks local listings) has such potent talents as Josh Groban (shown here in a previous concert) and bears the lofty title, “United in Song: Celebrating the Resilience of America.” And somehow, it lives up to that billing. Read more…
A musicality ripples through the “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” movie.
Some of that, you would expect. The film (which has just debuted on Netflix) is about a blues recording session in 1920s Chicago; it has snatches of great music throughout.
But that’s just part of it. The dialog itself often has the rhythm and flow of a jazzy riff. It offers a rich sampling of two immensely talented men who died way too soon.
One is Chadwick Boseman (shown here, left, with Viola Davis center), who died of colon cancer in August, at 43. The other is playwright August Wilson, who died of liver cancer in 2005, at 60. Read more…
There’s a law, you know, that says people must be informed if a pedophile moves into the neighborhood.
So I’m proposing a new one: People must be informed if their new neighbor is a sexual predator, a scammer, a schemer and an ex-president. Also, if he might cheat at golf.
That’s a bit specific, I guess, so let me explain: Read more…
For most authors, Hollywood wonders if any of their stories should be filmed.
For Stephen King, it’s a different matter. They all should be filmed, apparently, so there’s another question: Which ones should be done a second time?
The latest is “The Stand” (shown here), which arrives Thursday (Dec. 17) for a nine-week run on CBS All Access. It follows plenty of other King two-timers, including “Carrie,” “It,” “The Shining,””Salem’s Lot,” “Pet Semetary,” “Creepshow,” “The Dead Zone” and more.
In short, Hollywood really likes the guy. “He’s one of the great storytellers in the history of humanity,” said Benjamin Cavell, the “Stand” showrunner. Read more…
Over the next few days, viewers can celebrate one of the great figures in Americana music.
Charley Pride died Saturday (Dec. 12) at 86, of complications from COVID. By various counts, he had between 29 and 36 No. 1 country hits, including “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone?”Now come two chances to revisit his life, via:
– PBS. “Charley Pride: I’m Just Me,” an excellent “American Masters” documentary, is available through Dec. 26 at www.pbs.org/americanmasters and on the PBS app.
– The CMT cable channel. “CMT Remembers Charley Pride” will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 16), rerunning on 9 a.m. Thursday and noon Saturday. It will include clips of Pride, plus comments (new or past) from his wife of 64 years, plus Tim McGraw, Loretta Lynn, the late Merle Haggard, Shania Twain and Darius Rucker … who had a key connection with Pride this year. Read more…
CBS is counting on the Super Bowl to propel its mid-season shows.
The network has just announced two shows that will arrive in the days after the Feb. 7 game. It will be the second season of “Tough As Nails” on Feb. 10 and the debut of “Clarice” (shown here) – the FBI agent from “Silence of the Lambs” – on Feb. 11.
That follows the decision to give the best spot – debuting after the Super Bowl – to “The Equalizer,” a reboot starring Queen Latifah. Read more…
