Worth Watching: Ricky Gervais in ‘After Life,’ R. Kelly and Gayle King, VH1 Traiblazer Honors

Matt Roush
22 Comments
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CBS/Lazarus Jean-Baptiste

A selective critical checklist of notable Friday TV:

After Life (streaming on Netflix): Ricky Gervais is superb in an unexpectedly moving dark comedy as morose widower Tony, who takes his grief out on everyone in his British village, deciding, “There’s no advantage to being nice.” His outrageous outbursts can be amusing, especially when he encounters bizarre human-interest stories in his job as a local journalist, but the underlying pain leads to a poignant reawakening over six brisk episodes — courtesy of fellow widow Penelope Wilton and the wonderful Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty, Agatha Raisin) as his ailing father’s nurse.

Roush Review: 'After Life' Toggles Between Cynicism and Tear-Inducing Sentiment
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Roush Review: 'After Life' Toggles Between Cynicism and Tear-Inducing Sentiment

The Gayle King Interview With R. Kelly (8/7c, CBS): You may have seen the explosive clips, and now CBS News gives a prime-time showcase to CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King‘s emotionally charged interview earlier this week with the embattled R&B singer, his first on-camera appearance since being arrested on 10 sexual abuse charges, all of which he denies. (He was arrested again after this taping for failing to pay $161,000 in child support to his ex-wife.) King also interviews two young women currently living with the musician, Azriel Clary and Joycelyn Savage.

R. Kelly Breaks Silence on Sexual Abuse Claims in Wild Interview With Gayle King (VIDEO)
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R. Kelly Breaks Silence on Sexual Abuse Claims in Wild Interview With Gayle King (VIDEO)

VH1 Trailblazer Honors (9/8c, VH1): Several of the culture’s most prominent and powerful women participate in a special event saluting breakthroughs in female empowerment and human rights, timed to commemorate International Women’s Day. Among the honorees: filmmaker Ava DuVernay, The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, presented her award by Cher. Performers include Elle King and Rita Ora, with Anita Hill, Samira Wiley, Mindy Kaling and Alyssa Milano among the other celebrity presenters.

Streaming: Among the many, many launches on a typically busy Friday: Amazon Prime Video’s Made in Heaven, from India, a romantic dramedy about two wedding planners in Delhi, the closeted Karan (Arjun Mathur) and the socially disadvantaged Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala). Each ceremony they plan tends to expose the complex dynamics of modern society in India… Alfre Woodard stars as Juanita in a Netflix movie about a dissatisfied woman who hits the road (to Butte, Montana), leaving her grown kids behind for a taste of independence and freedom. Adam Beach is a local love interest, and Blair Underwood plays himself in comic fantasy scenes… The Netflix docu-series Formula 1: Drive to Survive travels from Melbourne, Australia to Canada, Austria, Singapore, Austin (Texas), Brazil and Abu Dhabi to chart the makeover of the high-octane racing sport.

'Last Man Standing' Sneak Peek: Vanessa & Mandy Give Jen Prom Advice (VIDEO)
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Inside Friday TV: Mike (Tim Allen) wishes he’d folded instead of inviting Ryan (Jordan Masterson) to his weekly poker game on Fox’s Last Man Standing (8/7c) when the worst happens, and the newbie gets the guys to open up about their feelings… Eddie (Hudson Yang) runs away from home on ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat (8/7c), but after rooming with Horace (Jimmy O. Yang) at his apartment, he begins to think life with controlling mom Jessica (Constance Wu) may not be so bad… Absence makes the heart grow fonder on ABC’s Speechless (8:30/7:30) when JJ (Micah Fowler) decides to try spending a day with a new aide, only to realize there may be no replacing Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough)… Former Dynasty diva Joan Collins guests on CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 (9/8c) as Danny’s (Scott Caan) ex-mother-in-law, a celebrated romance novelist who takes a shine to McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) — but not to Danno — when they act as her bodyguards on a book tour… Someone’s launching a smear campaign against Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) on CBS’s Blue Bloods (10/9c). Bet the Reagans will soon put a stop to that.

After Life (2019)Blue BloodsFresh Off the BoatHawaii Five-0 (2010)Last Man Standing (2011)SpeechlessRicky Gervais



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  1. C

    CyanCoathanger

    I guess I\'m limited to just Cool Kids, Speechless, and Graham Norton tonight!

