ONTVtoday (2024)

18/10/2024

Various celestial objects

27/04/2023

Hallmark Channel staple Erin Cahill talks with us about being ready to play ball in Saturday's new movie "Hearts in the Game."

Erin Cahill likes playing "Hearts in the Game"

By Jay Bobbin

Q: What do you like about the publicist you play in “Hearts in the Game”?

A: She’s a little outside of my normal comfort zone, and it was so fun. This movie definitely has beautiful emotional beats, and I love the stories that Hallmark is telling now, but this is such a different character for me. She’s feisty and confident and outspoken, and it was a challenge to play someone who feels she’s always great at what she does.

This also touches on things that I haven’t seen in a Hallmark movie, like mental-health issues. I work with this amazing organization that’s all about that; I’ve become their spokesperson, and then to get offered a movie in which mental health is one of the key points — I was like, “Wow.”

Q: Since your “Hearts in the Game” character Hazel is charged with refining the image of a baseball player she was romantically inclined toward in high school, are you a baseball fan anyway?

A: It's funny. My mom loves baseball, so I grew up with it kind of in the background, but I’ve never been a massive fan myself. I certainly enjoy it, since it is part of my history.

I think Marco Grazzini does a wonderful job of playing a major-league pitcher. The producers sent us to training camp, and we took batting practice! I hadn’t held a baseball bat since … well, I don’t even remember the last time I did, but it was so cool to do it for this.

Q: You made a multiple-picture deal with Hallmark, which “Hearts in the Game” and another film coming later this year complete. Do you envision continuing to work for the channel?

A: I think this is my ninth (movie for them), and I’m so grateful. It’s not lost on me that I’m part of the “family” now, but I still feel so new to it. I’ve also done a bunch of independent romcoms. I just try to keep working as an actress.

27/04/2023

As the Paramount+ series version of " " premieres Sunday, co-star Amanda Peet (pictured at center) talks with us about playing the betrayed wife.

"Fatal Attraction" strikes anew as Paramount+ series
By Jay Bobbin

As a hit 1987 movie, “Fatal Attraction” started a national conversation on the possible price of infidelity.

The story may do that again in a Paramount+ series version that begins streaming Sunday, April 30, both re-creating and expanding upon the original premise. Joshua Jackson (“The Affair,” “Dawson’s Creek”) assumes Michael Douglas’ earlier role as Dan Gallagher, a husband, father and legal eagle hoping to become a judge … but his plans are altered by an encounter with victims’-rights advocate Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan, in Glenn Close’s previous part).

A fling results while Dan’s wife Beth (Amanda Peet) is away, and though he doesn’t see it as an ongoing situation, Alex has other ideas that eventually turn distinctly dangerous. The show alternates between extended flashbacks and an update of the central characters’ lives, now including Dan and Beth’s daughter Ellen (seen in the movie as a child) as a young adult, played by Alyssa Jirrels.

Inheriting Anne Archer’s film role, the pleasant Peet says she was “familiar” with the original “Fatal Attraction” and “loved it.” However, she considers the series’ approach needed “for Alex’s character, and seeing things through the prism of what we know now about mental illness. One of the biggest (changes) is the daughter, since she has some searing memories, and we lean into that storyline.”

Also a writer-producer who co-created the Netflix series “The Chair,” Peet was brought into “Fatal Attraction” by writer and executive producer Alexandra Cunningham, for whom she played convicted killer Betty Broderick in the series “Dirty John.” Ironically, Peet originally was asked to suggest other actresses to portray Beth, “and then (Cunningham) was like, ‘Why don’t you just do it?’ And I was like, ‘OK. I thought you’d never ask!’ ”

Depicting parts of the story that span 15 years necessitates different looks for Peet, who notes that aspect has required “a fair amount” of time for her with the show’s hair and makeup staff. “It’s not horrible, and our amazing team got really good at making it as quick as possible. Mostly, we tried to shoot all the scenes for one time period together (for a given episode), so that we wouldn’t have to spend a lot of extra time on the changeover.”

