Innholdsfortegnelse for February 4, 2019 i TV Guide Magazine

LISTEN UP THE GOOD PLACE THE PODCAST Download it for free on iTunes This delightful experience is more than Good. Host Marc Evan Jackson (who plays Bad Place boss Shawn) breaks down each episode of NBC’s forkin’ hilarious comedy with the help of his castmates and crew. —Emily Aslanian, Associate Editor READING MATERIAL THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD BY MEGAN MULLALLY AND NICK OFFERMAN Available where books are sold, $28 The only time I’ve ever questioned my happy single life was while reading the joyfully funny and inspiring journey that Will & Grace star Mullally and her Parks and Recreation husband Offerman have taken to become one of Hollywood’s quirkiest and most beloved couples. This story, told in the format of an oral history, is the perfect Valentine’s Day…

BY THE TIME Priscilla Presley was 23 years old, she had already known Elvis for almost a decade, been married to him for 13 months and given birth to their daughter, Lisa Marie. But she had never seen the King of Rock ’n’ Roll perform live until she sat in the handpicked audience over two nights in June 1968 for the taping of Singer Presents…Elvis. “Seeing him look so good and do what he loved best was quite a sight,” Presley recalls. “You would have thought I was a fan. I wasn’t jumping or yelling but a quiet fan with a smile on my face, thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, you still have it!’ ” The pair, who were separated by a 10-year age gap, ended their tumultuous marriage in 1973—yet…

POLAR Celebrated music video director Jonas Åkerlund (Madonna, Iggy Pop) helms this new film about a former assassin (Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen) who’s forced out of retirement when a hit is put out on him. Available now VELVET BUZZSAW The stolen paintings of a dead madman come to life and terrorize a gallery owner (Rene Russo), an ambitious assistant and a critic (Zawe Ashton and Jake Gyllenhaal, above) in this creepy satirical movie. Toni Collette also costars. Available now…

Newly Available Adaptation. (2002) Sony Crackle A blue screenwriter (Nicolas Cage) puts up with his jolly twin (Cage) while struggling to adapt a bestseller. Along Came Polly (2004) Prime Video A killjoy (Ben Stiller) dates a free spirit (Jennifer Aniston). The Bourne Identity (2002) HBO Now Amnesiac spy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) flees his CIA bosses. Also out: 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy on HBO Now and 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum on Hulu. Buried (2010) HBO Now A truck driver (Ryan Reynolds) finds himself buried alive in a coffin. Final Destination (2000) Netflix Death stalks teens after they avoid a plane crash. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Hulu, Prime Video Hugh Grant is a toff charmed by a Yank (Andie MacDowell). Hairspray (2007) Netflix Musical about a plump teen (Nikki Blonsky) on a 1960s dance show. In…

MEET TIM AS A TEEN! NCIS 8/7c, CBS Special Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray), a cybercrime expert, hits “return” as he revisits his California high school—seems a computer password he used as a teen is connected to a Department of Defense contractor’s murder. “A lot of flashbacks [to the early ’90s] show him as a 16-year-old,” says Murray (above). “He was building computers and into science but had hard times in school and with his parents.” Murray downloads more info. What did you learn about how McGee’s past laid the groundwork for his life today? I was surprised to see that his early delving into technology involved a quasi-girlfriend who was also a techie and helped him. Did you give any guidance to the actor playing high school–age Tim (Charles…

Proven Innocent SERIES PREMIERE 9/8c, Fox Most legal shows share the same basic premise: Good guys try to put bad guys behind bars. But on the new drama Proven Innocent, the formula gets flipped as a team of scrappy Chicago defense attorneys, aka the Injustice Defense Group, strives to free folks wrongfully convicted of crimes. Here’s a look at the key players—and the powerful man they’re up against. —Ingela Ratledge MADELINE SCOTT (Rachelle Lefevre) The IDG cofounder “has earned her self-righteousness,” says exec producer Danny Strong. Indeed, as a teen, she was convicted of murdering her friend Rosemary (Casey Tutton) and served 10 years before being exonerated. BODIE QUICK (Vincent Kartheiser) As the firm’s resident investigator, the quirky Bodie searches for new evidence to prove clients’ innocence. Says Strong, “He’s…

