Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
STARS ON SCREEN
Book smart: Things have gotten biblical at CBS. The network’s long-anticipated sitcom based on a bestselling non-fiction book has been in the works since 2015, and “Living Biblically” finally premieres Monday, Feb. 26.
Jay R. Feguson (“Mad Men”) stars as Chip, a lapsed Catholic who suffers a one-two series of emotional punches after his best friend dies and his wife (Lindsey Kraft, “Grace and Frankie”) reveals that she’s pregnant. After taking a look at his life — and after his deceased friend’s mother reveals that she doesn’t believe her son made it into heaven — Chip decides that the best way to improve himself is to start following the rules found in the Bible as literally as he can.
The premise is lifted straight from the 2007 book “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible,” by magazine editor A.J. Jacobs. For the sitcom, which was called “By the Book” earlier in production, the writers and producers have attempted to craft a comedy that can poke fun at the idea of interpreting certain biblical rules literally (like, say, the stoning of adulterers) in our modern world, without ever making fun of Christians themselves or their beliefs.
To be sure, that’s a fine line to walk, but “Living Biblically” has a strong team behind it. “The Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki serves as producer, while Camryn Manheim (“Ghost Whisperer”), Ian Gomez (“Cougar Town”), David Krumholtz (“Numb3rs”) and Carla Renata (“Hart of Dixie”) round out the show’s cast.
It’s a laugh-out-loud comedy with a biblical twist, and it premieres on CBS on Monday, Feb. 26.
Bad boys: The word “mafia” may conjure up images of Prohibition-era mobsters, or of “The Godfather” (1972) star Marlon Brando making offers that can’t be refused, but it’s no secret that organized crime hasn’t gone away over the decades, as one British import makes all too clear.
“McMafia” aired earlier this year in the United Kingdom on BBC One, and on Monday, Feb. 26, it makes its way across the pond to premiere on AMC. The eight-part drama may be a work of fiction, but it’s inspired by Misha Glenny’s 2008 non-fiction book “McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld,” which peels back the veil that usually keeps modern day organized crime hidden from sight.
James Norton (“Grantchester”) stars as Alex Godman, an accomplished businessman who’s successfully left the shadow of his Russian exile father. He’s spent his life avoiding his father’s criminal past, but when that ugly history rears up and refuses to let him get away so easily, he finds himself tempted by the lures of corruption.
Sound intriguing? British critics sure thought so, giving the series’ excellent reviews, and users of AMC’s Premiere service don’t even have to wait to watch the whole series, with all eight episodes available to subscribers once the series premiere has aired.
Of course, Norton isn’t the only star in this black-hearted drama. Juliet Rylance (“American Gothic”) stars alongside him as his loving fiancée, Rebecca, while American actor David Strathairn (“The Blacklist”) plays powerful Israeli businessman Semiyon Kleiman.
The mafia certainly isn’t a thing of the past, and AMC’s “McMafia” isn’t afraid to take a look at its modern incarnations. The drama premieres Monday, Feb. 26.
Bergen’s back: First it was reboots and now it’s revivals of classic ‘90s TV shows. Fox was first up to the plate with the return of “The X-Files” in 2016, and in 2017, NBC brought back “Will & Grace.” ABC’s “Roseanne” returns March 27 more than 20 years after it went off the air, and now CBS is getting in on the revival action as well.
Thirteen new episodes of “Murphy Brown” have been green-lit for the 2018-19 TV season, bringing back one of the sharpest, smartest and most popular sitcoms from the 1990s.
Candice Bergen (“Boston Legal”) is lined up to return as the titular character, a role that she played for all 10 seasons of the show’s original run. The series was agenda setting at the time: Brown was a powerful single woman who anchored fictional newsmagazine series “FYI.” Bergen won an impressive five Emmys for her role before refusing future nominations so that other actresses could compete.
The media landscape has changed dramatically since “Murphy Brown” went dark in 1998, with concerns about fake news and questions of bias dominating the modern discourse. It’s exactly the sort of environment that’s perfect for a series that was never shy about courting controversy to come into.
The revivals just keep on coming, and “Murphy Brown” is just the latest one coming down the pike. Watch for the revived series starring Candice Bergen to premiere next TV season.