The wife of “Game of Thrones” writer-producer David Benioff (and mother to their three children), Peet also has made such movies as “Something’s Gotta Give” and “The Whole Nine Yards” and the series “Togetherness” and “Brockmire.” She maintains that being an actress for hire again, after overseeing so many of “The Chair’s” creative elements, is “a different type of stress. But there’s nothing like rolling into the office in your sweatpants, which was what I got to do on ‘The Chair.’ ”

27/04/2023

As he signs off from the late-night hours tonight, our look at James Corden's CBS talk-show tenure.

James Corden leaves TV's "Late Late" hours
By Jay Bobbin

James Corden helped to change late-night television … which is about to change again with his departure from it.

Though he was known by those familiar with his Tony Award-honored work on Broadway (“One Man, Two Guvnors”) or in sitcoms (“Gavin & Stacey”), the rather cherubic Englishman was new to the majority of the American audience when he assumed the hosting duties on CBS’ “The Late Late Show” in 2015. He brings down the curtain on that eight-year run Thursday, April 27, with the network also giving him a same-night primetime special, "The Last Last Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Special."

One sure highlight of the primetime hour will be an appearance by Tom Cruise, who has partnered with Corden for some memorably elaborate “Late Late Show” sketches, including a largely aerial one that helped promote last summer’s release of “Top Gun: Maverick.” This time, Corden and Cruise team up in a number recorded during the recent Los Angeles staging of “The Lion King.” Also, Adele is at the steering wheel in (at least for now) Corden's final "Carpool Karaoke" segment.

A winner of seven Emmy Awards, “The Late Late Show Starring James Corden” established a formula of having multiple guests interviewed by Corden at once, frequently making for interesting exchanges between those seated in the couch. However, another element of the program has transformed how music is presented on television.

“Carpool Karaoke” proved popular enough to be spun off into its own series, and new episodes start June 23 on Apple TV+; it's based on Corden’s drives with singing stars while crooning the given artist or group’s tunes. While guests for that segment (also a hit in online viewing) have ranged from Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga to Barbra Streisand and Elton John, an edition featuring Sir Paul McCartney (expanded into a one-hour special later) and the first "Karaoke" session with Adele have been hugely popular standouts.

Other “Late Late Show” signature segments have included “Drop the Mic” — a rap competition that also became its own show for a couple of years — as well as “Crosswalk the Musical,” seemingly impromptu musical performances staged at actual crosswalks, and Corden’s temporary substitution for workers at various jobs in “Take a Break.” He also has quizzed studio-audience members on what happened earlier in a given episode in “Were You Paying Attention?” (If they showed they weren’t paying attention, they had to leave.)

Corden long has maintained that he didn’t expect or necessarily want “The Late Late Show” to be the thrust of the rest of his career, which he has demonstrated during the program’s run by also appearing in movies including “Ocean’s 8,” “Cats” and (in voice only) “Peter Rabbit.” His immediate plan is to return to residency in England, where he has brought “The Late Late Show” several times … and whatever follows for him, he leaves American TV having made his unique mark on it.

26/04/2023

In this week's " Pipeline": He's called his final Final Four, but and sports aren't mutually exclusive yet.

Will Jim Nantz still lead a sporting life?

By Jay Bobbin

Q: Is Jim Nantz leaving sportscasting completely? — Dan Morrissey, via email

A: No. Though the CBS Sports veteran decided to end his 32-season run of calling NCAA games to give himself more family time — especially during the intense tournament period when many games are compacted into a short span — he continued to broadcast golf’s Masters earlier this month, right after the college basketball season wrapped up.

Ian Eagle will succeed Nantz in the hoops-related role, but Nantz also will remain a member of CBS’ team covering the NFL. In fact, not long ago, he signed a new contract to keep going with his football duties.

Q: How many “Angels” were there after Farrah Fawcett on the original “Charlie’s Angels”? — Stephanie Williams, DeLand, Fla.

A: The actress then billed as Farrah Fawcett-Majors was succeeded immediately by Cheryl Ladd, playing Kris Munroe, the sister of Farrah’s Jill. Ladd stayed for the rest of the ABC series, but Kate Jackson eventually left and was followed first by Shelley Hack as Tiffany Welles, and then by Tanya Roberts as Julie Rogers during the show’s final season.

