Sumter Scene: June 07 - June 13, 2025 by The Sumter Item

Masterpiece investigations: Art world mysteries are solved in ‘Art Detectives’

BY SARAH PASSINGHAM

Something is not quite right. The light source is off, the brush strokes are wrong, or a masterpiece is missing in its entirety from its rightful place. When works of art are surrounded by a cloud of mystery, there is only one detective to call.

Stephen Moyer (“Sexy Beast”) stars as DI Mick Palmer of the Heritage Crime Unit in “Art Detectives,” a new crime drama premiering Monday, June 9, on the Acorn TV streaming service. The first two episodes of the six-part season drop on premiere day, with the rest following weekly on Mondays.

Together with DC Shazia Malik (Nina Singh, “Virdee”), Mick investigates murders with connections to fine art and antiques. Per Acorn TV, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase and items rescued from the Titanic.

Mick, a seasoned detective and art enthusiast, is aided in a string of masterwork mysteries by the sharp, straight-talking

Shazia, who is about to receive a primer in art history while working alongside her new partner. Their special set of skills finds them analyzing everything from the works of the great Masters, to valuable modern collectibles, to precious antiques. Priceless, covetous pieces bring out the worst in those who wish to profit or possess them for themselves, and it’s up to the clever crime-fighting duo to track down each episode’s culprit.

“We can’t wait for viewers to meet and fall in love with Mick and Shazia as they deal with priceless artworks, devious forgeries and obsessive collectors. Not to mention theft, revenge and murder,” executive producer Paul Powell (“Zapped”) said in a statement announcing the upcoming series.

While Mick is the go-to guy trusted to get to the bottom of art world conundrums, his father, on the other hand, is more often the source of the problem. Larry Lamb (“Gavin & Stacey”) portrays Mick’s father, Ron Palmer, a charming forger known

for his dodgy work all over Britain.

Dealing on opposite ends of the same industry, it is inevitable that their paths would cross — and indeed they do. In the official trailer for the upcoming series, Mick gets a knock on his door from someone searching for a stolen painting, suspecting Ron’s got something to do with its disappearance.

One suspicious case after another keeps Mick pretty busy with detective work, but there is still time, however, for a little romance. Museum curator Rosa (Sarah Alexander, “Pennyworth”) catches Mick’s eye, and the two enjoy a flirtation over their case files.

Written by Powell, Dan Gaster (“Outsiders”), Will Ing (“Pickle Storm”), Emma Goodwin (“Death in Paradise”) and Kitty Percy (“Sister Boniface Mysteries”), and directed by Jennie Paddon (“The Diplomat”) and Declan Recks (“Faithless”), the series was filmed in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Horoscopes

The luckiest signs this week:

AQUARIUS, PISCES AND ARIES

ARIES

You’ll spend more time than expected on a project you feel passionate about. If you sense any tension in your relationship, a candid conversation with your partner may be needed.

TAURUS

The agreements you finalize with new clients this week will leave you feeling satisfied. Your sharp attention to detail will pay off. However, be mindful that the full moon could affect your energy. Avoid overexerting yourself.

GEMINI

Put in some extra hours at work to help you save up for a future vacation. This anticipation will allow you to treat yourself to some well-deserved luxury.

CANCER

You’ll make important decisions about your career this week. Align your lifestyle with your desires. You’ll quickly notice a boost in your health and vitality.

LEO

The full moon will illuminate your conversations with family and friends, fostering enriching dialogues. At work, clear communication will help you overcome any obstacles. Adopt a healthier diet to feel better.

VIRGO

You won’t be able to shake certain emotions this week. However, expressing them will bring you immense relief. Letting your feelings out will help you let go of anguish and feel more fulfilled.

LIBRA

You might discover a significant error on one of your bills that could resolve a budget issue. At work, you may need to renegotiate contracts, or a client may change their mind about an agreement.

SCORPIO

You’ll be brimming with ideas and initiatives this week. However, remember that you can’t please everyone. The full moon may cause some confusion in professional matters and your personal life.

SAGITTARIUS

Sometimes, you may need a second cup of coffee to help you focus and complete your tasks. You may feel disoriented at work and home and find it challenging to express your thoughts clearly.

CAPRICORN

The full moon might heighten your stress levels, giving you the perfect reason to take a step back. It’s a good idea to treat yourself to a moment of relaxation, whether by seeing a massage therapist or taking a relaxing spa day.

