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      The Actor Fred Savage’s New Role Is as a Watch Entrepreneur

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      The actor, who spent his childhood in “The Wonder Years,” has established a watch assessment service.Fred Savage, the actor best known for his childhood role in the television comedy “The Wonder Years,” has taken on a new part in real life: watch collector and entrepreneur.In the past six months or so, he attended Geneva Watch Days, WatchTime New York and the Dec. 6 Important Watches auction at Sotheby’s New York. He also is a member of Classic Watch Club, a collectors’ group in Manhattan, and owns about 50 watches.“Watch collecting started as a hobby, because I was really interested in these mechanical objects that still worked and looked so great a hundred years after they were manufactured,” Mr. Savage, 48, said during a phone interview (wearing, he noted, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox GT). “The deeper I’ve gotten into watches, my knowledge has grown. It has really enriched my life — almost every aspect of my life — because of the people that it has introduced me to.”And late last month Mr. Savage officially introduced Timepiece Grading Specialists, or TGS, a business that rates a watch’s condition for authentication or valuation purposes. Fees start at $250 per watch, which would include a detailed report with photos; appraisals, servicing and storage are available at additional cost. The business began accepting watches for evaluation last fall in a kind of soft launch, and three of the watches sold at the Sotheby’s sale in December had TGS assessments.Timepiece Grading Specialists is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, in the offices of Stoll & Company, which handles the horological work.Brian Kaiser for The New York TimesMr. Savage said his company was meant to fill a void in the watch community. “I realized that, with the huge marketplace that’s like the Wild West, nobody’s looking out for the collector,” he said. “I looked at all these other collectible verticals: Whether it’s comic books or coins or baseball cards or sports cards or shoes or video games, every one of these collectibles has one, if not multiple, third-party authentication and grading services.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Jimmy Kimmel Pokes Fun at Trump’s Paper Straw Ban

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      “Listen, the fact of the matter is Trump loves plastic,” Kimmel said. “Most of his wives are made of plastic.”Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.‘The Most Important Stuff’On Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel noted that President Trump had been signing a flurry of executive orders, often on TV. “It’s like the Jerry Lewis telethon with this guy,” he said. One presidential edict canceled a government effort to replace plastic straws with paper ones. “All day, reporters in there — he’s taking questions, having meetings, he’s tackling all the most important stuff. He did the same thing yesterday, all day. He canceled the penny, he changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and he finally got tough on paper straws.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Of course, the reason we switched to those admittedly terrible paper straws in the first place is because plastic straws wind up in the ocean, and they kill marine life, which I guess is another argument Trump, a well-known hater of sharks, doesn’t buy.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“That degree in marine biology is really coming in handy.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Listen, the fact of the matter is Trump loves plastic. Most of his wives are made of plastic.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Remember when Trump said he would make the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday? When is that executive order coming down the pike? Let’s whip out that fat little presidential Sharpie and deliver on what might be the only good thing you ever do. Do it.” — JIMMY KIMMELThe Punchiest Punchlines (Brotherly Love Edition)“The Philadelphia Eagles are set to hold their Super Bowl victory parade this week on Valentine’s Day in what’s being called the ultimate test for Philadelphia boyfriends. ‘[Imitating Philadelphia Eagles fan:] Babe, what if I go for just an hour or so?’” — SETH MEYERS“It’s also Valentine’s Day, so while couples will be enjoying an edible arrangement, Eagles fans will be enjoying an arrangement of edibles.” — JIMMY FALLON“Yeah, that’s right, the Eagles’ parade is this Friday. It’s great for fans ’cause there’s no work the next day, but bad because they can’t see a judge till Monday.” — JIMMY FALLONThe Bits Worth WatchingJesse Eisenberg discussed his film “A Real Pain” on Tuesday’s “Daily Show.”What We’re Excited About on Wednesday NightJon Hamm will appear on Wednesday’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”Also, Check This OutSandra Bezic, Carolyn Taylor and Kurt Browning hit the ice in “I Have Nothing.”PeacockThe Canadian comedian Carolyn Tyler tries to fulfill a lifelong dream by choreographing a figure skating routine in “I Have Nothing,” a new six-part series on Peacock. More