Q: It’s nice when the “FBI” shows all come together for one story. Why doesn’t that happen more often? — Roger Patrick, via email

A: It’s largely a matter of logistics, since not only does the filming of the three CBS shows have to be coordinated in such instances, it has to happen across two continents. “FBI: International” actually films in Europe, while “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted” are made in the New York area. That means arranging the schedule for whatever cast members might need to go overseas, not only for the given story, but also to accommodate any other adjacent episodes of their own shows that also involve them.

Such was the case with “FBI’s” Jeremy Sisto for the recent crossover, since he filmed on location in Rome and had to be absent from the parent “FBI” set for a while. Executive producer Dick Wolf tends to intermingle his NBC “Law & Order” and “Chicago” shows more often, but the casts of each of those franchises generally share the same city, making such an undertaking a bit easier (though by no means “easy”).

Q: Who was the last partner Sipowicz had on “NYPD Blue”? — Keith Warren, Kansas City, Mo.

A: That was John Clark Jr., played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Police work ran in Clark’s family, since his father also had been a detective, but one who was none too fond of Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) based on past experiences. The younger Clark got a new partner in Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) after Sipowicz was promoted to sergeant, which happened shortly before the controversial and acclaimed ABC series ended its run in 2005.

Q: I always enjoy seeing “Network” when Turner Classic Movies runs it. Was the network in the movie supposed to be a portrayal of one of the real networks? — James Colligan, via email

A: It was intended to be a conglomeration of various network news operations at the time (the mid-1970s), but Oscar-winning writer Paddy Chayefsky did research at NBC and CBS, and also at an Atlanta station according to Dave Itzkoff’s excellent book on the making of the film, “Mad as Hell” (taken from a famous rant delivered in the film by Peter Finch’s character Howard Beale).

Certain newscasters said upon “Network’s” release that they played the game of trying to guess which characters were based on actual peers of theirs. Some industry members went so far as to deny publicly that they were the inspirations for Chayefsky’s inventions.

Q: Someone told me that Robert Urich was in the original version of “S.W.A.T.”. Is that true? — Nick Flynn, Bend, Ore.

A: It is. The mid-1970s ABC series featured the actor as Officer Jim Street, the character now played by Alex Russell in the CBS reboot (and by Colin Farrell in a 2003 movie version). The show started an association for Urich with producer Aaron Spelling that continued through several episodes of “The Love Boat,” plus the show “Vega$,” in which Urich starred as private detective Dan Tanna.

Send questions of general interest via email to tvpipeline@gr

26/04/2023

On her birthday, entertainment icon Carol Burnett talks with us about tonight's new NBC special that celebrates her, thanks to many famous friends.

Carol Burnett marks a big birthday with NBC special

By Jay Bobbin

For anyone who’s ever thought Carol Burnett’s birthday should be a national event, now it is.

One way in which the much-beloved comedy icon will spend her special day Wednesday, April 26, is “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love,” NBC’s new all-star celebration of her. The show will be filled with tributes from many of her friends and peers, including Dame Julie Andrews and former “Carol Burnett Show” cohorts Vicki Lawrence and costumer Bob Mackie … as well as Cher, Lily Tomlin, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler, Aileen Quinn (“Annie”) and Bill Hader (to whom Burnett learned she is related on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” recently).

Additional guests including Katy Perry, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth, Billy Porter and Jane Lynch perform musical segments during the show, each commemorating a significant part of Burnett’s career. Among those are Burnett’s portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the 1982 film of “Annie,” and her trademark singing of “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” (complete with ear-tug message to her grandmother) at the end of each episode of “The Carol Burnett Show.”

“It was quite a night,” six-time Primetime Emmy Award winner Burnett says of the March taping of the program. “I’m still kind of reeling from it. It’s not a roast or a birthday party, it’s really a variety show. A lot of my dear friends were there, and my ‘chum’ Julie Andrews was by my side the whole evening; she lives back East, and she flew out just for this. I was totally gobsmacked, I have to say!”

Burnett also has a Tony, a Grammy, a Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award among her many other accolades. Additionally, she has seven Golden Globe Awards, and that ceremony named an honor after her for contributions to television; appropriately, she was its first recipient.

The Burnett birthday event is, she reflects, “really a retrospective of everything I’ve ever done, practically, starting way back with my almost-first television appearance … on ‘Omnibus.’ Then, (the special) covers ‘The Garry Moore Show’ when I was a regular on that, and movies that I’ve done, and TV appearances other than my own show. But, of course, ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ is in there, too.”