AQUARIUS

You’ll lead a meeting that showcases your skills, setting you up for a much-anticipated promotion. The full moon will be the perfect time to celebrate your achievements.

PISCES

Summer vacation is fast approaching, especially for your little ones. This time off will give you the chance to ease some of your stress and lighten daily responsibilities. You’ll be able to enjoy life more fully in the moment.

New Streaming Movies & Shows

“Deep Cover” (June 12)

A fast-paced action comedy, “Deep Cover” stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Kat, an improv comedy teacher beginning to question if she’s missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop (Sean Bean) offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students (Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed) to infiltrate London’s gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.

Word Search

“Call Her Alex” (June 10)

“Call Her Daddy” creator, host and executive producer Alex Cooper is at the top of her game, signing one of the biggest deals in podcast history. This revealing two-part series gives audiences a behind-the-scenes, intimate look at her journey and the defining moments that shaped her influential voice.

Where all the top choices can be found in one place!

(June 9)

If there’s an animal in need, agents Kit and Sam are ready to help! Families are invited to join in as they tackle more mysteries and meet friendly new critters along the way.

BY JAY BOBBIN

“Timmy

Failure: Mistakes Were Made” (Available Now)

This Disney Original follows Timmy Failure who, along with his 1,500-pound polar bear partner Total, operates the detective agency Total Failure Inc. An elementary school oddball, the clueless but confident Timmy must navigate the world of adults around him.

Q: When Quinta Brunson hosted “Saturday Night Live” recently and seemed surprised that Sabrina Carpenter popped in during the monologue, was that actually pre-planned?

A: You can bet on it, especially since a song was involved for the two of them during Brunson’s second guest-host stint on the NBC and Peacock show. Not only that, but there also was choreography that came to encompass basketball legend Dwyane Wade and “SNL” cast regular Marcello Hernandez, and that surely had to require some rehearsal.

A big part of the surprise of two-time Grammy Award winner Carpenter’s cameo was that she has no direct connection to Brunson — the Primetime Emmy-winning star and principal driving force of ABC’s and Hulu’s “Abbott Elementary” — other than their shared height (or lack thereof), which the musical number was about.

Tom Cruise profited big from ‘Risky Business’

BY JAY BOBBIN

Tom Cruise had made several movies earlier, but “Risky Business” was the one that really jump-started his trajectory toward superstardom.

Paramount+ With Showtime presents writer-director Paul Brickman’s exceedingly smart 1983 comedy on Wednesday, June 11, as part of an entire day of Cruise films. Whether seen in juxtaposition to the other titles or by itself, it serves as a stunning reminder that the actor-producer was equipped and ready at an early age to embrace his screen destiny, letting his appeal unpack itself as his finance-minded character Joel came into his own.

A seemingly average teenager in the Chicago suburbs, Joel has big concerns about his future ... not only where an immediate school project is concerned, but also in terms of getting into college and growing into manhood. He takes a step toward the latter goal, while his parents (Nicholas Pryor, Janet Carroll) are away, by summoning a prostitute (Bruce A. Young) who tuns out not to be who Joel needs — but knows who is.

The effortlessly seductive Rebecca De Mornay makes one of the most memorable entrances in movie history as Lana, who has a very pragmatic view of hiring out for what she can provide customers, though Joel quickly arrives at the presumption that

his connection with her runs deeper. That’s only reinforced when Lana uses her own business savvy to get Joel to turn his house into a makeshift brothel for their friends, having parted company with her none-toopleased boss Guido (Joe Pantoliano).

With a fabulously appropriate score by Tangerine Dream, “Risky Business” is cleverly constructed from start to finish, also depicting the sense of youthful freedom via Cruise’s iconic scene of dancing in his underwear to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.”

As well as the picture fared for him, it also features several other actors for whom big things would happen; they include Bronson Pinchot (“Perfect Strangers”), Curtis Armstrong (“Moonlighting”) and Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”).

Cruise would remain on the runway to enormous fame as 1983 proceeded with “All the Right Moves,” and after “Legend” in 1985, there was no turning back for him once his career genuinely exploded with the mega-success of “Top Gun” in 1986. That professional level continues for him with the current “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” and as he still keeps building his legacy, it’s worth revisiting “Risky Business” for an ever-fresh taste of where it all really started for him.