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    GoldSubmarine

    So now Oprah\'s pal Gayle King will be milking the R.Kelly scandal until he\'s dried up and dead (which will likely happen sooner than later). And she might even follow in Oprah\'s footsteps and dig up more dirt after he\'s dead and buried. Gayle King is demanding a raise from CBS. Problem is the CBS morning show almost always loses out to ABC\'s GMA and NBC\'s Today Show. I still bet she gets that raise.

    FOX all night tonight. Last Man Standing looks like another funny episode. Proven Innocent has been watchable enough (especially for Friday).

    Will hopefully go to the theatres to see the prequel to The Avengers and Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain Marvel does look like fun Especially because it is set in 1995 (good memories) when Agent Fury and Agent Coulson were younger and the world was not yet so politically correct. It\'s like anything anybody utters out of their mouth these days is deemed as anti something. Gosh!

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    1. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I\'ve already seen at least half of that interview. He rants and raves, stomps around, and pretends to cry. Even if he only did one tenth of the things he\'s accused of, he\'s a horrible man.

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      1. G

        GoldSubmarine

        The even more interesting part is watching the girlfriends defend him.

        1. G

          GreenButton

          It\'s called CONTROL AND NAIVE GIRLS! He\'s guilty, I used to work somewhere in CA & he was supposed to stay with us. I hear the story from a girl talking about him taking her to a hotel in CO. I remember being very vocal about NOT wanting him staying with us in Tahoe! EVEN BACK THEN, he was accused of messing with underage girls, I wouldn\'t have been unable to hold my tongue and probably have lost my job. ROBERT FRIGGIN KELLY? Look @ the Gayle King interview & watch him stomping around like a child! Gayle King has 2 children & used too ANCHOR A HAARTFORD, CT, newsroom! You think she hasn\'t SEEN THIS? Probably on a Daily Basis. She\'s ALWAYS kept that calm demeanor even when I was 5 & now 44. She DOESN\'T panic?!

          But ya, I\'ve seen the highlights, more whining? Deadbeat Dad? Been there, what do they think....babies ASK to be born? Pay your child support you Cheap Prick! Boy, my Dad got off easy. $25 a week starting when I was 12, & my sister who was 16 so he only had to pay two more years for her! DIRTBAGS, Come in all shapes, sizes, colors, & sexes!

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          1. G

            GoldSubmarine

            When R. Kelly married 15 year old Aaliyah (RIP) back in the early 90s we all knew his mojo.

            Before and After that marriage he was associated with scores of underage girls.

            Well he had around 3 decades of sexual freedom, so lets see how long he can survive in prison. My guess, not long at all He will likely die young like so many sexual deviants.

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      2. O

        OliveBullhorn

        The difference between him and MJ?... The man not only did what he was accused of but was caught on tape! That\'s what kills me that it took this long for people to realize this. The man has ALWAYS been guilty since 2001 and now people are getting this?

        1. C

          CyanCoathanger

          I don\'t even try to understand it.

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    2. R

      RedCupcake

      I don\'t think it\'s a matter of Gayle King \"milking it.\" The interview ran for over an hour, and since it became such a big-deal topic of conversation, I think the network is the one who decided to air the whole thing. Of course, for all I know, they may have planned to do that anyway, once he agreed to do the interview.

      I\'m not a big fan of Gayle\'s, but I giver her great credit for staying calm and level-headed when the crazy dude stood up and went nutso. Not many interviewers could have (or would have) been that calm.

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      1. G

        GoldSubmarine

        My favorite female interviewer was Diane Sawyer. She always handled herself very graciously regardless of the subject. I guess she retired, haven\'t seen her on ABC (her last gig) in years.

        I even remember her on CBS 60 Minutes back in the day.

        Oprah , Gayle King , Barbara Walters (she must be retired too) and others of that ilk irritate me. They seem like sensationalism interviewers.

        I will never forgive Oprah for how she handled the Michael Jackson situation in the past and especially now. I don\'t think she even interviewed one of the many defenders of Michael . That\'s really dishonest and unfair especially given Michael can\'t even defend himself! His poor kids , must be going through more emotional trauma than usual.