Expect the late Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and Lyle Waggoner to be seen bountifully in “Carol Burnett Show” clips during the NBC special, but there will be no doubt who the evening’s central talent is. And just as it’s been for so many years, those physically near her — as well as those watching at home — will be so glad still to be in her orbit.

25/04/2023

Among the new attractions on physical home media today, the Oscar-nominated " ":

VIEW FROM THE COUCH (for week of April 23)

By Jay Bobbin

(Ratings for each film begin with a "star" rating -- one star meaning "poor," four meaning "excellent" -- followed by the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and then by a family-viewing guide, the key for which appears below.)

STARTING THIS WEEK (New releases):

"TRIANGLE OF SADNESS": Recently Oscar-nominated for best picture, writer-director Ruben Ostlund’s satire — being released on home video as a Criterion Collection offering — is divided into three portions as it charts a couple’s relationship. Male model Carl and influencer Yaya (played by Harris Dickinson and the late Charlbi Dean) have their differences, but they get an altered view of one another and their fellow passengers when they end up stranded on an island after encountering various perils on a yacht they’re all aboard … from inclement weather to invading pirates. The movie was extremely well-received at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it was honored with the event’s top prize, the Palme d’Or; Ostlund was an Academy Award nominee for both his directing and his script here. Dolly de Leon and Woody Harrelson also appear. *** (R: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD)

"JESUS REVOLUTION": The launch of a religious movement in late-1960s California is detailed in this drama, with Kelsey Grammer playing a pastor who joined forces with a hippie (Jonathan Roumie) to bring faith to the masses — as best they could — in their own self-styled way. Joel Courtney also stars as Greg Laurie (co-author of the book on which the film is based), an AWOL would-be soldier whose path intersected with that duo’s, eventually prompting him to become a minister preaching the same outlook. Anna Grace Barlow, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and DeVon Franklin also are in the cast for directors Jon Erwin (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Gunn) and Brent McCorkle. *** (PG-13: AS) (Also on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand)

“THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH”: One of the foremost acting credits of music icon David Bowie, director Nicolas Roeg’s haunting 1976 version of Walter Tevis’ novel comes to 4K Ultra HD. As the title implies, Bowie (who puts a great deal of physicality into the role) plays an extraterrestrial who learns a lot about the human race — and not all of it is pretty — while posing as a mortal to search for water for his home planet, which is desperate for it. In the course of becoming a tech mogul, he develops a human touch himself, largely through his relationship with a hotel maid (Candy Clark). Rip Torn, Buck Henry and Bernie Casey also are cast members; the story also inspired a Showtime series that ran last year. **** (R: AS, N, P, V)

“DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE JODIE WHITTAKER YEARS”: As this set demonstrates, in what was a huge change for the iconic title character, actress Whittaker became the first woman (after numerous male predecessors) to play the title part when she joined the internationally legendary British sci-fi series by appearing at the end of the show’s 2017 Christmas special. She did three full seasons, then stayed for three more episodes as the program transitioned to its next Doctor in 2022. Whittaker had worked with then-executive producer Chris Chibnall on “Broadchurch” earlier, which likely helped when he made the decision to cast a woman as the Doctor — a move that earned mixed reactions from the fan base initially, but largely met with approval eventually. (Not rated: AS, V)

“MY HAPPY ENDING”: Andie MacDowell has been busy lately, given her starring roles on the Hallmark Channel series “The Way Home” (which has been renewed for a second season) and in this stage-play-inspired drama. She gets a solid showcase here as she plays a famed actress whose career appears to be nearing its end while she’s in a hospital dealing with a medical matter … and she gets unexpected inspiration from several other women she shares a room with. Veteran talents Miriam Margolyes and Sally Phillips also are featured, as are Tom Cullen, Tamsin Greig and David Walliams. *** (R: AS, P)

“INVITATION TO A MURDER”: With “Knives Out” and “Murder by Death” being among prominent examples, Agatha Christie mysteries long have been the objects of homages and satires, and this tale is another in that category. Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) plays a novice detective who’s one of several people lured to an English billionaire’s mansion, where — pause and see if you can guess what’s coming — a homicide is committed soon after everyone arrives. Of course, the would-be sleuth sets out to discover who the killer is, before she becomes a victim herself. Chris Browning, Bianca Santos, James Urbaniak and Seamus Dever also are in the cast. ** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on On Demand)

COMING SOON (Upcoming releases):

“80 FOR BRADY” (May 2)

“KNOCK AT THE CABIN” (May 9)

“YELLOWSTONE: SEASON 5, PART 1” (May 9)

“MOVING ON” (May 16)

“CREED III” (May 23)

“BONANZA: THE OFFICIAL COMPLETE SERIES” (May 23)

FAMILY VIEWING GUIDE KEY: AS, adult situations; N, nudity; P, profanity; V, violence; GV, particularly graphic violence.