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      ‘I Have Nothing’ Is a Wacky and Moving Docu-Comedy

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      In this six-part Peacock series, the comedian Carolyn Taylor tries to choreograph a figure-skating routine, despite being barely able to skate.Comedians’ quixotic quests to delve into childhood obsessions or achieve strange dreams well outside their areas of expertise are typically relegated to the podcast format, and the Canadian series “I Have Nothing” (on Peacock) has that same ramshackle, worlds-collide style. Luckily it’s a TV show, because its premise is a visual one: the creation and performance of a pairs figure-skating routine set to Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.”The comedian Carolyn Taylor (“Baroness von Sketch Show”) was a kid during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, and those Games left a real impression, especially the figure skating. The Battle of the Brians, Katarina Witt, Gordeeva and Grinkov — the highest of highs. Decades later, with no connection to the sport whatsoever, Taylor hears Whitney Houston on the radio and is struck by a vision, one that she and perhaps only she can make real in the world. She wants to create a pairs program to Houston’s banger, and she can picture the whole thing: the jumps and the lifts, the footwork sequences, the open-armed glides and intense expressions.So she decides to answer this calling, to choreograph a routine for Olympic-level skaters. She can barely skate and does not know any of the terminology, but she forges ahead. “Can’t this be a ‘buffoon makes good’ story?” she asks her pal, the comedian Mae Martin.It can; it is; “buffoon makes good” is a perfect way to describe the six-part docu-comedy. Taylor goes right to the top and enlists the Canadian choreographer, broadcaster and skater Sandra Bezic as a mentor, and much of the show is built on Bezic’s expertise (and, seemingly, Rolodex). A few false starts feel like filler at the beginning. But by Episode 3, things are really happening, and somehow the Olympic champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and David Pelletier are on board to skate the program.If you are a person who values preparedness, “Nothing” will fry the hair off your head with Taylor’s lack thereof — though eventually her madness reveals its methods. Much of the show is played for cringe, but everyone’s enthusiasm tends to melt that awkwardness. Several figure-skating legends contribute expertise and advice, and two Canadian skaters Taylor worshiped in her youth, Kurt Browning and Brian Orser, even get on the ice with her to help codify her ideas. The good nature on display here is genuinely moving, and the figure skating ain’t bad either.SIDE QUESTSIf you are craving more figure skating, the documentary series “Harlem Ice,” about the coaches and young skaters at Figure Skating in Harlem, debuts Wednesday, on Disney+.Pelletier is one of the main subjects of the terrific documentary series “Meddling” (on Peacock), about the 2002 pairs figure-skating judging scandal.“Baroness von Sketch Show” is available on the Roku Channel. More

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      John Oliver Interrupts Jon Stewart’s Monologue on ‘The Daily Show’