@TVGMMattRoush What is it with all the Good TV these days—and I’m not talking about the overabundance of “peak” shows. I’m wondering if producers have run out of titles without that word in them. There’s The Good Wife (and its spinoff, The Good Fight), The Good Place, The Good Doctor, The Good Cop and Good Girls. Can’t anybody think of anything else to call their shows? Good grief! —Aaron MATT ROUSH: The good news, ironically, is that despite the lamentable sameness in titles, some of these are among the best and most distinctive shows on TV (Fight, Place and Doctor, especially). To your point: Originality only gets you so far when naming TV shows—anyone remember FX’s Terriers (which had nothing to do with dogs)? Simple hooks tend to win out,…

PREMIERES Man With a Plan Feb. 4, 8:30/7:30c, CBS American Soul Feb. 5, 9/8c, BET My Great Big Live Wedding With The Challenge: War of the Worlds Feb. 6, 9/8c, MTV One Day at a Time Feb. 8, Netflix PEN15 Feb. 8, Hulu White Dragon Feb. 8, Prime Video 2 Dope Queens Feb. 8, 11/10c, HBO Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj Feb. 10, Netflix The Zoo Feb. 10, 8/7c, Animal Planet Autopsy: The Last Hours of… Feb. 10, 9/8c, Reelz Hustle Feb. 10, 9/8c, Viceland Price of Fame Feb. 10, 10/9c, Reelz The Walking Dead Feb. 10, 9/8c, AMC Ride With Norman Reedus Feb. 10, midnight/11c, AMC American Dad! Feb. 11, 10/9c, TBS The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Feb. 12, 9/8c, Bravo American Chopper Feb. 12, 10/9c, Discovery Miracle Workers…

@TVGMMattRoush One Day at a Time The family comedy’s third season is comfort food with a Cuban kick SEASON PREMIERE Friday, Feb. 8, Netflix TOUGH LOVE CAN be a riot, when administered with the warmth and spirit of Penelope Alvarez (the fabulously appealing Justina Machado), a Cuban-American single mom in L.A. battle-scarred by actual war and the daily challenges of family life. Upon discovering her son Alex (Marcel Ruiz) has a private “finsta” Instagram account—like Penelope, such a thing was news to me—she erupts: “Private?! Pfft. There’s no privacy here. This house is a dictatorship.” Thankfully, Penelope is a benevolent ruler, even when she grounds young Alex (for an illicit vaping incident) inside their Echo Park apartment for most of One Day at a Time’s delightful and poignant third season.…

THE STORY WAS called “He Tells How the Little Wiggle Grew.” Our three-part series of Elvis Presley features concluded in the September 29, 1956, issue of TV GUIDE MAGAZINE with the King addressing the furor over his, uh, expressive dance moves. From an overheated dressing room in Lakeland, Florida, alongside manager Colonel Tom Parker and a couple of his band members, Presley spoke to a visiting reporter. Topic No. 1: that nickname. “Naw, sir,” he said. “I don’t like them to call me Elvis the Pelvis. It’s the most childish expression I ever heard from an adult. Elvis the Pelvis.” Elvis was wearing black pants, white suede shoes and a baby-blue shirt. The silk of the shirt stuck flat to his shoulders and back. He continually dragged a sleeve across his…

PICK OF THE WEEK! Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Saturday, Feb. 9, 8/7c, HBO and PBS (check local listings at pbs.org) ONLY ONE MOVIE caused Natalie Portman to weep so hard on a plane that, she admitted, a flight attendant had to come over and ask if she was OK. “It makes everyone cry!” director Morgan Neville says of his documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which explores the life and impact of beloved minister turned public television host Fred Rogers, who died in 2003 at age 74. Fans of all ages can sob at home when the acclaimed hit makes its TV debut on both HBO and PBS’s Independent Lens. “I’m excited for it to be in living rooms, because it’s a chance for people who didn’t grow up…

WHITNEY DOCUMENTARY WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13 “The Greatest Love of All.” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” “I Will Always Love You.” Throughout much of the 1980s and ’90s, Whitney Houston’s voice—smooth as silk, yet powerful as a Mack truck—helped define our lives and times, a notion not lost on director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland). He delivers a moving documentary (which debuted in theaters in 2018 and now comes to Hulu) chronicling the singer’s glorious rise and tragic fall. “I went in to solve a mystery,” Macdonald notes. “How could the life of one of the most beautiful, talented and successful women of her generation end the way it did?” Houston’s more than two dozen Top 40 hits helped propel her into the pop music stratosphere. But her self-destructive…

Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You MOVIE PREMIERE 8/7c, Lifetime How I Became Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John joins Meghan Markle, Elizabeth Taylor and other A-listers whose lives have been dramatized on Lifetime. Playing the Grease icon in this new biopic: fellow Aussie Delta Goodrem (right), who tells us how she brought her longtime friend’s essence to the screen: When I heard about this movie, I spoke to Olivia straight away. She’s my mentor and taught me everything I know! She was like, “I want you to do this.” Growing up, I was influenced by her, so watching her mannerisms in [video] clips didn’t feel like work. It was a passion. The first scene we shot was the “Physical” video [from 1981]. I walked on set wearing the headband and the…

ELVIS SPECIAL! Think you’re an expert on Elvis Presley? Test your knowledge with this themed crossword adapted from the August 16, 1997, TV GUIDE MAGAZINE, an issue dedicated to the King on the 20th anniversary of his death. ACROSS 1 Becker, of four Elvis films4 Elvis’s agent: ____ Lastfogel7 Singer Campbell, who played guitar on “What I’d Say”11 “____ Lost You”12 Paradise, ____ Style14 “It’s Now or ____”17 Cherry on China Beach18 Costar of 30 Down (init.)19 Elvis’s home21 Yes, captain23 Director of The Little Prince24 He recorded 33 Down before Elvis did (init.)26 Ed Sullivan’s guest host on September 9, 1956 (init.)27 “____ Woman Blues”29 Honeymoon in Vegas star, et al.31 Take too much medicine (abbr.)32 Played the mom in Blue Hawaii (init.)33 Member of 27 Down (init.)34 The Singing…

COVER LOVE Many thanks for highlighting the best show on television, Blue Bloods [January 21]. Week after week and season after season, it brings top-quality acting and storylines. The cast is superb. Tom Selleck and the show are getting well-deserved publicity. —Helene POINT, COUNTERPOINT Your Jeer [January 21] for The Masked Singer was completely ridiculous. This is a fun, delightful show that does not take itself seriously. The “nightmare” costumes are over-the-top wonders that, as cosplayers, my wife and I would love to make. —Pierre GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN I just finished reading “A Lifetime of TV” [January 21] and was quite surprised to see there was no mention of Army Wives [starring Catherine Bell, right]. In my estimation, Army Wives was the best series ever shown on Lifetime. —Jolyne…

REMEMBER THAT NEW Year’s resolution about working out more? Here’s a quick fix: It’s never been easier to stay healthy in body and mind, thanks to that lesser-known piece of fitness equipment—your TV. Lift that remote and check out these streaming shows and channels to get on track. Prices vary, but all are cheaper than a gym membership!(And the shower is much closer too.) ACACIA TV (Prime Video, Roku) This fitness network offers unparalleled personalization. Pull-down menus let you select your exercise type, trainer, fitness level, equipment, time, theme (like “back-friendly”) and goals. It has everything from Bollywood dance to core sculpting to yoga, including a series with Real Housewives of New York City’s Bethenny Frankel. FIT FUSION BY JILLIAN MICHAELS (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku) Miss watching Michaels on…

Elvis All-Star Tribute Sunday, Feb. 17, 9/8c, NBC Formally titled Singer Presents…Elvis, the electrifying performance show from a half century ago forever became known as the ’68 Comeback Special for mightily reviving the career of Elvis Presley. Once the undisputed King of Rock ’n’ Roll, the 33-year-old had seen his power sputter as rock matured and the quality of his movies declined. The TV special was a last-ditch effort to help fund another film, but it became an unexpected statement of purpose that reignited the swagger of his ’50s glory while pointing to the dramatic musical heights he’d still attain. Presley died in 1977, but NBC’s Studio 4 in Burbank, California, retains the spirit of that game-changer for a new special, Elvis All-Star Tribute, with careful set reproductions and an…