25/04/2023

Now a mother of two, Missy Peregrym talks with us about balancing that role with her televised one on CBS' "FBI."

Missy Peregrym has dual roles as mom and "FBI" agent

By Jay Bobbin

With as much work and scheduling as the recent crossover among the “FBI” shows entailed, Missy Peregrym is grateful it didn’t come earlier in this television season.

The actress returned to the parent drama in CBS’ Tuesday lineup last fall after taking a maternity leave for the birth of her second child, daughter Mela. Peregrym admits that balancing her professional and parental lives is a work in progress as she continues to play Special Agent Maggie Bell on the Dick Wolf-produced series (which is slated to air its 100th episode as its fifth-season finale May 23).

“I’m so blessed to be able to bring her to work with me,” the friendly Peregrym says of her youngest child, adding that she hasn’t brought her to the set as much lately. “It’s very difficult to be a mom and have this huge responsibility for another human being, and also come to work and put out all these little fires around you all day. My head is so full.”

Indeed, Peregrym details her current checklist: “I’m buying clothes for the kids, I’m feeding them, I’m sorting out child care, I’m going to work, I’m having meetings, I’m acting … it’s just what the job is.”

If anything, “FBI” literally keeps Peregrym in shape for all of her duties, given how frequently the show sends Maggie and her partner OA (Zeeko Zaki) running through New York in pursuit of fleeing suspects.

“That feels so good,” Peregrym attests, “not to have to worry about a child (in those moments) and just to be able to run. I’m happy to continue getting stronger and feeling really good in my own body again.”

Birthdate: June 16, 1982

Birthplace: Montreal

Current residence: New York

Marital status: Married to actor and producer Tom Oakley; they have two children, son Otis and daughter Mela

Other television credits include: "FBI: Most Wanted," "Van Helsing," "Ten Days in the Valley," "The Night Shift," "Saving Hope," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Hawaii Five-0," "Motive," "Cybergeddon," "Rookie Blue," "Reaper," "Heroes," "Life As We Know It," "Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss," "Andromeda," "Smallville," "Tru Calling," "Jake 2.0," "Black Sash," "The Chris Isaak Show," "Dark Angel"

Movie credits include: "Backcountry," "Wide Awake," "Stick It."

21/04/2023

As Turner Classic Movies: TCM presents the Oscar-winning "All The President's Men" Saturday, as part of the channel's celebration of the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Pictures, our look at the Watergate-related journalism drama:

"All the President's Men" relives the roots of Watergate

By Jay Bobbin

To sample the authenticity of "All the President's Men," you need only watch the opening sequence ... though the rest is well worth staying for, too.

The 1976 drama -- which Turner Classic Movies shows Saturday, April 22, as part of the channel's month-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. -- starts with a re-creation of the Washington, D.C., break-in that launched a major investigation and ultimately brought down a presidency. The security guard in the scene is played by Frank Wills, the actual guard whose discovery of a tampered door lock led to arrests and a relentless pursuit of the facts by reporters.

At the front of that hunt were Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, "hungry" (as described by the editor played by Jack Warden) and hugely dissimilar Washington Post journalists portrayed by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, partnered to probe the scheme that saw some highly unlikely burglars caught in the act. Various government officials denounced the reporters and the paper publicly, worrying bosses including legendary editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards, in the first of two Oscar-winning performances he gave in consecutive years).

Director Alan J. Pakula assembled a remarkable cast to play out the crusade that took Bernstein and Woodward (whose same-named bestseller was adapted by the celebrated William Goldman, earning an Academy Award here) down a long trail of potential leads, some furnished by the informant known as Deep Throat (a superb Hal Holbrook, filmed largely in shadows). Jane Alexander, Ned Beatty, Stephen Collins and Robert Walden also are standouts as individuals who either aid or frustrate the information-chasing duo.

