Stories

This fall, the streamer surge continues

(This is one of three stories previewing the fall season. The others — also under “stories” — are a main piece and a round-up of the new broadcast-network shows.)
As TV networks celebrate their new season, streamers are ready to spoil their party. Again.
The networks try to be giddy about their new shows — which are scarce. This fall, CBS and NBC have three each, CW has one, ABC and Fox have zero.
By comparison? The list here (not exhaustive) has 40 shows arriving this fall on streamers or premium channels; 23 of them new. It has epic ones — adapting “Lord of the Rings” and “Percy Jackson” (shown here), re-adapting “Harry Potter — and basic ones, including new takes on Steinbeck and Ali. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 15, 2026

Stories

Steinem: a joyous journey to change the world

In her early days as a free-lance journalist, Gloria Steinem said, one editor dismissed her abruptly.
That was at Life magazine. “We don’t want a pretty girl,” he said. “We want a writer.”
Steinem told the story in “Famous Last Words,” a fascinating Netflix show whose interviews aren’t released until after the person’s death. This one debuted Thursday (Sept. 3), the day after her death at 92.
What it shows is the Steinem (shown here) we’re accustomed to. She joked, laughed, recalled her decades of women’s-rights struggles fondly. “It doesn’t feel hard,” she said. “It feels like fun.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 5, 2026

Stories

Surprise: Streamers score with sitcoms

Streaming networks have done some thing splendidly.
They’ve shown us action and adventure, love and lust, scares and thrills. What they haven’t done nearly as often is make us laugh.
But now we’re in a good stretch, stuffed with half-hour comedies. Some — “Adults” (shown here) on Hulu, “Colin From Accounts” on Paramount+ — are terrific; most are at least fun.
Granted, the streamers have given us lots of stand-up comics and hour-long comedy-dramas. But half-hour sitcoms? They’ve been scarce, but now we’re into a busy stretch, with: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 1, 2026

Stories

Amid overemployment, a comedy gem emerged

For actors, there seem to be two states of existence.
One is unemployment. That’s most of the people, most of the time.
The other is overemployment. For a long stretch, that was Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer. “It was a very hectic 18 months,” he said.
Now comes the pay-off: While rushing between other roles, they wrote, produced and starred in the final season of “Colin From Accounts” (shown here); all eight episodes — funny, warm and engaging — arrive Sept. 10 on Paramount+. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 28, 2026

Stories

Dolly Parton: country’s consummate tale

Barbara Walters interviewed approximately three zillion people, but when I asked about her favorite, she didn’t hesitate.
It was Dolly Parton.
Yes, Dolly — who died today (Aug. 25) at 80 — had the three elements of great interviewees: They need to be open and unfiltered, of course, but they also need to have given some real thought to their life. And they need to have a great life to recount.
Parton (shown here) had them all, as people will keep reminding us. At 10 p.m. today, CBS has a special about her. The news channels, I’m sure, have much more. Search the streamers and you’ll find movies and dramas based on her songs, on Netflix and Peacock. You’ll also find “9 to 5,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Rhinestone,” “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 26, 2026

Stories

25 years later, TV looks back at 9/11

The 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks will bring a fresh wave of media attention.
One three-part documentary airs tonight (Aug. 21) and then streams; another is coming Sept. 1. And several will debut Sept. 11, 25 years after planes hit the World Trade Center towers (shown here) and the Pentagon.
Here’s a chronological round-up of what’s been announced so far:

— Tonight: “9/11 Reunited” debuted from 8-11 p.m.on the National Geographic Channel and then goes to Disney+ and Hulu. It brings together some of the strangers whose lives intersected that day, often through lifesaving heroics,

— Sept. 1: “9/11 United We Stand: 25 Years Later” debuts from 9-11 p.m. on ABC, reaches Hulu and Disney+ the next day and returns to ABC Sept. 11. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 21, 2026

Stories

“AGT” has its singing, swirling, swallowing line-up

After 11 weeks of whoops and buzzers and such, “America’s Got Talent” finally has the line-up for its live shows.
Beginning Aug. 18, acts will perform on four Tuesdays — 11 per week, but 10 on Sept. 8. Viewers will vote, then will learn the next day who made it to the semi-finals, Sept. 15.
Almost half the acts –19 of 43 — are musicians, but the rest are scattered.
There are six dance acts, including dancing dogs, dancing robots and light-up dancers. There are five magic acts, four comedians and a contortionist, plus aerialists (shown here is Veronica Goroshkova, who performs Aug. 25), acrobats and more, including two guys who swallow swords. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 15, 2026

Stories

“Lanterns”: Galactic heroes prowl Nebraska

For their entire careers, writer-producers Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy occupied opposite corners.
Lindelof has been in whimsyland — “Lost,” “Watchmen,” “The Leftovers” and fantasy films. Mundy has been in on gritty, crime-strewn turf — “Ozark,” “Criminal Minds,” the Jodie Foster season of “True Detective.”
What could nudge these writer-producers together? “Lanterns” (shown here) debuts at 9 p.m. Sunday, for an eight-week season on HBO and HBO Max.
Yes, Lindeloff said, it has the Green Lantern guys, with their magic rings. But “it has een described as a ‘True Detective’ story on Earth.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 14, 2026

Stories

NBC grasps for its good old days

If you visit NBC these days, you may catch a sweet whiff of nostalgia.
At least, it was there when the network (and its Peacock streamer) held a daylong press session Monday (Aug. 10). There was talk of old concepts, old heroes, old shows (including the “Rockford Files” reboot, shown here) and the good old days.
“We’re bringing back must-see TV,” insisted Gail Lerner, the “Newlyweds” producer.
Others talked about the resilience of some concepts, including shows with struggling private investigators. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 11, 2026

Stories

Hallmark at 25: grand goals, mixed results

Like many 25-year-olds, the Hallmark Channel (shown here) has grand goals and ideals.
The details, however, remain a work in progress.
The ideals? “We’re here to put more care, positivity and goodness into the world,” said Darren Abbott, the Hallmark Media president.
A few years ago, that felt old-fashioned. Now it may be refreshingly retro.
“In a world where snark and darkness (are) the order of the day,” said Michelle Vicary, the head of programming, Hallmark finds “a different part of the human experience.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / August 9, 2026