Fans of the ABC line-up can quit worrying:
With few replacements available, most of their shows will be back this fall.
The network has canceled a few comedies – “Single Parents,” “Schooled” and “Bless This Mess” – and one drama, “Emergence.” But other shows with borderline ratings — “Stumptown” (shown here), “A Million Little Things,” “Black-ish,” “American Housewife” — will be back. Read more…
The Daytime Emmy Awards – once the land of Oprah triumphs and Susan Lucci disappointments – are returning to primetime, broadcast TV.
CBS has set the show for 8-10 p.m. June 26, with the nominees and others at their homes. Key nominees will be announced Thursday (May 21) on its “The Talk,” at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT and PT; then all the nominees will be on Etonline.com.
The awards began in 1974 and moved to primetime in 1991, when the daytime was filled with well-known stars. Lucci was on her 19th nomination before being named (shown here) best soap actress in 1999; Bob Barker won 14 times as ga,me-show show host. In one stretch, Phil Donahue was named best talk host nine times in 11 years; Oprah Winfrey later won five straight times, before withdrawing. Read more…
This fall, CBS will take “stability” to an extreme.
With few exceptions, it will have the same shows … at the same time … on the same nights.
In fact, four nights will be unchanged from what they had at the end of this season. The other three, changing only a tad, are:
Thursdays. Three shows from producer Chuck Lorre will be back-to-back, when “B Positive” is at 8:30, wedged between “Young Sheldon” and “Mom.” The new show (shown here) stars Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley” and Annaleigh Ashford (“Masters of Sex”); she plays the rough-hewn woman who may become his kidney donor. “The Unicorn,” which started this season in the 8:30 slot, moves back to 9:30. Read more…
In a belated move, the Fox network has renewed two more shows – “The Resident” and Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing.”
Both are among the network’s top-rated shows (despite sharp declines this season), but were notably absent May 11, when Fox announced its new-season plans. The network set a fall schedule, plus seven mid-season shows, without mentioning either.
Now “Last Man” (shown here) will return for its ninth season and “Resident” for its fourth. Read more…
For Cynthia Erivo, the timing seemed perfect:
On May 17, she led a soaring Aretha Franklin medley during the “American Idols” finale …. On May 24, she’s set to sing “Hero” during the “National Memorial Day Concert” … And on May 25, the mini-series “Genius” would start its third edition (shown here), this time with Erivo as Aretha Feranklin.
The only problem: The virus shutdown has now delayed “Genius” until sometime this fall. Read more…
Okay, THAT is the way to end an “American Idol” season.
The winner was the singer called Just Sam. And celebrating on camera was … well, just Sam.
It was a reminder that good things can happen in isolation. And that pure talent can prevail … when accompanied by some luck. Read more…
The CBS people are turning to familiar titles – “Grease” and “Star Trek.”
For “Grease,” it will simply be a singalong version of the 1978 movie (shown here) with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. For “Trek,” however, CBS All Access will stream a series set on the Enterprise, a decade before the Kirk/Spock days. Details are: Read more…
As the music competitions end their seasons – “American Idol” on Sunday (May 17), “The Voice” on Monday and Tuesday – some things are clear:
Yes, both shows are flawed, especially with judges who … well, don’t want to seem judgmental.
But the music-from-home part has worked well. “Idol” — with people like Just Sam (shown here) — quickly got it right; “Voice” flubbed its first try, then made a course-correction. Read more…
Hollywood keeps handing out freebies during the COVID-19 shutdown, but now comes an extreme:
“Hamilton” (shown here), filmed with the original cast, will reach the Disney+ streaming service on July 3. Read more…
The CW network has gone on a shopping spree, grabbing four shows that have aired elsewhere.
That includes “Coroner,” plus three supernatural tales – “Swamp Thing” (a favorite among some fantasy fans), “Tell Me a Story” and the animation/live action mix of “Dead Pixels” (shown here). Read more…