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      The British host of “Last Week Tonight” said he wanted to be “the first to welcome America to its monarchy era.”Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Monarchy in the U.S.A.The British comedian, “Daily Show” alumnus and “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver crashed Jon Stewart’s monologue on Monday.“Are you here to offer America your wisdom and counsel?” Stewart asked.“Oh, no, no, no, no, Jon — I’m here to gloat!” Oliver said.“America had its little fun, didn’t you, experimenting with democracy? You fought so hard to get away from us — acting up, throwing all that tea into the harbor. You still owe us for that, by the way.” — JOHN OLIVER“The point is, you told everybody that you were going to be different. You weren’t going to turn out like your mean old dad who was so horrible to you when you were growing up. So we sat back, we let you spend your wild teen years experimenting with your ridiculous ideas of checks and balances, because deep down, we knew that once you got that nonsense out of your system, you’d be back. In fact, if I may sing from ‘Hamilton.’” [sounds pitch pipe] — JOHN OLIVER“What I’m saying is, let me be the first to welcome America to its monarchy era. Congratulations, everyone, you can now take your place in the pantheon of great empires alongside the British, the Roman, the Klingon, Wakanda, whatever one Babar the elephant was the ruler of, I forget.” — JOHN OLIVER“What I’m saying is, don’t fight being a monarchy, Jon, embrace it. Kings get [expletive] done. Now, is it stuff that you want done? Not necessarily. But they do move quick! They taste cumin at lunch, and they’ve taken over an entire continent by dinner time. That is how the British rolls, Jon. [Expletive] everyone else. They’re not like us. In fact, if I may sing a line from Mr. Kendrick Lamar.” [sounds pitch pipe] — JOHN OLIVERStewart pushed back against “Ambassador Oliver,” saying that the imperial model may not suit America: “Not to be shortsighted, but, spoiler alert, John, things didn’t end up so great for the British Empire.”“We are technically between empires at the moment, but we’re keeping our castles warm and our crowns bejeweled for the day that we get back onto our feet.” — JOHN OLIVER“Have you seen anything America has done over the last 50 years? Because for a country that doesn’t want to be an empire, you’re doing a pretty [expletive] good impression of one right now: invasions, economic exploitations, and now, suggesting turning Gaza into a beachfront casino? Even King George would have been, like, ‘I don’t know, guys. Feels like the situation’s a bit more complicated than that, and I’m literally dying of medieval brain disease.’” — JOHN OLIVER“This shouldn’t be a sad time. The arc of history is so long it eventually becomes a circle, and you end up right where you started. You might even call it the circle of life. In fact, if I may sing the great imperial subject Sir Elton John’s opening Zulu chant from ‘The Lion King.’”[sounds pitch pipe] — JOHN OLIVERThe Punchiest Punchlines (Less-Than-Super Bowl Edition)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘The White Lotus,’ Plus 9 Things to Watch on TV this Week

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      The HBO satire of the rich and well-traveled comes back for a third season. And “Saturday Night Live” hosts its 50th anniversary special.Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that air or stream this week, Feb. 10-16. Details and times are subject to change.An uneasy vacation.Since HBO’s “White Lotus” and “Succession” have been off the air, what has there been to discuss with your friends or post about on X on Sunday nights? Luckily, “The White Lotus” is back. In its first two seasons, viewers have gone on transcontinental journeys, including an indelicate hotel manager in Hawaii and a strange love square in Italy. And now, the third season is taking off to Thailand, where there promises to be stressful family dynamics, an off-putting couple and of course, lots of suspense and threats of violence and crime. Sadly, Jennifer Coolidge won’t be on this season after she met her untimely demise — or maybe she will be? With the director and writer Mike White at the helm, who truly knows what is going to happen? Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO and streaming on Max.50 years of ‘Saturday Night Live.’In lots of ways, this whole season has been a celebration of the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live,” but the official pomp and circumstance is kicking off this week with “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” a live show from Radio City Music Hall in New York. Hosted by “SN.L.” alum Jimmy Fallon, the show will include performances from over 20 artists, including Arcade Fire, Eddie Vedder and Miley Cyrus. And the best part? You can watch live from the comfort of your home. Friday at 8 p.m. on Peacock.The 50th anniversary special of “Saturday Night Live,” hosted by Lorne Michaels, will look back at the show’s past.Will Heath/NBCLive from New York, it’s … Sunday night? Though the title doesn’t match the timing, “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” is the big three-hour event that rounds out a season full of trips down memory lane and will feature some famous alumni and a look into the show’s history. If you want to get prepped in a different way, the fictional retelling of the first night of the show, “Saturday Night” directed by Jason Reitman, is now streaming on Netflix. Sunday at 8 p.m. on NBC.A resurgence of romantic comedies.Sometimes you’re traveling to Italy for a very pragmatic, very grown-up reason, and all the sudden, you’re swept up into a romance that alters the course of your life. I mean, that’s what I’ve seen in movies; it’s never happened to me. In “The Dolce Villa,” things are no different. Eric (Scott Foley) travels to Tuscany to try to stop his daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) from buying and restoring an old villa. The moment he arrives in town, he meets the mayor, Francesca (Violante Placido), and you know what they, say: colpo di fulmine. Streaming Thursday on Netflix.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      For Morris Chestnut, R&B Is Therapeutic

