New friends, ‘Old Man’: Lithgow, Bridges join forces
series’ second season
BY DANA SIMPSON
Many things are known to improve with age, and the same can also be said for stars — and new best friends — Jeff Bridges (“The Big Lebowski,” 1998) and John Lithgow (“The Crown”), who can be seen saving the day together in Season 2 of “The Old Man,” premiering Thursday, Sept. 12, on FX. First launched on FX in mid-June 2022, “The Old Man” cen-
Negahban, “Homeland”), a “powerful Afghan tribal leader,” and lives in great danger (per FX).
“As Chase and Harper fight their way to get to Emily,” the FX description reads, “Hamzad is forced to make decisions that could endanger his family and the village he has led faithfully for a lifetime.”
“There are a lot of actors who say, ‘Please only call me by my character’s name,’ or ‘Let’s not have any contact,’” Bridges said during a Television Critics Association news conference in early July, adding that he and Lithgow are “the opposite of that. Let’s be friends. Let’s get to know each other. Let’s do it quite aggressively!”
vor when the writers began plotting the show’s second season, with co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg (“Black Sails”) admitting, “As much as you guys wanted to work together, we wanted to see you together.” So, the gap between the two characters was narrowed and now they share a common goal of seeing Emily
Horoscopes
The luckiest signs this week:
AQUARIUS, PISCES AND ARIES
ARIES
You may benefit from changing your lifestyle to improve your physical and mental health. You’ll realize this after overdoing it. These changes may also have a positive impact on your work life.
TAURUS
You’ll be focused on your love life and may experience moments of intense happiness with your partner. If you’re single, you could meet your soulmate and quickly consider making a serious commitment.
GEMINI
A well-deserved raise will improve your financial situation. Your entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and imagination could lead you to start a successful home-based business.
CANCER
Minor changes to your appearance, like new clothes or a new hairstyle, could boost your self-esteem. You’ll be able to stand out from the crowd and have a positive self-image.
LEO
Your attention to detail and eye for esthetics will be heightened tenfold, inspiring you to reimagine your home decor. You may come upon an unexpected sum of money that will allow you to treat yourself.
VIRGO
Expressing yourself openly and honestly could increase your self-confidence. This may cause some jealousy but will also bring admiration. Others will notice your elegance.
LIBRA
Your artistic talents may help you secure a second source of income. Creating an exceptional work of art will be a gratifying achievement despite time constraints, and you’ll enjoy staying active.
SCORPIO
Be prepared for a demanding week as you adjust at work and home. Compromises will be necessary to restore harmony, and you’ll need to take action to restore balance among those closest to you.
SAGITTARIUS
It’s a great week to recharge your batteries, whether through massage therapy or taking some alone time to relax and rejuvenate. Take the time you need to restore your energy.
CAPRICORN
Being active in various groups will expand your social circle. Looking put-together will be vital to increasing your network and helping you connect with people who can benefit your career.
AQUARIUS
Delegating more tasks can reduce stress at work and home. Avoid worrying excessively about your loved ones — trust your children to make their own choices.
PISCES
An extraordinary opportunity to travel will present itself. However, the main challenge will be finding the time and money. Be patient and methodical in planning this incredible escape.
New Streaming Movies & Shows
“The
10)
Following some of the top athletes at Louisiana State University (LSU), this six-part docuseries looks at the impact that the NCAA’s decision to grant NIL (name, image and likeness) rights to student-athletes, permitting them — for the first time ever — to earn endorsement compensation while maintaining their amateur athletic status, has on the lives of the athletes. Featured athletes include gymnast Olivia Dunne; basketball players Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson and Trace Young; hurdler Alia Armstrong; and football player Jayden Daniels.
Word Search
“How to Die Alone” - Season 1 (Sept. 13)
This comedy series follows Mel (creator Natasha Rothwell), “a broke, fat, Black” JFK airport employee who’s never been in love and has forgotten how to dream. Until, that is, she has an accidental brush with death that catapults her on a journey to finally take control and start living by any means necessary.