Best STANLEY KRAMER MOVIES

BY JAY BOBBIN

“The Defiant Ones” (1958): Producer and director Kramer was known for weaving social consciousness into his projects, and this drama about fugitive convicts literally linked to each other is a stunning example. In the lead roles, Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier were both Oscar-nominated (the picture won for its screenplay and cinematography).

“On the Beach” (1959): Nevil Shute’s novel provided the basis for Kramer’s drama about nuclearwar survivors aboard an American submarine; Gregory Peck plays the vessel’s commander in an excellent cast that also includes Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.

“Inherit the Wind” (1960): The so-called Scopes monkey trial, which put Darwin’s theory of evolution to the test, inspired the play that led Kramer to make its first screen version. Spencer Tracy and Fredric March portray the brilliant attorneys on opposite sides of the case, with Dick York — the original Darrin on television’s “Bewitched” — as the defendant.

“Judgment at Nuremberg” (1961): Kramer went back to a courtroom set for another fact-inspired drama, teaming again with Spencer Tracy, who plays the presiding judge in a war-crimes trial. The cast is packed with familiar faces including Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, Richard Widmark, William Shatner and Maximilian Schell (the latter winning a supportingactor Oscar for his work as a defense attorney). Abby Mann’s screenplay also earned an Academy Award.

“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963): After doing so much in the dramatic realm, Kramer surprised a lot of people by pulling out all the stops comedically with this treasure-hunt extravaganza, originally made for the ultra-wide-screen Cinerama process. Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, Ethel Merman, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney and Edie Adams are among those playing seekers of stolen, hidden cash (and Spencer Tracy, yet again, as a lawman observing the often-wacky race).

Turner Classic Movies shows the picture Saturday, June 14.

“Ship of Fools” (1965): Another impressive cast booked passage on Kramer’s drama based on Katherine Anne Porter’s novel about those aboard an ocean liner before the start of World War II. Cast members include Vivien Leigh (in her final film), Lee Marvin, Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner, George Segal, Jose Ferrer and Michael Dunn. The movie won Oscars for its art direction and cinematography.

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967): One of Kramer’s most popular films revolves around the impending interracial marriage of a doctor (Sidney Poitier) and the daughter (Katharine Houghton, Katharine Hepburn’s niece) of two supposed liberals (Spencer Tracy, in his last film, and Oscar winner Hepburn).

The comedy-drama also earned an Academy Award for William Rose’s script.

“The Runner Stumbles” (1979): The last movie made by Kramer allowed Dick Van Dyke to work way against type as a minister whose relationship with a young nun (Kathleen Quinlan) becomes the object of others’ suspicions. The drama reunited Van Dyke with Maureen Stapleton, with whom he worked in the 1963 screen version of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Time for the Tonys: Broadway honors more of its best

BY JOSHUA AMY

Whatever challenges might come its way, the New York theater community manages to meet them and put on really big shows, as the continuation of the Tony Awards affirms.

The 78th edition of Broadway’s annual event, presented by The Broadway League and The American Theatre Wing, will be staged Sunday, June 8, at New York’s iconic Radio City Music Hall. Again this year, CBS and Paramount+ carry the ceremony, to be marked as usual by performances of numbers from nominated musicals, and appearances by many stars of screen and theater as presenters. Three shows lead with 10 nominations each: “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Maybe Happy Ending.”

This time, the Tonys get a first-time host who’s no stranger to the ceremony: Cynthia Erivo, who won her own Tony Award in 2016 for the musical version of “The Color Purple,” and she was nominated again in 2023 for the play “Fat Ham.” Erivo also has a Grammy Award and a Daytime Emmy Award from her participation in “The Color Purple,” and she was recently back on the award trail in a major way, with many nominations — including one for an Oscar — for her portrayal of Elphaba in the first movie to come from the musical “Wicked” (the second film will be released this

coming holiday season).