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      “It’s helpful in my work,” said the star of the new TV series “Watson,” “because it triggers thoughts, triggers memories, triggers emotions.”When Morris Chestnut first heard about “Watson,” a new CBS medical mystery set within the Sherlock Holmes mythology, he was interested. But once he read the script by Craig Sweeny — the show’s creator and one of the writers behind that other Sherlockian CBS series, “Elementary” — he grew even more excited.“He has so many crazy, creative ideas,” Chestnut, 56, said. “So I rushed to it. I said, ‘I have to do it.’”“Watson” opens as Chestnut’s character, Dr. John Watson, is rebuilding his life six months after the death of his dear friend and partner, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes has left Watson a parting gift: a medical clinic, in Pittsburgh, devoted to curing rare disorders.“He’s treating patients, and while he’s treating those patients, he somewhat also has to treat himself,” Chestnut said.Studying to be a doctor is stressful, but so is studying to sound like one, and it requires a certain level of sacrifice — especially for an N.F.L. addict.“When I’m doing the show, I literally have to pick one game on Sunday,” Chestnut said of learning the medical jargon that flows like honey from Watson’s mouth. “In the middle of commercial breaks, I’m looking at the script.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      The Greatest ‘Saturday Night Live’ Episode Ever*

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      *Well, maybe only to me. “S.N.L.” fans all have their own idea of the show’s peak, and this is mine.As measured by the calendar, “Saturday Night Live” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. But you could also say that 50 “Saturday Night Lives” are each celebrating an anniversary.There are, of course, those who watch the show every week, every year, and have followed its evolution for decades. But many of us have a singular personal “Saturday Night Live”: a particular season or group of performers that defines the show for us.Don’t take this from me. Take it from Lorne Michaels. “Generally, when people talk about the best cast,” he once said, “I think, ‘Well, that’s when they were in high school.’”I was in high school in 1984. Even back then — those freaks-and-geeks years when you define yourself by your pop-culture obsessions and nerds are most vulnerable to the wiles of sketch comedy — I was only a modest “S.N.L.” fan. I loved “S.C.T.V.” and David Letterman and Monty Python.In college and later, I would move on to “The Simpsons” and other comedy enthusiasms. Sometimes I’d enjoy “S.N.L.”; sometimes I’d hate it; sometimes I’d enjoy hating it. But honestly, for most of my life I’ve thought of it like a public utility — always there, but not something I’d be a “fan” of any more than I’d be a fan of the gas company.But there was a while when “S.N.L.” vibrated on my wavelength, when I was the right age to stay up, when my friends spent every Monday quoting lines to one another in the school cafeteria. I can narrow my “S.N.L.” of choice down to a specific season — in fact, to a specific episode: Season 10, Episode 9, airdate Dec. 15, 1984.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      How Going to Commercial During the Super Bowl Works

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      Television commercial breaks are the bane of every N.F.L. fan. They interrupt a game already riddled with stoppages, bombard viewers with come-ons and force fans and players in the stadium to stand around for about two and a half minutes, sometimes in the freezing cold.Yet commercials are the lifeblood of the N.F.L. Without them, broadcasters could not afford to pay the league billions of dollars for rights fees, money that goes to paying players’ salaries and much more.Most games have 18 commercial breaks. A few timeouts, like at the end of the first and third quarters and at the two-minute warnings, are fixed. The league and networks avoid taking breaks if a team’s opening drive of the game ends quickly, because they want fans to settle into the broadcast. If all goes well, the last commercials run at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.Most commercial breaks, though, are chosen in real time as league executives, network producers and officials on the field look for natural breaks in the action. Finding them is more art than science because every game unfolds differently, with long drives, three-and-outs, injury timeouts and coaches’ challenges.League officials sit in the press box during games and help determine when to take commercial breaks.Caroline Gutman for The New York Times“Our fans know that the commercial breaks are coming,” said Mike North, vice president of broadcast planning and scheduling at the N.F.L. “The whole idea from where we sit is to try to use those breaks to cover downtime: resetting the field after a score; if there happens to be an injury, hopefully a minor one; or an instant replay review when the referee goes to the sideline.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More