Frozen Planet, the latest nature documentary series co-production between the BBC and Discovery Channel, premieres in the United States with a Sunday night doubleheader that is astoundingly gorgeous. But once again, at the same time Discovery rewards our intelligence by scheduling a nonfiction series this good, it also insults us -- by swapping narrators for American ears...

2012

Mar

CALLING ALL READERS! LET YOUR DAY JOB BE A TICKET TO A TVWW GUEST COLUMN By David Bianculli

The next incarnation of TV WORTH WATCHING really, truly is coming -- maybe a month or so away, at this point, but closer all the time. And we're making room, among other things, for one new feature that will allow us to take advantage of you. Yes, you. In a way we hope you'll enjoy...

2012

Mar

HBO SARAH PALIN DOCUDRAMA, 'GAME CHANGE,' IS FAIR AND BALANCED By David Bianculli

There's one quick and easy way to distinguish my critique of HBO's Game Change, the new telemovie about Sarah Palin's foray into national politics in the 2008 presidential election, from those of most of the criticisms leveled by conservative commentators, political insiders, and even Palin herself. I've actually seen the damned thing...

2012

Mar

BOLDLY GO TO NPR'S 'FRESH AIR' TODAY, AND HEAR MY INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM SHATNER By David Bianculli

On the Tuesday, Mar. 6 edition of NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, the second half of the show is devoted to my interview, conducted last week, with an actor, an author, a Broadway star, recording artist, movie actor, commercial spokesperson and TV icon. And they're all the same guy -- William Shatner...

2012

Mar

TEN YEARS ON, HBO'S 'REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER' IS REAL GOOD By David Bianculli

As part of its 10th-anniversary celebration, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher has been prefacing each show with a short, outrageously entertaining clip from its archives. Based on how good the current installments have been, there will be no shortage of similar highlights to showcase in the future...

2012

Mar

HEY, HEY, IT'S THE MONKEES -- MY MEMORIES OF DAVY JONES AND COMPANY By David Bianculli

Wednesday's death of Davy Jones hit the media hard, and hit us here at TVWW as well. Managing editor Diane Werts has written a wonderful For Better or Werts column explaining, extolling and encapsulating the Monkees and their impact and influence...And I have my own memories and observations to add as well -- starting with the fact that, when I was a young teen, The Monkees were the first group I ever saw in concert. I even remember, quite well, their opening act that day in Miami on July 9, 1967. It was a guy named Jimi Hendrix...

2012

Feb

2012 OSCARS: AN ILLUSTRATED, ANNOTATED TOUR, FROM BILLY CRYSTAL TO... CHEWBACCA? By David Bianculli

ABC's Academy Awards telecast Sunday night had too much filler, fell far too flat, and had too few special moments -- though it did have a few. A few presenters scored, Billy Crystal was solid though not quippily quotable, the fashion scene-stealers of the night were Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie, and Cirque du Soleil soared, literally...

2012

Feb

GOT A MINUTE? HELP US CHOOSE SOME NEW TVWW SLOGANS By David Bianculli

We here at TV WORTH WATCHING are so close to launching the next version of our website that it's time to reach out, and start asking for help. So we want to tap your brains, and ask your help -- in coming up with some new slogans for TV WORTH WATCHING...

2012

Feb

'OCEAN GIANTS' PBS 'NATURE' SPECIAL IS ONE WHALE OF A SHOW By David Bianculli

PBS surrenders its entire prime-time Wednesday lineup tonight at 8 ET to a three-hour, three-part Nature special called Ocean Giants. Originally aired on the BBC, it follows filmmakers and divers Doug Allen and Didier Noirot as they go around the world photographing, swimming with, and trying to understand the behavior of various species of whales and dolphins...

2012

Feb

NBC'S 'SMASH' STAR ON BROADWAY IN MARILYN MONROE ROLE: LIFE IMITATES ART IMITATES LIFE IMITATES... WHERE WAS I? By David Bianculli

Megan Hilty, who in NBC's Smash plays one of the actresses vying to play the lead in a new musical about Marilyn Monroe, will star in May in a New York City Center Encores! musical production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the movie version of which featured Monroe singing the ultra-iconic "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"...

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David Bianculli

Founder / Editor

David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and is an occasional substitute host for that show. He's also an author and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His 2009 Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', has been purchased for film rights. His latest, The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific, is an effusive guidebook that plots the path from the 1950s’ Golden Age to today’s era of quality TV.

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