Among the nominees are performers well known for their television or movie (or both) work, such as George Clooney (“Good Night, and Good Luck”), Mia Farrow (“The Roommate”), Audra McDonald (“Gypsy” now makes her the most-nominated performer in Tony history with 11 bids, six of which she has won), Sarah Snook (“The Picture of Dorian Gray”), Daniel Dae Kim (“Yellow Face”), Nicole Scherzinger (“Sunset Blvd.”), Sadie Sink (“John Proctor is the Villain”), Megan Hilty (“Death Becomes Her”), Darren Criss (“Maybe Happy Ending”), Harry Lennix (“Purpose”), Jeremy Jordan (“Floyd Collins”), Bob Odenkirk (“Glengarry Glen Ross”) and Justina Machado (“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical”). A special Tony Award for lifetime achievement will go to Broadway veteran (and four-time Tony winner) Harvey Fierstein (“Kinky Boots”).

Master manipulators at work: All-new reality competition series, ‘The

Snake,’ lives up to its name

BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT

Here are the nominees in several categories in The 78th Annual Tony Awards.

Best musical: “Buena Vista Social Club”; “Dead Outlaw”; “Death Becomes Her”; “Maybe Happy Ending”; “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical.”

Best play: “English”; “The Hills of California”; “John Proctor Is the Villain”; “Oh, Mary!”; “Purpose.”

View from the Couch

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical: Megan Hilty, “Death Becomes Her”; Audra McDonald, “Gypsy”; Jasmine Amy Rogers, “Boop! The Musical”; Nicole Scherzinger, “Sunset Blvd.”; Jennifer Simard, “Death Becomes

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical: Darren Criss, “Maybe Happy Ending”; Andrew Durand, “Dead Outlaw”; Tom Francis, “Sunset Blvd.”; Jonathan Groff, “Just in Time”; James Monroe Iglehart, “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical”; Jeremy Jordan, “Floyd Collins.”

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play: Laura Donnelly, “The Hills of California”; Mia Farrow, “The Roommate”; LaTanya Richardson Jackson, “Purpose”; Sadie Sink, “John Proctor is the Villain”; Sarah Snook, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play: George Clooney, “Good Night, and Good Luck”; Cole Escola, “Oh, Mary!”; Jon Michael Hill, “Purpose”; Daniel Dae Kim, “Yellow Face”; Harry Lennix, “Purpose”; Louis McCartney, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.”

BY JAY BOBBIN

“DROP”

After making a big mark in the second season of the HBO series

“The White Lotus,” Meghann Fahy got her first lead role in a major movie with this tightly edited thriller, casting her as a young widow who feels ready to date again. With her son (Jacob Robinson) being minded by her sister (Violett Beane), she meets a photographer (Brandon Sklenar) at a restaurant where she starts receiving messages that ultimately try to maneuver her into a plot against her escort for the evening — threatening harm to her loved ones if she doesn’t cooperate. Reed Diamond (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) also appears in the melodrama directed by Christopher Landon, a son of actor-filmmaker

Michael Landon who specializes in the horror genre. DVD extras: three “making-of” documentaries; audio commentary by Landon. *** (PG13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital)

“THE FRIEND”

For as long as they appear together here, Naomi Watts and Bill Murray make an intriguing starring duo in this drama from screenwriter-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s book. A Great Dane is inherited by a New York-based writer (Watts) from her mentor (Murray), and the canine poses problems for its new owner right from the outset, one of them being the continual reminder of the absence of the person who previously had the dog. However, the woman eventually takes to the animal, which helps her to deal with some of her own issues. The human part of the cast also includes Noma Dumezweni, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu and Ann Dowd. *** (R: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray)

“007: SEAN CONNERY 6-FILM

COLLECTION”

A lot of James Bond fans have been waiting for this ... the 4K Ultra HD debut of several of the earliest screen adventures of the British secret agent who has fueled one of the most popular and profitable franchises in movie history. Later Oscar winner Connery made his

debut in “Dr. No” (1962), which was followed up quickly by his returns in “From Russia With Love” (1963), “Goldfinger” (1964), “Thunderball” (1965) and “You Only Live Twice” (1967). The actor then quit the series, but he was lured back for “Diamonds Are Forever” (1971); he had one more turn in the part in “Never Say Never Again” (1983), but that was for a different production company and isn’t included here. These six films also are available collectively in a Steelbook edition, with each title supplemented by documentaries, theatrical trailers and additional special features carried over from other home-video versions of the pictures. **** (PG: AS, P, V)

“DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN”

