A ‘Wicked’ Undercover Boss, a ‘Bombshell’ on PBS, Happily Ever After for ‘Once Upon a Time’
A selective critical checklist of notable Friday TV:
Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition (8/7c, CBS): We know she can “Let It Go” and cast a spell while “Defying Gravity,” but can Broadway, movie and TV triple-threat Idina Menzel hide her superstar light while playing incognito? In the new iteration of the long-running reality show, the singer/actress seeks the next singular Broadway sensation while disguised as a receptionist who years to break into musical theater. Along the way, she moonlights as a wedding singer and puts on a chicken suit to deliver a singing telegram. Which is called being a good sport.
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (9/8c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): Few knew that Hollywood siren Hedy Lamarr, the Delilah to Victor Mature’s Sampson, had a gift for inventing new technologies. And when during World War II, this Austrian Jewish emigrant designed a pioneering frequency-hopping communication system to combat the Nazis, she was never given the credit she deserved. (Her breakthrough is the inspiration for modern tech including Wifi, GPS and Bluebooth.) This American Masters special honors her untold story with the help of never-before-heard audio tapes discovered by episode director Alexandra Dean and producer Adam Haggiag. Among those interviewed about this brainy legendary beauty: friends Mel Brooks and late TCM host Robert Osborne.
Once Upon a Time (8/7c, ABC): Some very familiar faces from this played-out fairy-tale fantasy’s heyday return for the series finale, including Jennifer Morrison (Emma), Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow) and Josh Dallas (Charming). The main Storybrooke storyline involves Regina (Lana Parrilla) plotting to stop Rumple (Robert Carlyle) from executive his evil plan, while the villain’s alter ego Weaver hopes to vanquish his dark side and reunite with Belle (Emilie de Ravin). Surely a “happily ever after” is in store after all these seasons.
13 Reasons Why (streaming on Netflix): Last year’s provocative teen tragedy about a student’s shocking suicide, exposing a high school’s poisonous subculture of sexual abuse and bullying, returns for a painfully overextended, sluggish second season with diminishing results. Lacking the hook of Hannah’s (Katherine Langford) 13 tapes, this wallow in angst is too much of more of the same.
Inside Friday TV: As royal romantics prepare for Saturday’s main event, the TV hype machine is in overdrive, with specials including The CW’s Harry and Meghan: A Love Story (8/7c) and an all-nighter on TLC including Prince Harry: Wild No More (8/7c) followed by Meghan Markle: A Royal Love Story (9/8c) and Secrets of the Royal Wedding (10/9c). … CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 (9/8c) fears Russian interference in the eighth-season finale when a nuclear attack submarine appears off the coast of Waikiki. … Cinemax’s reverse-chronology mystery thriller Rellik (10/9c) reaches back to the story’s beginnings to reveal the killer in the season finale.
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Ran across too late to comment...but...YESTERDAY...unicornkatana asked..."Do you have any idea what's going on Legion? I'm not sure I completely do. This season I'm not following it as well. It's been a bit out there."
I, myself, have REALLY understood ONLY about 10%-20% of the story line since S1E1...but I sit there each week totally FASCINATED by the latest episode!!!
My friends/family ask me..."What's it about". I reply..."I don't know...but...it's so VISUALLY intriguing!!!"
Interestingly...2 comments (below)....although about DIFFERENT shows...are QUITE applicable to Legion...
Jena H..."I call it a popcorn show: you don't really need to pay attention to the 'plot,' "...
Arben..."I could watch despite having missed however many episodes."...
So...I always recommend checking out the LATEST episode. The fact that you missed the first 15 Chapters is NOT important...because...you probably wouldn't have been able to understand them ANYWAY!
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Your comments are more likely to be noticed if you reply directly to the person even if it is on the previous day because they will show up in that person's Notifications.
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Typo in the Undercover Boss 'graph: "who years to break into musical theater" — I assume he meant "yearns".
