The NBC Collection “Frasier” featured from left, Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon, David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane, John Mahoney as Martin Crane, Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle, and Moose as Eddie. There’s a revival of “Fraizer” set for the autumn TV lineup however not all solid members are returning. (COURTESY PHOTO)
Normally, the early weeks of September are spent wanting over the upcoming season whereas catching up with any stray Emmy nominees that want seeing earlier than predictions are made and preferences acknowledged.
The strikes involving writers and actors for the large and little screens have dampened anticipation in each circumstances.
Films will fare higher in late 2023 than tv as a result of movies are shot far sufficient prematurely, they had been made earlier than the strike. Tv should do with applications that had been made in time to have scripts and performers prepared and dealing.
Already, in wanting forward by way of the approaching fall and winter, I see little that’s thrilling and exercise that’s lower than half of the standard.
Networks could have some exhibits to air. About the one one which strikes my curiosity needle past a 4, is the revival of “Frasier,” the primary two episodes of which air on Paramount+ on Thursday, Oct. 12.
With John Mahoney lifeless and David Hyde-Pierce unwilling to return as Frasier’s brother, Niles, Kelsey Grammer, within the title position, is the opposite one getting back from the nuclear solid of the ’90s.
Bebe Neuwirth makes some visitor appearances as Frasier’s ex-wife, Lilith. Peri Gilpin additionally exhibits up sometimes as Roz.
(Regionally, Gilpin is often known as the daughter of late Channel 6 anchor and weatherman Jim O’Brien, the fortieth anniversary of whose demise in a skydiving accident can be Sept. 25.)
Frasier’s son with Lilith and his nephew by way of Niles, now grown with grownup lives, can be a part of the revival’s predominant solid.
The son, Freddy, is performed by James Cutmore-Smith. The nephew, David, is portrayed by Anders Keith. The present returns Frasier to Boston, the town during which the character first appeared as a recurring determine on “Cheers.”
Aside from “Frasier,” few collection generate a lot pleasure.
One pattern to observe are the transferring of streamed or cable collection to conventional networks.
“Yellowstone,” for example is on CBS’s fall lineup.
One other is a rise in imported materials from England, South Korea, Australia and European international locations, significantly on Netflix and different streamers.
Most of the international applications aired efficiently of their native international locations. They could have some years on them. As a result of actors overseas should not on strike, their work can be utilized to fill American schedules till Hollywood’s labor points are resolved.
The 2023 Emmy Awards are particularly affected by the strikes.
Usually, honors for the instantly previous season are handed out on the second or third weekend in September. Nominations had been introduced greater than a month in the past, however with writers and actors on picket traces, the Emmy ceremony initially scheduled for 2 Mondays therefore, Sept. 18, has been
postponed.
Strikers keen, the brand new date for Emmy distribution is Monday, Jan. 15.
The later date offers folks extra possibilities to meet up with nominated applications. It’s an excellent time to binge “Succession,” “Higher Name Saul,” “The Bear,” “Barry,” “Ted Lasso,” and “Solely Murders within the Constructing.”
I, for one can be taking longer seems at “The Final of Us” and “Fleishman is in Hassle.”
Eagles season opener
The 2024 Tremendous Bowl is already on folks’s minds because the Philadelphia Eagles, who contended for and misplaced the principle prize final yr, start their 2023-24 season at 4:25 p.m. Sunday when our guys in inexperienced head to Foxboro, Mass. to tackle the New England Patriots.
The sport, carried by CBS, airs domestically on Channel 3. The announcers are Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Ken Wolfson.
Phillies TV play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy can be in Denver on the identical time calling the sport there between the Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders.
As has occurred for the previous 25 years, Merrill Reese and Mike Fast will group for the Eagles radio broadcast on WIP (94.1 FM). Reese had been calling Eagles play-by-play since 1977, when his sales space companions had been Charlie Swift and Herb Adderley.
For higher or worse, the Eagles have a fast turnaround, 4 days, till they play their dwelling opener in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. That recreation airs on Amazon Prime.
This match-up is taken into account the primary in Week 2 of the NFL season. Announcers are Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit. Merrill Reese and Mike Fast will once more be on WIP.
Some Eagles video games will coincide with baseball video games performed by the playoff-contending Philadelphia Phillies.
Even within the throes of a pennant race, and being so beloved, the Phillies and their followers usually get quick shrift in relation to the Eagles. For one factor, their video games, often on WIP, are outdated by Eagles contests.
These video games are sometimes discovered on one other Audacy station, WPHT (1210 AM). Phils followers might need to some searching. WIP is remiss in not having Reese periodically announce that individuals in search of the Phillies can discover them.
Good luck, Birds! Good luck, Phillies!
Second take a look at ‘Fits’
Though I’d sometimes watched “Fits,” a Canadian collection set in New York and that includes actors from the U.S. and Canada, I by no means paid a lot consideration it.
These days, it has been lighting up Netflix’s viewing statistics, so I believed I’d take one other look and see what the fuss is about.
After all, I knew that Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex and the spouse of Britain’s Prince Harry, was a co-star: third billing from Episode 1. She would now be an apparent draw.
What I needed to see was whether or not she was sufficient of a belated novelty to warrant the flurry of watchers.