The Neighborhood 8/7c, CBS BETH BEHRS AND Tichina Arnold describe themselves as partners in crime, both on and off camera. On the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood, they play Tina (Arnold, above right) and Gemma (Behrs, left), the wives of, respectively, lovable curmudgeon Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer) and epically cheerful Dave (Max Greenfield). But who needs husbands? Tonight, the women take a trip to Las Vegas! How are Gemma’s and Tina’s plans for this getaway different? Beth Behrs: Gemma’s version of letting off steam is going to Donny and Marie. Tichina Arnold: Tina has more of a wild girls’ trip planned. We end up seeing Magic Mike! And we look fly, of course. How was it working with those skimpily dressed male dancers? Behrs: They were so talented. Arnold: Beth asked…

A Million Little Things 9/8c, ABC SCENE STEALER JAMES RODAY HE PLAYS Gary Mendez, a breast cancer survivor and one of three Boston pals still processing the suicide of best friend Jon (Ron Livingston). “[The cast] talked to people who’ve been through this stuff, and a lot of anger goes along with being one of the people left behind,” says Roday, whose acerbic actuary relies on a steady flow of gallows humor to hide his grief and help lighten the mood for equally bereft buddies Eddie (David Giuntoli), a recovering alcoholic musician, and Rome (Romany Malco), a filmmaker who recently acknowledged his own depression. “Gary’s character makes the jokes you probably shouldn’t make but that absolutely need to be heard,” says creator DJ Nash, adding, “Gary is the one I…

Picking out a new TV can be as confusing as deciding which shows deserve your time. Luckily, we’re here to help you sort out what to watch, and we have Scott Cohen, senior manager of product training at Samsung, to break down some of the more tech-y terms that come up when you’re ready to throw down some cash on your next set. UHD AND 4K These interchangeable descriptors refer to sets with sharper pictures. UHD means ultra-high-definition, and 4K specifies the 4,000 pixels onscreen—four times as many as regular high-def sets, says Cohen. But the higher the def, the higher the price: 8K TVs (such as this Samsung model, right) start at $5,000. QLED If you want deeper, more defined primary colors, look for sets packing this screen-display technology (which stands…

A Valentine From Ice-T Law & Order: SVU 10/9c, NBC A case about a woman’s murder in a brothel sure doesn’t sound like a great setup for a Valentine’s Day storyline. But as Ice-T, who plays Sgt. Fin Tutuola on the procedural, notes, “In an SVU kind of way, it works!” The episode opens with the Special Victims Unit tipped off about the crime, but they arrive too late to bust whoever’s running the shady operation. So Fin calls on an old friend in the Vice Squad, Sgt. Phoebe Baker (Blue Bloods’ Jennifer Esposito), whom he dated 20 years earlier. At first, it’s a wistful, flirtatious reunion—but after a power struggle between them, “questions arise,” notes Ice-T. “Is she the same person? Can he trust her?” Offscreen, it was a…

Editors’ Choice God Friended Me 8/7c, CBS If you friend-suggest it, he will come. Tonight, Miles (Brandon Micheal Hall, left) and the gang head to Yankee Stadium when the mysterious God Account puts them in search of a high school baseball player with big-league aspirations—aspirations much like podcaster Miles used to have. Turns out the boy’s coach is Miles’s estranged high school buddy and teammate, Cal (Charles Brice). “It’s a very Miles-centric episode,” says the drama’s cocreator Bryan Wynbrandt. “He was an all-city catcher, and his love of baseball comes from playing the game itself.” In helping his latest “friend of the week,” Miles revisits the curveball that first fractured his relationship with Cal. He also gets an assist from Yankees pitching ace CC Sabathia, who, in a cameo, provides…

@damianholbrook LOVE IT! Cheers to The Passage for tapping a new vein of vampire drama. In Fox’s creepy adaptation of Justin Cronin’s epic trilogy of books, bloodsuckers suffer from a virus that has gotten so out of hand, even Mark-Paul Gosselaar (as federal agent Brad Wolgast, left, with Saniyya Sidney) may not be able to stop it. But we love watching him try! Cheers to Schooled for being a lesson in spinning off with class. The Goldbergs’ ’90s-set spawn featuring Lainey (AJ Michalka, right) as a William Penn Academy teacher not only retains the heart and hilarity of its mother ship, but the ABC comedy has held its own in the ratings too. Surely that warrants a shrimp parm from Beverly? Cheers to I’m Sorry for being an unrepentant riot.…