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Once again, this site's article could use a good editor (or perhaps a writer who won't need an editor). "Regina ... plotting to stop Rumple ... from executive his evil plan,"
Anyway, tonight is the season finale of Hawaii Five-O, so I'll watch that. I might even drop in on Storybrook, to see how Once Upon a Time ends. I'm sure the only characters I'll recognized are the ones who are returning for the finale. I lost track of (and interest in) all the 'newer' characters even before I quit watching years ago.
I watched the first season or two of Undercover Boss, and have no interest in the so-called celebrity edition. I wouldn't know most of these 'celebrities' even WITHOUT makeup and bad wigs, so they don't mean much to me.
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I caught that error too. You never know if it was the author's fault or something was messed up in the transcription. Either way, an editor or proofreader should have noticed it.
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I'm curious to check out the OUAT finale too. Mrs. Arben kept with it a bit longer than I but it's been a couple of seasons even for her. H50 is one I wish I'd been able to keep in my schedule but I fell very, very behind a couple of years back and just let it go, unlike OUAT where I actively decided to stop watching.
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That's what bugs me, not the initial mistake however and wherever in the pipeline it was made.
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The thing about H5O i that it's not really serialized, as OUAT is. Sure, there might be occasional story arcs that span episodes, but for the most part it's a Bad Guy of the Week show. I call it a popcorn show: you don't really need to pay attention to the 'plot,' it's the ACTION that's worth watching. 😉
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I watched H5O (and CSI) for exactly that reason. Tho' I did enjoy the character dynamics too. I just rarely drop in on shows that aren't part of my regular habit, even if they're procedurals I could watch despite having missed however many episodes. When I give up a show it's done for me. I have so much (so, so, so, so much) to watch already.
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I've been planning on watching the double episode finale of MasterChef Junior tonight. The show hasn't been as exciting as it once was, and I don't really care who wins.
That Hedy Lamarr bio on PBS sounds like it could be interesting. An early episode of Timeless featured her and her inventions.
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Yes, I loved that Timeless episode about Hedy Lamar. She was not only one of the most beautiful women of her day but also likely the smartest. What an ideal combination. Her features were nearly flawless, I've seen many photos.
I'll record PBS tonight for sure.
As usual ABC tonight , very excited for the Once Upon a Time series finale and the season 5 finale of Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And again, if 20/20 is interesting I'll watch. But I'm guessing it will be about the Royal wedding.
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20/20: A look at the two most important women in Prince Harry's life, his mother, Princess Diana, and his soon-to-be bride, Meghan Markle.
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Not for me. Lol
Quiet week for me next week. Timeless, The Crossing, Designated Survivor, Quantico, Once Upon a Time and Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E..L.D. will not be on.
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Legends of Tomorrow also did an episode with Hedy Lamarr. Which I got an extra kick out of since I'd been introduced to her background through comics, namely Jim Ottaviani's Dignifying Science anthology. I'm looking forward to watching that bio.
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How does the SHIELD finale not get at least a passing mention, especially given the blockbuster status of Infinity War and the fresh news that the show's been renewed but won't return until Summer 2019 to accommodate said film's cliffhanger and resolution in the next Avengers?
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A good time to catch up on things you've been meaning to watch but didn't have the time?
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I'll watch Trust, hopefully it speeds up and enough with the subtitles!
Have to catch up with Genius also.
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The lack of media attention or promotion AoS garners is well known among fans of the show. Even TV GUIDE magazine Jeered ABC in the Cheers and Jeers column for only promoting the Marvel movie Infinity War and never AoS on Jimmy Kimmel.
ABC barely shows any promos for it thorough out the week and I watch lots of ABC shows.
However I am so grateful that ABC renewed it for a sixth season, even if it's only because it's a Marvel show and Disney/Marvel ordered them to continue airing it.
Rotten Tomatoes ranked AoS as the top ranked Marvel show on broadcast, cable or streaming. This season scored an impressive 100% and overall a 95% for all five seasons combined. Very impressive indeed.
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I just watched an episode of Krypton and have one more to go.
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