Markle’s efficiency in “Fits” is much better than her appearances in documentaries about her struggles with the royal household and plaintive pleas for consideration. She makes her character, initially a paralegal who’s a five-star regulation agency’s high researcher, as snappy and intelligent because the collection itself.
Her interaction with the present’s most partaking character, a genius lawyer working towards with bar sanction however no precise diploma (Patrick J. Adams), is particularly crisp and interesting.
“Fits’ ” breezy cleverness, its penchant for having to be the neatest present within the room, can be its downfall. There’s an excessive amount of flashy superiority going round and never sufficient humanity, depth or suspense.
I can see why it’s widespread. Its leads, Adams’ Michael Ross mildly accepted, are all cultured, witty, and able to match any problem from rival lawyer or persnickety consumer.
Their garments are braggadociously costly, their mind is self-consciously eager, and their means to pulverize their foes is smugly pleasurable.
What’s lacking is texture and counterbalanced ranges of froth and real stress. You would possibly fear barely about Michael being in over his head or the sadistic managing accomplice Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman) threatening a favourite, however greater than in most exhibits, you already know the top-billed on “Fits” will prevail and proceed to impress us, or attempt to impress us, with their script-supplied flash.
I’ve to confess watching “Fits” offers some enjoyable. The difficulty is it’s simple to stroll away from with out caring if you happen to ever encounter it once more.
Jimmy Buffett’s passing
Condolences, Parrotheads!
Whether or not you had been a fan or not, Jimmy Buffett wrote intelligent ditties that celebrated the convenience and pleasure of life and set care and duty a-packing.
His concert events had been at all times so spirited and his followers, the Parrotheads, so devotedly into his music, you knew you had been certain for senseless however completely satisfied enjoyable every time Buffett got here to city.
Jimmy Buffett is one it’s exhausting to consider as being lifeless. Alas, he succumbed to lymphoma this weekend at age 76.
Fortunately the enjoyable in his music lives on. Philadelphians obtained an awesome style of it this spring when the Walnut Avenue Theatre captured all of the dopey brilliance of the Buffett ethos is its effervescent manufacturing of “Escape to Margaritaville.”
Right now, that manufacturing lives as a tribute. I do know I basked within the loopily artistic and deceptively expert silliness of it.
Regretfully, I noticed however by no means met Jimmy Buffett. Extra regretfully, I used to be about 20 minutes away from having that pleasure.
I used to be in New Orleans on one among my annual birthday treks to the Straightforward. A “birdie” from the Tennessee Williams Competition advised me Buffett was on the town and at Margaritaville “now.”
Shy as ever, I dashed in Margaritaville’s course, however as I revealed, I used to be too late.
And, no, I knew I wasn’t being snowed as a result of I used to be wasn’t looking for Buffett as a fan or a reporter.
Years in the past, I learn a Herman Wouk novel known as “Don’t Cease the Carnival,” which comically chronicles the misadventures of a person who buys a Caribbean resort considering he’s investing in paradise whereas he’s about to grow to be beset with the myriad issues of mankind.
Jimmy Buffett wrote a musical model of “Don’t Cease the Carnival,” and I needed to debate that with him over a libation or three, discover out what motivated him and the way shut he was to a defining manufacturing.
One in every of his minions at Margaritaville advised me Buffett could be sorry he missed me as a result of “he loves speaking about that musical.” She and I talked about it for a half-hour.
Now to mud off my CD participant and take heed to the “Don’t Cease” recording I’ve had for many years. Right here’s to you, Jimmy Buffett! You and your music leavened the world.
Hooked on theater
Private Notice: You by no means know when, the place, or how a behavior will begin.
On today in 1967, a freshly minted driver’s license giving me unprecedented freedom to go locations others won’t take me, I noticed my first skilled theatrical manufacturing.
It was “Humorous Lady” on the Valley Forge Music Honest, a 17-mile trip from my Philadelphia dwelling on then-unfamiliar roads.
The celebs had been Carol Lawrence, James Mitchell, Sylvia Syms, and Danny Meehan, who was reprising his position from the unique Broadway manufacturing with Barbra Streisand.
One of many first songs in “Humorous Lady” refers to guide character Fanny Brice’s unprepossessing seems.
Referred to as “If a Lady Isn’t Fairly,” it arrange that Fanny’s face is not going to be her theatrical fortune.
The track is sung, and Carol Lawrence seems. Not solely is she fairly, however she’s the prettiest individual on the Valley Forge stage, the prettiest individual below the Valley Forge tent, and doubtless the prettiest individual that occurred to be in Pennsylvania at that second.
The present labored its attraction.
The explanation I’m even mentioning this 56-year-old expertise is to notice that since “Humorous Lady,” I’ve seen greater than 10,000 exhibits all around the world, together with greater than 100 in each England and Canada.
By 1973, I used to be seeing greater than 125 productions a yr, and I’m nonetheless at that tempo.
Theatergoing is a behavior. As soon as it’s acquired, it fortunately by no means goes away.
Thanks, Valley Forge Music Honest. Thanks, “Humorous Lady.” Thanks, Carol Lawrence, with whom I danced the lambada in New Hope 30 years later.
We had dinner, too!
‘Barbie’ reminder
Reminder: “Barbie” begins showing on Prime Video and Apple TV on Sept. 5.
The film isn’t free. The fee can be between $19.99 and $24.99.