Money Game” (Sept.
Where all the top choices can be found in one place!
Whitehall: Fatherhood with
Father” (Sept. 10)
This travel miniseries follows Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael Whitehall, as they embark on a globe-trotting trip to find answers to the big questions facing the comedian after becoming a dad.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation” -
Sing-Along Version (Sept. 8)
A spinoff of the animated youth series “Big City Greens,” this movie, now re-releasing as a special sing-along version, follows the Green family as they embark on an adventurous, outer space-bound vacation. When thrill-seeker Cricket (Chris Houghton) tricks his family into taking a “road trip” in space, chaos in the cosmos quickly ensues.
Q: Will “The Drew Barrymore Show” be continuing for the new TV season?
A: It is. The syndicated, CBS-distributed weekday talk show actually got an early renewal for a fifth round last January, not long after it began its fourth stanza, which was delayed — as so many programs were — by the writers’ and actors’ strikes. (Barrymore had been enmeshed in a controversy over that situation, since she had planned to put her program back in production while the strikes were ongoing, but she reversed those plans, though a couple of her writers ultimately left.) In fact, the show already been renewed for a sixth year, which will take it through the 2025-26 season. Though she’s sometimes criticized over how close she gets to her guests, literally as well as figuratively, the effusive Barrymore’s Daytime Emmy-winning show is a popular stop for celebrities … particularly those she has a personal connection to, often from her acting and producing careers, such as Adam Sandler, Cameron Diaz and Jimmy Fallon (Fallon’s wife, Nancy Juvonen, is Barrymore’s partner in the company Flower Films).
“Jack
My
Best BETTE DAVIS MOVIES
BY JAY BOBBIN
A movie-length send-up of a once-popular TV series can be a dicey proposition. If it doesn’t really have a story to tell, it can end up like an overlong “Saturday Night Live” skit.
“Charlie’s Angels” (2000) is an example of a success, but then there are others like “CHiPs” (2017), which raunched up the original premise and lost the show’s original fans — frankly, a major chunk of that movie’s likeliest audience — along the way.
The big-screen version of “Baywatch” is closer to that latter end of the scale. FX shows the 2017 film on Wednesday, Sept. 11, with Dwayne Johnson in David Hasselhoff’s former role as Mitch, the hunk who leads a group of lifeguards — including a new recruit, a shamed Olympian played by Zac Efron, who suffers endless barbs from the new boss about how young he is. (Sample putdown nicknames: “Bieber” and, perhaps most amusingly in Efron’s case, “High School Musical.”)
What helps “Baywatch” to a certain degree is that both actors have a clear self-awareness of what they’re meant to do here: play it straight, but not too straight. Unfortunately, the script ultimately lets them down, moving from knowing satire to a very conventional adventure story, and leaving viewers confused about whether to laugh or not. They probably won’t. Visually, though, “Baywatch” offers lots of what the
show – which currently is being recalled in the Hulu documentary series “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” – was known for, particularly the slow-motion shots of anatomically perfect people in swimsuits sewn tight enough to constrict their breathing. Model Kelly Rohrbach gets a lot of that duty in Pamela Anderson’s TV role, and Priyanka Chopra makes a particularly attractive villain.
Still, that’s not enough, even with predictable cameos by “Baywatch” alums Hasselhoff and Anderson. If anything, their presence defeats the update by supplying reminders of the not-overdone simplicity of what “Baywatch” was ... making it what was one of the most popular shows in the world in its time.
Beach, bikinis and boards (as in “surf”): That was the very basic formula that kept the series alive in syndication for a healthy number of seasons beyond its one year on NBC (and also led to spinoffs). To try to make more of it, which an expensive motion picture inevitably will try to do, is to take a very big risk. And one that doesn’t really pay off, as enjoyable a leading man as Johnson is, as usual.
