1) “The Voice,” 8 p.m., NBC. The show slated its first social-distance episode for Monday: After naming which of four people (includings before the finale. Nelson Cade III, shown here) would get the 17th and final spot, it had them all perform, with viewers voting. Here’s the results show, just two weeks. Read more…
Any experiment – Wright Brothers’ flight, man on the moon, mixing chocolate with marshmallow – will have its problems.
Let’s think of the upcoming “All Rise” episode (son here) — 9 p.m. Monday, May 4, on CBS — that way. It’s flawed, but fascinating.
As COVID-19 struck, productions shut down and actors were sent home. Then came the idea of concocting an episode that could be done from their homes … representing the characters’ homes. Read more…
1) “All Rise,” 9 p.m., CBS. Consider this a grand experiment, flawed but fascinating, For the first time, a major network drama has made a full social-distance hour. Judge Carmichal (Simone Missick, shown here) is preparing her first virtual trial, with two of her friends (Mark and Emily) as prosecutor and defense attorney; Judge Benner supervises … while learning to cook. We see the whole thing via video chats, sometimes punctuated by a mellow Los Angeles disc jockey. The whole thing is shot at the actors’ homes, then edited cleverly. The people parts are great; the virtual-courtroom parts are an illogical mess. Experiments are like that. Read more…
Sundays are becoming a key day for virus-related TV specials.
This week, there are two contrasting looks at the presidency. Next week, music and comedy (including Eddie Murphy, shown here) collide in one timeslot. The specials are: Read more…
For four noisy – and kind of cheerful – decades, there was nothing presidential about George W. Bush.
Often, “he would be drinking, carousing and having fun,” Charlie Younger, a boyhood friend, says in s new PBS documentary.
He made friends easily, but stumbled at work and at life. One night, he got a driving-under-the-influence ticket; another, he crashed his car into garbage cans and challenged his father to a fight.
But then came the flip side. That’s what makes the film – “American Experience: George W. Bush,” 9-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday (May 4-5) – so interesting. Read more…
1) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” season-finale, 9 p.m., NBC. This has been a splendid anomaly. The concept – Zoey (Jane Levy, shown here) hears people’s thoughts via pop songs – seems silly; piled on top are a romantic triangle, a dying dad and workplace intrigue. But for some people (including me), this is wondrous, bursting with originality, glowing colors, bright sounds and endless likability. That peaks with tonight’s final number – seven minutes, one continuous shot, perfectly crafted. “Zoey” is truly extraordinary. Read more…
1) “American Experience: George W. Bush,” 9-11 p.m. today and Tuesday, PBS. Here is a beautifully balanced and detailed look at a surprisingly complex man. We see a young people-person, a college cheerleader with lots of friends and alcohol. After a heavy-drinking 40th birthday, he transformed. He was governor at 48, president (shown here) at 54. In Iraq, he soared with a military victory, sank with an agonizing peace, revived with a “surge” offensive. Hurricane Katrina and Wall Street also dealt fierce blows. Read more…
A new artform – we’ll call it “social-distance theater” – takes a big step tonight (April 30).
That’s when “Parks and Recreation Renion” airs at 8:30 p.m. on NBC,with the original cast (shown here in a previous photo) on-hand. The next day, it will be on YouTube, Hulu, Peacock and the NBC app.
Yes, this is an entire half-hour of faces in boxes, talking to each other. And yes, it’s quite often fun and funny. Read more…
1) “Kids Choice Awards,” 8 p.m., Nickelodeon. Other award shows have been postponed, but this goes ahead in a social-distancing way, with the sub-title, “Celebrate Together.” Victoria Justice (shown here) will host, Asher Angel will sing “All Day” and LeBron James will get the Generation Change Award. Guests – presumably long-distance – will include Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande, BTS, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Ellen DeGeneres, Lil Nas X, Ellen DeGeneres and the cast of “Avengers: Endgame.” Read more…
The music-from-home idea is getting another TV boost:
Buoyed by strong ratings for the first one, ABC will have a second “Disney Family Singalong.” That will be 7 p.m. May 10 – yes, that’s Mother’s Day – with details pending.
The first few at-home specials were fairly primitive, with people simply singing into a stationary camera. Since then, however, shows have kept adding extra editing touches.
“Singalong” had plenty of stars – Ariana Gramde, Michael Buble, Beyonce, etc. – and bounced between homes: Donny Osmond sang with his grandkids (shown here, with the singalong lyrics); the casts of “High School Musical” and “Descendants” merged. Read more…
Best-bets for July 19: Messi soccer, gory vampire 
Best-bets for July 18: Spielberg, sports & “SNL” 
Best-bets for July 17: warfare in Cuba, Troy and beyond 
