1) “Henry Mancini: 100,” 9 p.m., PBS. Linking a concert, recording sessions and more, we hear the range of Mancini music, from frisky (“Pink Panther,” “Peter Gunn”) to warm, with “Moon River” and “Days of Wine and Roses” done twice. There’s too much bland talk, alongside great vocals — Michael Buble (shown here), Cynthia Erivo, Monica Mancini — and instrumentals. Read more…
There are crimesolvers whose stories keep being retold.
They include Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and – of current interest –Adam Dalgliesh. And yes, there’s a trend there.
All are from British authors; all (except Holmes) are from women, combining clever mysteries with a rich sense of character detail.
Now it’s time for Dalgliesh (shown here in a previous season). On three Mondays, the Acorn streamer (www.acorn.tv) has one of his stories. Read more…
1) “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” 8-10 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 4), NBC. Here’s a familiar Christmas combination — spectacle (including the Rockettes and the lighting of a mega-tree) plus music. That includes Kelly Clarkson (shown here at last year’s show), the host, plus Jennifer Hudson, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Raye, Coco Jones, Thalia, The Backstreet Boys, and Little Big Town. Read more…
1) Thanksgiving Day parade (shown here in a previous year), 8:30 a.m. to noon, NBC and Peacock. It will be a mega-parade — 22 floats, 11 bands,17 balloons, 10 performance groups, one Santa. And NBC adds Rockettes, more dancers, soloists (Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Kylie Minogue) and the Broadway casts of “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Outsiders” and “Death Becomes Her.” Read more…
1) “The Untold Story of Mary Poppins,” 9-11 p.m., ABC. The movie and its stars seems eternal. Julie Andrews (shown here), now 89, and Dick Van Dyke, turning 99 on Dec. 13, still perform; co-composer Richard Sherman died in May, at 95. Here’s a view of the film, which ABC airs Thursday. It won five Oscars, including one for Andrews and two for the Sherman brothers. Read more…
Interesting things can be found in odd, unvisited corners of the TV world,
One of those corners is any Tuesday on Fox. That’s where you’ll find:
— On Nov. 26, the season-finale of “Murder in a Small Town.” Flaws and all, it’s an excellent hour; if need be, it could be considered a good series-finale.
— On Dec. 3, back-to-back episodes of “Accused” (shown here). The two hours are wildly different in tone; they remind us why people hate and/or love anthologies. Read more…
At the core of “Interior Chinatown” (shown here), which arrived recently on Hulu, is a waiter named Willis.
He’s someone we know, maybe someone we are. He goes through life being semi-noticed. A fan of cop shows, he feels he’s like a background player, the guy whose only function is to find a body or witness a crime.
Soon, that changes; this series – all 10 parts arrived at once — is filled with wondrous flights of fantasy. But before that, Willis symbolizes many people:
— Maybe undernoticed Asian-Americans. “I grew up watching TV in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and I just never saw Asians,” Charles Yu, who wrote the series (and the book it’s based on), told the Television Critics Association. Read more…
1) Dancing With the Stars” finale, 8-10 p.m., ABC. No one was ousted last week, pushing all five “stars” to the finals. Olympians Ilona Maher (rugby) and Stephen Nedoroscik (gymnastics; he’s shown here with Rylee Arnold) face football’s Danny Amendola, actress Chandler Kinney and Joey Graziadei of “The Bachelor.” Last week’s scores carry over, with a new free-style dance to add in. Read more…
1) “Brilliant Minds,” 10 p.m., NBC. For a gifted painter, this is a fierce blow: Suddenly, he can’t see color. Dr. Wolf (shown here) grasps for an answer, while flashing back (yet again), to his years as a gay teen with a disapproving mother. The story seems excessive at times, but is also intelligent and involving. Read more…
Scripted shows will still be a part of the CW network this winter.
Well, a small part. “All American” will be on Mondays and two light crime shows – the returning “Wild Cards” (shown here) and the new “Good Cop/Bad Cop” – will pair on Wednesdays.
The mini-network has been scrambling for an identity, ever since new owners decided to go with lower-cost series.
Right now, its only new, scripted shows are “Superman & Lois” (which ends its four-year run on Dec. 2) and two Canadian series. “Children Ruin Everything” returns Nov. 29; “Sullivan’s Crossing” ends its season Dec. 11. But now comes the mid-season recharge: Read more…
Best-bets for June 30: R.J., T and soccer 
Best-bets for June 29: The July 4th build-up begins 
Best-bets for June 28: music, young comic, old Mel 