Redford's company produced "All the President's Men," a textbook example of turning a nonfiction book into a movie that has all the makings of a thriller that someone might have made up. Pakula was quite skilled at making this sort of film, as he also proved with the other entries in his so-called "Paranoia Trilogy" of the 1970s, the Warren Beatty-starring "The Parallax View" and Jane Fonda's first Oscar winner, "Klute."

Also made by Redford's firm, the 2013 documentary "All the President's Men Revisited" looked again at the events of Watergate ... and as compelling as the actual footage is, there's something about familiar faces acting out the story that might bring it home to that many more people, as it did for the theatrical audiences that made it a major hit of its year.

"All the President's Men" has held up exceedingly well over the decades, and while the tale it tells is a highly significant part of American political history, it also remains fresh and vital thanks to an extremely gifted team of moviemakers.

20/04/2023

As the offbeat Peacock TV series -- about the battle against an artificial intelligence -- starts streaming today, co-star Jake McDorman tells us just how different it is:

"Mrs. Davis" wants to rule the world in new Peacock series

By Jay Bobbin

Jake McDorman maintains that he hasn't had a problem talking about "Mrs. Davis" while keeping many of its secrets.

The actor reunites with executive producer Damon Lindelof -- with whom he worked previously on "Watchmen" -- in Peacock's new fantasy-drama series that starts streaming Thursday, April 20. Mrs. Davis is an artificial intelligence that claims to be beneficial to humanity and wants everyone to be "Users," though others have suspicions of "her" true motives ... foremost among them, a nun (played by Betty Gilpin, of "GLOW") who has an ally in her rodeo-rider ex (McDorman) in fighting Mrs. Davis.

McDorman credits Gilpin with citing "Mrs. Davis" as "the Coen brothers meet ‘Looney Tunes,’ ” an appropriate nod to the unusual mix of elements the show encompasses. “We got to play in that weird world for six months of production and see it start to come together through rough cuts,” says McDorman. “Now, to try to tell people about it, it’s impossible. To have the trailer finally come out was really something. That explained it better than we ever could, and having that kind of last coat of paint on it really brings it all together.”

Seeing “Mrs. Davis” with an audience at the recent South by Southwest festival was a milestone for McDorman. “I guess all of us (in the cast) have been living with it for about a year,” he reflects, “from the time I read the first script, and it’s been living in our brains nonstop. It only got more and more locked in, the deeper we got into it. You were like, ‘This is the most ambitious, bizarre thing I’ve ever read. If even half of it could be put on film, it would be a sight to see.’”

Ben Chaplin, Margo Martindale (“The Americans”), David Arquette, Elizabeth Marvel (“Manifest”) and Katja Herbers (“Evil”) are among recurring cast members of “Mrs. Davis.” McDorman appreciates Peacock dropping the first four of the eight episodes on the premiere day: “Letting people really invest themselves in the weirdness of it is very smart.”

The alternate reality depicted by “Mrs. Davis” — which fellow executive producer Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory”) wrote along with “Lost” and “The Leftovers” alum Lindelof — suits a time when the Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once” also supports such a concept, McDorman believes.

“That’s the main reason I was excited by this,” confirms the actor, whose credits also include “Dopesick,” “Shameless,” the series version of “The Right Stuff” and the “Murphy Brown” revival. “It was also the likelihood that the people making it had the clout to bring to life the feeling you got when you read it on the page. And that’s really rare.”

18/04/2023

Among the new titles on physical home media today, this title pretty much says it all: It's "Magic Mike's Last Dance."

VIEW FROM THE COUCH (for week of April 16)

By Jay Bobbin

(Ratings for each film begin with a "star" rating -- one star meaning "poor," four meaning "excellent" -- followed by the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and then by a family-viewing guide, the key for which appears below.)