        1. R

          RedCupcake

          I don\'t think of Oprah as a \"journalist.\" I know she worked in news broadcasting in the very early years, but still, she\'s much more of a celebrity/entertainer than anything else. I don\'t believe that hosting a talk show makes someone a real interviewer or journalist. I guess Gayle had a similar news-broadcasting career, but at least her current job is closer to journalism than Oprah\'s last TV gig.

          As for Oprah\'s MJ thing.... last week one network I watched made a big point of saying that a documentary is not required to give two sides of the story; it can simply presents *a* viewpoint. So, for example, if you, classic movie lover that you are, wanted to make a documentary about the best films of the \'40s and \'50s, you don\'t need to consider Siskel & Ebert\'s opinions on the matter. Of course, it wouldn\'t *hurt* to get other people\'s feedback, but it\'s not necessary.

          1. G

            GoldSubmarine

            Understood. But the documentary is like a hit job or a money grab. Speaking ill of the dead is not in good taste and likely is a grave sin. I believe if Michael was guilty of what they are saying he\'s being dealt with by the Almighty.

            On a lighter note , I love discussing classic movies and shows with you : )

            1. R

              RedCupcake

              Well, I\'m just playing Devil\'s Advocate. :-p I don\'t really have strong feelings on the Michael Jackson thing, just general opinions of the guy.

  3. R

    RedCupcake

    Huh, no MacGyver? Bummer. Well, there\'s still H5-O and Blue Bloods, at least.

    BTW (1)... from the above blurb, tonight\'s Last Man Standing sounds suspiciously very much like an episode of Home Improvement that I remember, when Al came to Tim\'s poker game, and guess what the guys ended up talking about?

    BTW (2)... I meant to note yesterday that last night TCM was airing All the President\'s Men. It was introduced (and discussed afterward) by Carl Bernstein. An excellent movie, based on an even more excellent book. (I recommend everyone reading it, even if only to learn about how journalism worked back in the day before cellphones and the internet; that part is fascinating in itself.)

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    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Last Man Standing consistently churns out funny episodes. No it\'s not a ground breaking comedy or even original, but it\'s topical and enjoyable to watch. I love Tim\'s relationship with his \"far left liberal son-in law especially when Tim and the gang interact all together like a poker game. The political humor is always witty and dead on, plus the family and work issues all work most of the time.

      Now that is rare for comedies these days.

      LMS is constantly being aired on CMT and WGN, but of course my cable package doesn\'t include those cable channels!

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      1. C

        CyanCoathanger

        It was on another channel the other day USA?, and it\'s on my CW channel every evening.

        1. G

          GoldSubmarine

          Tim Allen is making a fortune off this hit. Syndication $$ is lucrative.

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      2. O

        OliveBullhorn

        I was very happy it got rescued by Fox and loved the petty spite it showed in the premiere episode LOL its a reliable, funny, warm, clean, wholesome and honest show which we don\'t see at all on TV now. I love that it\'s also well balanced politically and not shoving political correctness to where it comes off preachy or alienating. Its like a real family where some people disagree but still live together and love each other regardless like a modern day All in the family or Family Ties. We need that more than ever. So yeah, LMS is the best comedy I\'ve seen this decade since The Middle ended and I hope it influences more comedies going forward. I also really dig The Cool Kids which has four really well casted stars and they all have fun chemistry. Plus, its just another great Friday night comedy that fits with Last Man.

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        1. G

          GoldSubmarine

          Excellent post. Agree with all.

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    2. G

      GoldSubmarine

      CBS last minute yanked MacGyver and replaced it with the Gayle King special. My USA TODAY and TV GUIDE magazine state that MacGyver airs at 8:00.

      I\'m sure the ratings will be good, viewers love this tawdry stuff. Best part of the girlfriend interview is when Gayle asks one of Kelly\'s girlfriend\'s if both sleep with him. She\'s like that\'s none of your business, would you like me to ask who you sleep with? Next question Gayle! Hahahaha

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  4. R

    RedQuill

    They\'re not mentioned here much...but...after 10? 20? years...(only kidding)...I still find Blindspot and The Blacklist to be quite stimulating and intriguing...

    1. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I gave up on Blindspot after the first season. I tried to keep up with Blacklist, but like you, I got at least 4 episodes behind and dropped it.

      2