Stories

Breaking barriers in the news media

In the wobbly world of media, this might have seemed like a long shot.
“The 19th” – a journalism source with a female perspective—was launching in the midst of the pandemic. “Are you insane?” one amiable investor asked with a laugh.
That’s shown in the early moments of “Breaking the News” (shown here), a documentary that airs at 10 p.m. Monday (Feb. 19) on PBS’ “Independent Lens.” As it turns out, the idea proved to be quite sane. In its first two years, The 19th – named after the amendment that gave women the vote — raised a reported $12 million and broke national stories. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 14, 2024

Stories

It’s a busy, baby life for “Not Dead” star

It was a maybe-typical day for Gina Rodriguez.
She laughed, she cried, she hugged Charlie; she seems to do all of that a lot. But ths was different because:
— It happened to be 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday (Feb. 7). While she was at work, her show, “Not Dead Yet” (shown here with Rodriguez, right, and Hannah Simone) was airing its season-premiere on ABC.
— The Television Critics Association was there to visit the show’s set.
Reporters viewed the bedroom of her character Nell (messy, lived-in) and her landlord Edward (obsessively tidy). They also saw a newspaper box (you do remember newspaper boxes?) for the paper where Nell writes obituaries. Then they met the actors plus Charlie (almost 1), who cuddled her and ignored them. “He doesn’t like to perform,” she said. “He’s not his mother’s son.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 12, 2024

Stories

He’s on track for post-Super Bowl success

For Justin Hartley, this is a new world – strong and silent … subtle sub-text … muted emotions …
That’s in “Tracker” (shown here), which debuts Feb. 11 after the Super Bowl, then stays in CBS’ Sunday line-up. It definitely was not the vibe of “This Is Us,” his previous show.
“After six years of babies and dogs, we wanted to do something (different),” Ken Olin, a producer-director on both shows, said in a virtual press conference. He added, tongue-in-cheek, that Hartley “wanted to carry a gun and get in fights.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 3, 2024

Stories

Super Bowl Sunday: Here’s the TV rundown

Every Super Bowl is a new adventure, but this year’s might seem a tad less new.
It will be the third time in the last four years for Patrick Mahomes (shown here) and the Kansas City Chiefs … and Tony Romo’s third time as analyst … Jim Nantz’s sixth doing play-by-play … James Brown’s 11th anchoring the pre-game show.
The half-time star, Usher, has been there before, albeit briefly, And “Tracker,” the post-game show? It stars Justin Hartley, who was in a post-game “This Is Us,” in 2018.
Well, familiar is good sometimes. Here’s a look at the Super Bowl marathon. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 2, 2024

Stories

A funny guy crafts a serious immigration tale

Humor keeps rippling through Lenny Henry’s life.
He’s been a stand-up comic, a comedy actor, co-founder of Comic Relief.
But now he’s created and co-stars in “Three Little Bird” (shown here). The six-part mini-series (which starts streaming Thursday, Feb. 1, on Britbox) includes a compelling look at the tough times faced by past generations of immigrants.
Both extremes fit together, Henry said in a virtual interview. “How do you overcome trials and tribulations without a sense of humor?” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 30, 2024

Stories

“Feud” re-visits an elegant society mismatch

At the core of New York society, an unusual bond formed.
There were the social divas – mostly tall, slender and well-bred. They were related by marriage to a president, a prime minister, movie stars and the head of CBS. They “were like the original influencers,” said producer Ryan Murphy.
And there was Truman Capote – 5-foot-3, eccentric, partly molded by his early years in a tiny town in Alabama.
They begame warm friends and then fierce enemies. That’s depicted in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” (shown here), an eight-parter with opening episodes at 10 and 11:30 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 31) on FX and then on Hulu. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 26, 2024

Stories

She was the leader of the teen-trauma pack

One of my favorite bits of music commentary came from a 5-year-old.
Out of the blue one day, he said: “Isn’t it amazing that Justin Bieber is a real person?”
That comes to mind now, with word that Mary Weiss, lead singer of the Shangri-Las (shown here, with Weiss at right), died Friday (Jan. 19), at 75.
There was a neatly other-world feeling to her “Leader of the Pack.” In three minutes, it told a complete teen soap opera, from first meeting (in a candy store, no less) to a jolting motorcycle death, with the word “gone” repeated 26 times.
So it’s good to know that behind all that heightened drama was a real person – a 15-year-old who grew up poor, became briefly famous, then retreated into a life that included being an accountant, businesswoman, decorator and comeback singer. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 20, 2024

Stories

Racist trees? That stirs an intriguing film

If you happen to love trees (many people do) and hate bigotry (most do), this was a tough one:
In Palm Springs, Cal. (shown here), there was a spirited debate about removing trees that formed a racial border. That’s the focus of “Racist Trees,” a compelling documentary that reaches most PBS stations at 10 p.m. Monday, under the “Independent Lens” banner.
Even that title has split people. Fox News mocked the notion: Can trees really be racist?
No, but they can be a racial barrier. Many things can. In Michigan, a river separates Benton Harbor (89 percent Black) from St. Joseph (88 percent White). In Florida, a highway separates the impoverished Liberty City area from the wealthier sections in other parts of Miami. Throughout the nation, studies have shown, highways shattered Black communities. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 18, 2024

Stories

Strikes pushed networks into wise and foolish moves

Necessity, we’re told, is the mother of invention … and of desperation and foolishness.
That was evident when networks pieced together makeshift schedules, because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes. Some steps were wise, others (including the British “Ghosts,” shown here) were not.
That phase is finally concluding now, as shows gradually start their post-strike seasons. But first, we should pause and look at that time and its interesting quirks.
We’ll stick to the five commercial broadcast networks, because the others were less affected by the strikes. Among other things we learned: Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 15, 2024

Stories

TV tackles King’s turbo-paced life

Some subjects should be revisited often. That, of course, is why we have television.
One of those is Martin Luther King Jr., the focus of two shows:
— “I Am MLK Jr.,” which the CW network airs from 8-10 p.m. Monday (Jan. 15). That’s the federal holiday, which this year falls on his actual birthday; he would have been 95.
— “Genius: MLK/X,” which the National Geographic Channel airs in four two-hour chunks on Thursdays, Feb. 1-22, and will be on Disney+. It entwines the lives of men many considered opposites, King and Malcolm X. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 12, 2024