New Releases for the week of November 1 - 7
Misbehaviour
It is 1970 and the globally popular Miss World competition is set to take place in London with American comedian Bob Hope (Kinnear) as host. Despite the show's inclusion of its first South African contestant, Miss Granada (Mbatha-Raw), Miss World is still seen as a sexist spectacle that objectifies women. Armed with posters and paint, the newly formed women's liberation movement plans to disrupt the live television airing of the event and spread the message that a women's beauty and worth should not be based on her appearance.
Director: Philippa Lowthorpe. Stars: Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley, Lesley Manville, Greg Kinnear, Keeley Hawes, Rhys Ifans, Phyllis Logan, John Sackville, Suki Waterhouse. 2020. 106 mins. Drama.
Blackbird
Lily (Sarandon) has decided to end her life before ALS does, so she and her husband, Paul (Neill), invite the family to their beach house for one last weekend together. Things are made complicated when unresolved issues between Lily's daughters, Jennifer (Winslet) and Anna (Wasikowska), create tension in the couple's perfectly planned weekend. As grief and anger take away from what was supposed to be a time of love and celebration, the family struggles to truly reunite before the inevitable loss of their matriarch.
Director: Roger Michell. Stars: Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Sam Neill, Lindsay Duncan, Rainn Wilson, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Anson Boon. 2019. 97 mins. Drama.
Hard Kill
CEO Donovan Chalmers (Willis) has made billions running a tech company. When he hires a group of mercenaries led by Derek Miller (Metcalfe) to accompany the transport of lethal technology, the mission is put at risk by Miller's old nemesis attempting to steal the valuable equipment. The situation is further escalated when Chalmer's daughter is kidnapped by terrorists. Now, the team must battle enemies old and new in order to rescue Chalmer's daughter and protect their transport before it falls into the wrong hands.
Director: Matt Eskandari. Stars: Bruce Willis, Jesse Metcalfe, Natalie Eva Marie, Lala Kent, Texas Battle, Sergio Rizzuto, Swen Temmel, Tyler Jon Olson. 2020. 98 mins. Action.
Black Christmas, on HBO
In this 2019 Blumhouse remake of the 1974 film, a group of sorority sisters are stalked and preyed on by an unknown killer before Christmas break - until they decide to start fighting back. Aleyse Shannon, Imogen Poots and Lily Donoghue star.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, on AMC
Jamie Lee Curtis returns as one of slasher-film history's most iconic final girls in this franchise's seventh chapter. Having faked her death, Laurie Strode (Curtis) is hunted down by her killer brother after 20 years in hiding. Josh Hartnett also stars.
Q: Did "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" do an episode based on his movie "The Birds"? I remember seeing something like that on TV.
You did indeed see something like that on TV, but it wasn't on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."
It's an easy mistake to make. The scary anthology show was a competitive field in the late '50s and early '60s, with "The Twilight Zone," "The Outer Limits" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" all competing to creep out viewers each week.
Superstore, on NBC
America Ferrera will appear in the first two episodes as her character, Amy, the manager of Cloud 9, leaves for a new job. In Season 6, the store's employees deal with becoming essential workers during the pandemic. Ben Feldman also stars.
Trouble in the House: Hugh Laurie plays a crooked politician in 'Roadkill'
Hugh Laurie stars in "Roadkill"
Without a doubt, politics is top of mind these days. As the U.S. election looms mere days away, politics is once again a hot topic, and a new miniseries is poised to capture the imaginations of TV viewers with a tale of scandal and corruption.
American Housewife, on ABC
Katy Mixon and Diedrich Bader return in this Season 5 premiere as Kate and Greg Otto, a couple of modest means - at least in comparison to their super-wealthy neighbors. Raising humble kids when surrounded by the elite is just as easy as it sounds.
Q: Who does the voice-overs for "Big Brother"? Does he do anything else that I'd know him from?
The answer to your first question depends on which voice-overs you're referring to. But regardless, the answer to your second question is probably "no."
The voice doing the promotional material (the "tonight on 'Big Brother'" guy) is Clayton Halsey, while the voice inside the house (talking to the residents) is Don Wollman. For both men, the job is a rare bit of on-air work in a career otherwise spent behind the scenes.
The Price Is Right, on CBS
Celebrity guests join Drew Carey for a new "At Night" episode. The primetime edition has featured superstar contestants and guest hosts, including RuPaul and Seth Rogen, who appear on this hit game show to win big for their favorite charities.
Q: Will "The Good Doctor" and "The Resident" be on again this fall?
The prognosis for both of these medical dramas is good, but "The Good Doctor" came out of the pandemic a little healthier than its cohort.
"The Good Doctor" is coming back with a roar, returning to ABC's schedule on Monday, Nov. 2, among the first crop of scripted shows returning to air.
"The Resident," on the other hand, has yet to get a return date from Fox, though that might have more to do with the network's desire to get a schedule out quickly.