Summer is almost over, but you have choices: see “Baywatch” or actually go to the beach. The better choice? Put on a swimsuit, go out and have someone throw you a beach ball.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“Of Human Bondage” (1934): Bette Davis plays cruel waitress Mildred, who coldly toys with an earnest admirer’s (Leslie Howard) emotions, in this adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham classic.
“The Petrified Forest” (1936): Working again with Leslie Howard, with Humphrey Bogart added, Davis stars in the Robert E. Sherwood play about crossed paths at a diner.
“Jezebel” (1938): Sort of a pre-
”Gone With the Wind,” this Davis staple saw her score her second Oscar as a willful Southern belle trying to win back her ex-fiance (Henry Fonda).
“Dark Victory” (1939): In one of Davis’ most popular movies, she stars as a socialite who develops a brain tumor, then falls in love with the doctor (George Brent) who operates on her. The film is part of a Turner Classic Movies tribute to studio directors (in this case, Edmund Goulding) on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
“The Little Foxes” (1941): Lillian Hellman’s play centers on a wealthy Southern family — with Davis playing one member — beset by problems while also causing them for others.
“Now, Voyager” (1942): A spinster, portrayed by Davis, undergoes a radical transformation after spending time in a sanitorium.
“A Stolen Life” (1946): Davis plays twin sisters, one of whom “steals” the other’s identity — and husband (Glenn Ford) — after a drowning.
“All About Eve” (1950): “It’s going to be a bumpy night,” indeed. The classic backstage drama stars Davis as a veteran stage star targeted by an ambitious admirer (Anne Baxter).
“Pocketful of Miracles” (1961): The last movie directed by Frank Capra features Davis as a down-and-out woman who has convinced her soon-to-visit daughter (Ann-Margret) that she’s a member of New York society.
“What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962): Davis’ later career got a big jolt from this legendary chiller, pairing her with Joan Crawford as former-actress siblings engaged in psychological terror.
“The Nanny” (1965): Davis is terrifically chilling as said minder of children, who matches wits with a savvy and suspicious youngster (William Dix).
“The Whales of August” (1987): Davis was near the end of her career when she worked with such other screen veterans as Lillian Gish and Vincent Price in the story of widowed sisters (Davis, Gish) and what may be their last Maine summer.
Very important videos: Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and more honored at 2024 VMAs
The pursuit of happiness: ‘Universal Basic Guys’ search for purpose
BY SARAH PASSINGHAM
The future is now, and every day it feels like someone’s career becomes a redundancy to some new technological advancement. Brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies, voiced by Devin Halliwell (“Hustlers Gamblers and Crooks”) and Adam Malamut (“The Champions”), lose their jobs at the local hot dog factory when robots are brought in to replace them in the series premiere of the animated comedy “Universal Basic Guys,” airing Sunday, Sept. 8, on Fox.
“Universal Basic Guys” premieres alongside a returning grown-up animated sitcom staple in Fox’s Animation Domination Sunday night block of programming. Following the new series’ premiere, “Bob’s Burgers” returns to continue its 14th season after a summer break, with a new episode that sees the Belcher family get an invitation to Rudy’s (Brian Huskey, “Veep”) father’s birthday party, where they find him insecure about how he measures up to one of his guests. The series voice cast also includes H. Jon Benjamin (“Archer”) as Bob Belcher, John Roberts (“Gravity Falls”) as Linda Belcher, Dan Mintz (“Adventure Time”) as Tina Belcher, Eugene Mirman (“Delocated”) as Gene Belcher and Kristen Schaal (“What We Do in the Shadows”) as Louise Belcher.
Created by two real-life brothers, Adam and Craig Malamut (“Game of Zones”), “Universal Basic Guys” explores the lives of a sibling duo who trade one version of the working class dream for another when layoffs gain them entry to a new
View from the Couch
“INSIDE OUT 2”
This animated sequel from Disney and Pixar has done very big business this year, not only becoming the highest box-office success of this year thus far, but also now ranking as the top-grossing animated feature ever released. The story again examines the frequently conflicting emotions of young Riley (now voiced by Kensington Tallman), with each different feeling represented by a character … a notable newcomer being Anxiety, whose words are supplied by Maya Hawke. Returnees in the vocal cast include Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger,
universal basic income program.