STARTING THIS WEEK (New releases):

“MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE”: The franchise inspired by star and producer Channing Tatum’s experiences as a male dancer gets one more chapter with this Steven Soderbergh-directed drama, which finds the title character dancing back toward his former career out of necessity after his business plan goes bust. His latest scenario takes him to London under the close watch of a calculating socialite (Salma Hayek Pinault) who wants his help in mounting a stage show, but he soon realizes that succeeding will necessitate his operating on his own terms … and getting a new troupe of dancers in shape to perform. Original “Magic Mike” cast members Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash and Adam Rodriguez (who also were directed by Soderbergh in the first film) also return. *** (R: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand)

“COCAINE BEAR”: Director Elizabeth Banks scored a much-discussed hit with this decidedly offbeat (just check that title again) horror-and-dark-humor tale, inspired by a true story … believe it or not. A bear ingests some of the co***ne that a smuggler dropped from an airplane, and if the animal wasn’t dangerous enough, getting high only makes it more lethal to those who cross its path. A drug lord (the late Ray Liotta, in his last completed role) tries to retrieve any of the co***ne that’s left, leading to added complications for a number of parties. Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Margo Martindale and Jesse Tyler Ferguson are among other stars here — and though the actors make their marks, it’s a definite challenge opposite that bear. DVD extras: three “making-of” documentaries; audio commentary by Banks and producer Max Handelman (Banks’ husband); deleted and extended scenes; outtakes; alternate ending. *** (R: AS, P, GV) (Also on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand)

“MARLOWE”: Raymond Chandler’s detective character Philip Marlowe has had a number of screen incarnations, played by actors from Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum to Elliott Gould and James Garner, and the appropriately intense and brooding Liam Neeson gets a turn in this mystery that reunites him with “Michael Collins” director Neil Jordan. In the late 1930s, Marlowe gets into ever deeper trouble while investigating the apparent fate of an heiress’ paramour, with the trail leading to confused identities and exposed secrets … in true Marlowe-case style. Screenwriters William Monahan (“The Departed”) and Jordan based their script on the John Banville novel “The Black-Eyed Blonde”; also in the cast are Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Colm Meaney, Alan Cu***ng and Danny Huston. *** (R: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand)

“MARIE ANTOINETTE: SEASON ONE”: One of the most intriguing figures in history is the centerpiece of this drama series televised by PBS, with Emilia Schule as the Austrian woman who joined French royalty at a relatively young age via marriage. Meant to provide an heir for the then-future Louis XVI (Louis Cunningham), Marie meets with immediate disapproval from his sisters — but she’s not happy with the situation herself, given her lack of emotional connection to her spouse, and the attempted repression of her individuality. Marthe Keller (“Marathon Man”), James Purefoy and Jack Archer also star; Marie’s saga will continue to unfold, since a second season of this program has been ordered. *** (Not rated: AS)

“MAYBE I DO”: A terrific group of actors, some of whom have done other projects along this line, populates this romantic comedy about an impending wedding that might get derailed. Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play the engaged couple, whose respective sets of parents (Diane Keaton and Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy) supposedly never have met. The resulting group encounter reveals some unexpected secrets, namely that each of their mothers has been cheating with the other’s father (or vice versa, if one prefers), and that revelation could lead to the cancellation of the intended nuptials. The film was written and directed by television veteran Michael Jacobs (“Boy Meets World,” “Charles in Charge”). *** (PG-13: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand)

”SERPICO”: Director Sidney Lumet was a master at staging New York-set police dramas, and this true story of one officer who waged a campaign against corruption in his department is one of the filmmaker’s best. Making its debut in the 4K Ultra HD format, the 1973 film (adapted from a Peter Maas book) gives Al Pacino a great role as Frank Serpico, who literally put his life on the line to expose unethical practices by other cops … sometimes trusting superiors who ultimately didn’t come through for him, leaving him to fend for himself against peers he had angered. The solid supporting cast includes Tony Roberts, Cornelia Sharpe and John Randolph, but this clearly is Pacino’s show. **** (R: AS, N, P, V)

COMING SOON (Upcoming releases):

"TRIANGLE OF SADNESS" (April 25)

"JESUS REVOLUTION" (April 25)

“THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH” (4K Ultra HD) (April 25)

“80 FOR BRADY” (May 2)

“KNOCK AT THE CABIN” (May 9)

“YELLOWSTONE: SEASON 5, PART 1” (May 9)

FAMILY VIEWING GUIDE KEY: AS, adult situations; N, nudity; P, profanity; V, violence; GV, particularly graphic violence.

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