TV Talk: Michael Keaton directs, stars in 'Knox Goes Away'; local news stalwarts get Emmy honors

Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton’s second directorial effort, “Knox Goes Away,” is a welcome, character-driven tonic.

It’s a small movie more concerned with character and relationship stories than it is with big-budget thrills or epic set pieces. And that’s OK.

Streaming July 26 on Max (linear HBO debut at 8 p.m. July 27), this R-rated, two-hour movie has a ‘70s-era vibe as it follows John “Aristotle” Knox (Keaton), an ailing hitman who receives a dementia diagnosis that impacts his ability to function generally, let alone do his job.

With the help of his boss (Al Pacino), who assists Knox in remembering a clever scheme Knox cooks up involving his estranged son (James Marsden), Knox tries to heal that broken relationship before his time runs out.

Keaton directed himself previously in 2008’s “The Merry Gentleman” — weirdly, he played a hitman in that one, too — and in “Knox” Keaton leans heavily into film noir vibes. It’s a low-key thriller that will keep viewers guessing at Knox’s choices, but ultimately they make sense.

Keaton’s performance is nuanced and contained, much more so than in his recent Hulu opioid miniseries, “Dopesick.” Marsden holds his own opposite Keaton. Marcia Gay Harden pops in for a small role that shines more light on Knox’s character.

The script by Gregory Poirier (“National Treasure: Book of Secrets”) not only follows Knox but also the cops on his tail, including a lead detective (Suzy Nakamura). The police characters have the same, rumpled, lived-in, of-this-world feeling that Knox and his associates give off.

“Knox” premiered to positive reviews at the Toronto Film Festival last year and got a tiny theatrical release in March. For fans of Keaton and/or films that put character first, “Knox” will be a welcome addition to HBO and Max.

‘Homicide’ streams

The 1993-99 NBC drama “Homicide: Life on the Street,” starring the late, great Andre Braugher, will finally arrive on streaming with its Aug. 19 debut on Peacock.

All seven seasons (and the finale movie) have been remastered to HD and 4K for the first time.

“The Wire” creator David Simon cut his teeth on “Homicide,” where Tom Fontana (“Oz”) was the showrunner.

‘Hotel Portofino’

PBS’s period drama “Hotel Portofino” (8 p.m. Sunday, WQED-TV) returns for its third season this weekend with Bella (Natascha McElhone) and Cecil (Mark Umber) estranged and romantically involved with other people but refusing to divorce due to the social climate of 1920s Italy.

“Bella’s trajectory is definitely becoming more liberated socially,” said series creator/writer Matt Baker at the show’s press conference during PBS’s portion of the Television Critics Association summer 2024 press tour in Pasadena, Calif. “Her ability to stand on her own feet is the theme of the story.”

Baker said “Hotel Portofino” gets darker in season three as the clouds of war appear on the horizon.

“Season one and season two were notable for some more of the lighter play between upstairs and downstairs, and I think in season three we start in quite a different place,” he said, “against the backdrop of a fascist parade and that political theme carries on.”

The darkness will continue in the show’s third season finale.

“We did debate a lot about that sort of final direction and where we wanted to leave it and how the audience would feel about it,” Baker said. “You have to have the confidence that you can take the audience with you. We leave it at the end of season three with multiple directions in which (the story) could go, which is, to me, the key to good drama: Keep the audience guessing a little bit, keep your capacity to surprise the audience.”

Paris Olympics

For the tech heads out there: Comcast will launch enhanced 4K as part of USA Network’s 24/7 coverage of the Paris Olympics on Comcast’s X1 platform, bringing together 4K video, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos immersive audio and ultra-low latency “only seconds behind all the live action unfolding in Paris,” per Comcast.

Olympics coverage, July 26-Aug. 11, will air across the networks of NBCUniversal, including NBC, USA, E!, CNBC, Golf Channel, Telemundo, Universo and two new Paris Extra channels on Comcast’s Xfinity service as well as streaming on Peacock.

Regional Emmy honorees

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will induct several Pittsburgh broadcasting veterans into its Gold (50 years of service) and Silver (25 years of service) Circle Society at the 42nd regional Emmys on Sept. 21 at Pittsburgh’s Wyndham Grand Hotel.

The local Gold Circle inductee will be Dave Forstate, a videographer/producer retired from KDKA-TV who also works on projects for WQED-TV.

Local Silver Circle inductees include WTAE-TV assignment editor Rege Bobonis, WTAE news anchor Mike Clark, WPXI-TV news anchor David Johnson, retired KDKA producer Jill Neely, KDKA anchor Ken Rice and retired WQED managing director of production and programming David Solomon.

Channel surfing

That didn’t take long: Just days after Amazon Prime Video executives told the producers of filmed-in-Pittsburgh “American Rust” that they won’t renew the series for a third season, “American Rust” star Maura Tierney landed a new job, taking over as a new NYPD lieutenant on NBC’s “Law & Order” following the departure of Camryn Manheim. … The seventh season of Fred Rogers’ Productions’ “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” debuts Aug. 12 (9 a.m., WQED-TV) with the episode “Something New About Trolley,” which features Trolley transforming into a boat for the first time. … This week the United States Postal Service released a sheet of Forever stamps dedicated to the late Alex Trebek, former host of “Jeopardy!” … Beginning next week CBS moves “Big Brother” to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (the show will remain at 9 p.m. on Sunday).