When Glantontown Hot Dog Factory closes down its manned operations in favor of a fully automated production line, to adjust for the significant rise in unemployment, a pilot program provides each resident with a monthly income of $3,000 with no strings attached.
With enough to live off of from the universal basic income program and a lot of time on their hands, the Hoagies brothers spend their days in search of purpose in a world that has stamped them as redundant. Acting on their whims, the brothers have a lot to learn about their varied ventures.
The pursuit of meaning leads the brothers to such endeavors as hunting deer with sophisticated equipment to reconnect to their primal instincts, football stadium management and dangerous exotic pet ownership. Who knew you could just buy a championship football ring on eBay? Not every step they take is on the right path, and at least one attempt at a new direction sends Mark to the hospital after his face is ripped off by a former lab chimp.
The voice cast of “Universal Basic Guys” includes “Unstable” and “Portlandia” actor Fred Armisen as David, Ally Maki (“The Big Door Prize”) as Andrea and comedian and voice actor Talia Genevieve as Tammy, Mark’s wife.
Fox, the home of the Animation Domination, put its weight behind the newest addition to its Sunday night block of animated series when the network renewed “Universal Basic Guys” for a second season back in May, ahead of the series premiere.
“From Episode 1 of this terrific new comedy, Adam and Craig Malamut turn the Hoagies’ everyday life on its head in such an original way that we immediately ordered a second season,” Michael Thorn, president of Fox Television Network, said in an announcement of the sophomore season greenlight.
Also joining “Universal Basic Guys” and “Bob’s Burgers” on Animation Domination Sundays this fall are a few returning sitcoms, while “The Great North” wraps up its fourth season in back-to-back episode blocks on Sept. 8 and 15.
Dan Harmon’s (“Community”) hit animated sitcom “Krapopolis” also returns this fall on Fox, premiering its second season on Sunday, Sept. 29. Plus, the flagship series of Fox’s animated sitcom block, “The Simpsons” is back for its Season 36 premiere on Sunday, Sept. 29.
BY JAY BOBBIN
Tony Hale (“Veep”) as Fear and Liza Lapira (“The Equalizer”) as Disgust. Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan are heard again as Riley’s parents, with John Ratzenberger, Paula Poundstone and Bobby Moynihan back as well. Ayo Edebiri and Paul Walter Hauser also are among cast additions. DVD extras: two “making-of” documentaries; deleted scenes. *** (PG: AS) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, Digital and On Demand)
“HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA – CHAPTER 1”
Certainly no stranger to epic Westerns, as both the series “Yellowstone” and his Oscar-winning “Dances With Wolves” have demonstrated, Kevin Costner has bet the farm – and, reportedly, just about everything else he has – on directing, producing, co-writing and starring in a hugely expansive story of pioneers making their way in the American West in and around the Civil War. This initial installment, which coincides with the debut of “Chapter 2” at the Venice Film Festival, explains that Horizon is the name of a town where the founding residents have to deal with the perils of the lawless times and territory. Costner plays a horse trader who’s among those setting the course for the place’s history, which is slated to unfold over a total of four
Honoring the top songs, music videos and collaborations released throughout the year, the MTV Video Music Awards show returns to MTV Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Broadcasting live from the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, this star-studded event — first held in 1984 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City — brings the best in the music industry together, offering fans a celebratory concert unlike any other. This year’s show features performances from the likes of Sabrina Carpenter (“Espresso”), Chappell Roan (“Good Luck, Babe!”), GloRilla (“Yeah Glo!”), Camila Cabello (“HE KNOWS”) and Rauw Alejandro (“Touching The Sky”).
With voting open online and to the public, awards are presented to performers based on public opinion. This year, the show’s biggest category — Video of the Year — features: Ariana Grande, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”; Billie Eilish, “LUNCH”; Doja Cat, “Paint The Town Red”; Eminem, “Houdini”; SZA, “Snooze”; and Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, “Fortnight.”
separate films. Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Jena Malone, Will Patton (with whom Costner also worked in “No Way Out” and “The Postman”) and Costner’s son Hayes also are prominent in the large cast. *** (R: AS, N, GV) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, Digital and On Demand)
“THE WALKING DEAD: THE ONES WHO LIVE – SEASON
1”
One of the most recent spin-offs of the initial AMC horror-drama series restores Andrew Lincoln to the role of Rick Grimes, the now-former lawman who quickly corrects others who presumed he was deceased. As he’s recruited into a military operation, his efforts to inform his wife Michonne (fellow franchise returnee Danai Gurura) that he’s still alive take a while longer – and once they’re reunited, they face new challenges in staying together and surviving in a world ravaged by a zombie apocalypse. The six-episode show might have been delayed by last year’s entertainment-industry strikes, but production was able to continue via an agreement made with the Screen Actors Guild. Cast members also include Pollyanna McIntosh (also a “Walking Dead” alum), Terry O’Quinn, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Craig Tate, Frankie Qui-
nones and Matthew August Jeffers. As of this writing, there are no definite plans for the series to continue. *** (Not rated: AS, P, GV) (Also on Blu-ray)
“KNUCKLES”
From the video-game-inspired “Sonic the Hedgehog” universe comes this series, originally shown on Paramount+ and presented on Nickelodeon more recently, that is set between the second and third “Sonic” movies. Animation and live action are merged as the strong , now-earthbound title character (voiced by Idris Elba) takes on a new warrior trainee in Wade Whipple (Adam Pally), but the new partners refuse to be deterred from making their way to a bowling tournament in Reno, Nev. They face trouble from enemies who want to capture Knuckles, Ben Schwartz resurfaces in the role of Sonic, and the cast also includes Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Edi Patterson, Rory McCann, Cary Elwes, Christopher Lloyd, Stockard Channing and Paul Scheer. DVD extras: four “making-of” documentaries; outtakes. *** (Not rated: AS, V) (Also on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD)
“FATAL VISION”
One of the most acclaimed television miniseries of its time, this true 1984 drama makes its Blu-ray debut with Gary Cole – now of
For Song of the Year, fans have the opportunity to vote for Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” or Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.”
Other categories recognized throughout the evening include Best New Artist, Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Hip-Hop, Best R&B, Best Al ternative, Best Rock, Best Latin, Best K-Pop, Best Afrobeats and, among others, Video for Good — a category around since 2011, previously called “Best Video with a Message,” “Best Fight Against the System” and “Video with a Message,” before finding its current title.
Awarded to artists addressing current social and political subjects, this year’s Video for Good nominees include Alexander Stewart (“if you only knew”), Billie Eilish (“What Was I Made For?”), Coldplay (“feels likeimfallinginlove”), Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll (“Best For Me”), RAYE (“Genesis”) and Tyler Childers (“In Your Love”).
“NCIS” – as Jeffrey MacDonald, a war veteran and doctor who was suspected and eventually convicted of killing his pregnant wife and their two young children. Karl Malden earned a Primetime Emmy Award as MacDonald’s father-in-law, who was determined to see justice done, a task that largely fell to the attorney played by Andy Griffith (in a performance widely thought to have prompted the creation of the series character Matlock for him). Eva Marie Saint and Barry Newman also have major roles in the production, adapted from Joe McGinniss’s best seller and also the winner of the Primetime Emmy for outstanding drama/comedy special for its TV season. *** (Not rated: AS, P, V)
Coming Home Soon
“BEWITCHED: THE COMPLETE SERIES – 60TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION” (BLU-RAY) (SEPT. 17)
