In the dwindling land of syndicated TV talk shows, Drew Barrymore (shown here) offers an exception.
Her show, already in its sixth season, has just been renewed for two years.
That’s a counterpoint to the current trend: Two shows — Kelly Clarkson and Sherri Shepherd — will stop at the end of this year, with others wobbling. Read more…
On Academy Award nights, many nominated songs have been sort of ignored.
Now, however, comes the opposite. At this year’s show (7 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15), the “Sinners” song will get a big-deal presentation, complete with blues stars, a dancer and special visuals.
That’s one of the belated announcements by ABC, which has also added some red-carpet details. Here’s an updated version of my previous story:
When the Oscar ceremony arrives Sunday, it might actually entertain us. It will have a clever host (Conan O’Brien), a few funny presenters and a couple of live songs. And it will have movies people have actually seen.
Gone are the days of hostless, songless, joyless Oscars. And gone, for now, is the domination of obscure films. This year has “Sinners” (shown here), “One Battle After Another,” “Marty Supreme” and more. Here’s an overview: Read more…
There’s no equality at the dinner table, it seems.
Some people have splendid palettes, sniffing out subtle differences in flavor. Others just try to figure out how much ketchup to put on a hot dog.
Why the difference? Is it a myth? A mystery? A birthright? We asked Padma Lakshmi (shown here), who should know.
“She has one of the most refined palettes I’ve ever cooked for,” Sol Han, an acclaimed chef, says on the debut of “America’s Culinary Cup,” at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday (March 4) on CBS.
And that might be a real, scientific thing. She’s been told by a scientist at the Seattle Science Museum that there are biological differences. Read more…
A dozen years ago, Scottish actors were buzzing about the odd project that was consuming their film industry.
“It just arrived in force and it absorbed about 85 percent of our television crew,” Richard Rankin said.
This was “Outlander” (shown here) now a familiar show — its eighth and final season starts Friday -(March 6) — but then an oddity. Its time-travel story sweeps across two centuries of adventure and romance; working in it was a logical goal for Scotsmen and others. Read more…
The “Yellowstone” world is back now, surprising viewers … and surprising the people involved.
“I thought ‘Yellowstone was over,” said Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton. “I didn’t see any chance of it continuing — especially with Kayce’s arc ending so sort of perfectly.”
But now “Marshals” (shown here) debuts at 8 p.m. Sunday (March 1) on CBS. with a familiar feel. “We shot on the same sound stages that we started ‘Yellowstone’ on, in 2017,” Grimes told the Television Critics Association.
And in the same settings. “We still have the great cinematography landscape,” said Gil Birmingham, who plays the tribal leader on both shows. “And we’re going to still have the center and the nerve of ‘Yellowstone.'” Read more…
When CBS’ Friday dramas finally return, they’ll find tough times.
There’s a big blaze in “Fire Country” (there usually is) at 9 p.m., Feb. 27, a big case in “Blue Bloods” at 10. And a siege in “Sheriff Country,” at 8.
Yes, a siege, sort of like the old days of catapults and fireballs and such. In this case, the sheriff’s headquarters is being overwhelmed.
“It was a very carefully choreographed, staged area,” Morena Baccarin (shown here) told the Television Critics Association. “We had to … tell a very consistent story of being under siege, running out of ammo and having no radio connectivity to the outside world.” Read more…
For an actor, it’s handy when the guys you play have things in common.
Just ask Tom Ellis (shown here, left). After six years in the title role of “Lucifer,” he stars as Colin in “CIA,” arriving at 10 p.m. Monday (Feb. 23), at the front of CBS’ post-Olympic surge.
“They’re quite similar, actually,” he told the Television Critics Association. Like Lucifer, “Colin is two steps ahead of everybody else, or at least thinks he is.”
Still, they’re opposites in two key ways: Read more…
For CBS, the winter slumber is finally ending.
It’s been a long one. Most shows haven’t had a new episode since mid-December; it was Dec. 9 for “NCIS: Origins,” Dec. 8 for “DMV.”
Now — after 9-10 weeks of hibernation — the surge begins. In one stuffed week, CBS has:
— Two new series: “CIA” at 10 p.m. Monday (Feb. 23) and “Marshals” (shown here) at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 1.
— The start of the 50th “Survivor.” It gets a three-hour launch, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25.
— And the return of 11 more series, from “The Neighborhood” at 8 p.m. Monday to “Tracker” and “Watson,” at 9 and 10 p.m. Sunday, March 1. Read more…
As the Olympics fade from our TV screens, viewers might re-discover PBS.
They’ll find a lot, from music (Broadway, opera, chamber) and mini-series (“Forsytes” is shown here) to documentaries pointing to Earth Day and the 250th birthday of the U.S.
On the night the Olympics end, PBS will have both the AARP’s “Movies for Grownups Awards” (7 p.m., Feb. 22) and the feel-good season-finale of “All Creatures Great and Small” (9 p.m.).
It will follow with with a compelling portrait of pioneering Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (10 p.m., Feb. 23) and an interesting trip to Turkey, site of the oldest temple on Earth (9 p.m., Feb. 25). Then, after a pause, things will be busy beginning in mid-March. Highlights, subject to change, include: Read more…
When viewers met Jeanine Mason, she was a teen dancer, quick and joyful.
Now she’s a vigilante suspect (fictionally), filled with rage. That requires some acting.
“There’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of fear” in the character, Mason (shown here) told the Television Critics Association. “We wanted you to be scared of her, certainly, but … you see how much she’s carrying.”
That’s for the second season of “Cross,” which starts with three episodes Wednesday (Feb. 11) on Amazon Prime, then has five weekly episodes. Read more…