The saga of the covert serial killer got a prequel with this Paramount+ With Showtime series, casting Patrick Gibson (“The Tudors”) as the younger Dexter Morgan — though original star Michael C. Hall, also an executive producer here, still voices the character’s inner thoughts. The show does much to explain how Dexter originally carried out his self-appointed missions against felons while working with Miami police, with his adoptive father Harry (Christian Slater) mentoring him in murder. Molly Brown, Christina Milian and James Martinez also play earlier incarnations of “Dexter” characters, with Patrick Dempsey (“Grey’s Anat-

“Befriend. Betray. Or Be Gone,” says Fox. This brand new reality competition series follows 15 masters of manipulation — each chosen for their work in particularly persuasive professions — as they compete in a power play unlike any other, each vying for the series’ titular role. “The Snake” premieres Tuesday, June 10, on Fox.

Hosted by actor and comedian Jim Jefferies (“The Jim Jefferies Show”), “The Snake” encourages its participants to use their social cunning to rise to the top, called “social survival of the fittest,” by Fox in the series’ official synopsis.

“Each contestant must leverage their unique skills, training and powers of persuasion as they face a multitude of challenges designed to showcase the traits needed to be successful in the game,” the description continues, “[as] the winner of each challenge becomes The Snake, earning control of The Saving Ceremony, an explosive, chain reaction elimination where it’s not about who wants you gone but who is willing to save you.

“The Snake doesn’t just hinge on winning challenges — it’s about winning people over. The social aspect of the game never stops — connections are everything, whether you’re making friends, faking friends or sparking romantic connections. Promises are put to the test during The Saving Ceremony as players do ev-

omy”) as the boss of the homicide division and Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) as Dexter’s immediate supervisor. Several episodes were directed by former “Chicago Fire” co-star Monica Raymund; the show has been renewed for a second season. (Not rated: AS, N. P, GV) (Also on Blu-ray)

“THE WIZ”

A new Criterion Collection edition on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD lets viewers “ease on down the road” with director Sidney Lumet’s 1978 screen version of this musical based on “The Wizard of Oz.” Diana Ross is the Dorothy of this reimagining, a Harlem teacher whisked away during a snowstorm — along with her dog Toto, of course — to magical Oz. There, she unites with a scarecrow (Michael Jackson), a tin man (Nipsey Russell) and a cowardly lion (Ted Ross, reprising his Broadway role) to head for the Emerald City, where they all hope to get what they most covet from the wizard or “Wiz” who rules the land (Richard Pryor). The picture was the most expensive movie musical made up to that time; Lena Horne (who was director Lumet’s mother-inlaw then) and another returnee from the New York stage production, Mabel King, respectively play the good and wicked witches. *** (G)

“A WORKING MAN” Sylvester Stallone typically has starred in movies he has worked on

erything in their power to avoid being picked last by The Snake, hoping to escape elimination. Every week is a fresh start with a new gauntlet and a new Snake. In the end, only one contestant will get within striking distance of the $100,000 grand prize,” Fox concludes.

While shows such as “The Traitors,” “The Trust” and “Million Dollar Secret” make waves of their own — all following in the footsteps their steadfast predecessor “The Mole,” which first aired in the early 2000s only to be revived by Netflix in 2022 — “The Snake” plans to up the ante, offering its viewers more striking, biting drama.

Of creator SallyAnn Salsano (“Jersey Shore”), Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn says: “SallyAnn brings her uniquely original voice to Fox with this fresh take on the strategy competition series and a universally appealing concept that will captivate audiences. Trust me. ‘The Snake’ lives up to its name.” Jefferies adds: “I’m thrilled to be hosting ‘The Snake,’ a show about making friends and faking friends. I’ve been training for this job my whole life. Growing up in Australia and now living in Hollywood, I’ve been around plenty of snakes.” Prepare to keep your friends close and your enemies closer when “The Snake” premieres Tuesday, June 10, on Fox.

the scripts for, but in the case of this adventure-drama, he stays behind the scenes as a co-writer and producer — along with director David Ayer — of the adaptation of Chuck Dixon’s novel “Levon’s Trade.” Action staple Jason Statham plays an ex-soldier construction foreman who reluctantly uses his former skills in a bid to save his bosses’ (Michael Pena, Noemi Gonzalez) kidnapped daughter (Arianna Rivas) from Russian enemies. The trail is marked by more and more bodies as the would-be rescuer determines why the young woman was taken. Jason Flemyng and David Harbour also are featured. *** (R: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital)