For half of the big-four networks, this is changeover time.
NBC is shedding its Mondays, so it can go on a basketball binge; Fox is wrapping lots of shows, as it prepares a (mostly) scriptless spring.
Some of this is bad news long-range, but good for a while. We get an early flurry of finales, (including “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” shown here), when shows are usually at their best. Details include: Read more…
In the TV world, Earth Day has become Earth Month.
Or, actually, Earth Month-plus-a-day-or-two.
That will be clear when James Cameron’s “Secrets of” series (shown here in a previous year) — usually the centerpiece of Earth Day — debuts Tuesday (March 31) on National Geographic. This time, it’s a fascinating look at bees … and it coincides with the conclusion of Ken Burns’ compelling portrait of Henry David Thoreau.
The next day, “Earth Month” begins. Highlights from the month-plus are: Read more…
In TV’s olden days, situation comedies kept cranking out episodes — 39 a year, year after year.
And a modern-day contrast? Consider Lisa Kudrow’s “The Comeback” (shown here), which has just returned to HBO.
It had 13 episodes in 2005 … rested nine years, before doing eight episodes in 2014 … then rested a dozen years, before this eight-episode final season.
It needed a compelling reason to return, co-creator Michael Patrick King said at a press conference. That came with the rise of artificial intelligence. Read more…
(This is an updated version of the story, now focusing strictly on April 1-5)
As Easter nears, TV networks are paying attention.
They have sprawling epics from Hollywood’s past, plus shows that are more recent.
A few of the shows are on the big networks. ABC has its annual “Ten Commandments” repeat Saturday (April 4); Fox has its third and final “The Faithful” movie on Easter Sunday.
But the real flurry is on smaller channels, ones that exist on cable or satellite or online or on digital sub-channels carried by local stations. Here are many of the choices, all times ET: Read more…
Television can seem like an all-or-nothing, feast-or-famine world.
One moment, there’s little worth watching. The next, there’s an overload.
Fortunately, we’re heading into overload land. One night — Sunday, March 22 — has three debuts and two season-openers, plus the regular shows. There would be even more if ABC hadn’t made the late decision to pull “Bachelorette.”
It opens the 15th season of “Call the Midwife.” It has the third “Forsytes” series (shown here), the 40th-or-more “Count of Monte Cristo” and the zillionth (approximately) Biblical epic.
The shows vary drastically, from the glittery “Forsytes” to the dark “Monte Cristo.” But all are ambitious. Alongside the regular dramas — “Tracker,” “Marshals,” “Dark Winds” — they’re in an overstuffed night. They are: Read more…
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…
