CBS took one look at its new live, unscripted competition series "Secret Talents of the Stars" -- or, more precisely, took one look at the overnight ratings -- and killed it immediately. My question is: What took CBS so long?

2008

Apr

WELCOME BACK, NBC THURSDAY NIGHT -- ESPECIALLY "30 ROCK" By David Bianculli

How long does it take for NBC's "30 Rock" to re-establish itself, in its first fresh post-strike episode, as the funniest comedy on TV right now? One second. Literally, one second. That's because the new episode, shown tonight at 8:30 ET, begins with a fake promo for the finale of the fake show mentioned once before...

2008

Apr

I'VE GOT A "SECRET" I DON'T WANT By David Bianculli

The CBS celebrity competition series "Secret Talents of the Stars" sounded like a horrible concept, but I didn't want to prejudge -- and couldn't, because it was televised live last night. Well, now I've seen it, and it's time for the postjudging...

2008

Apr

BROADCAST SHOWINGS OF CABLE SERIES: SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLEW By David Bianculli

The ratings are in. The first outing for NBC's Sunday-night duo of recycled "Monk" and "Psych" episodes (first seen on USA Network) drew only 5.6 million and 4 million viewers, respectively, and only a fraction of that in the coveted younger demographic. So should the strike-induced move be considered a failure, or a success?...

2008

Apr

MORE SHOWS RETURNING! ANOTHER STRIKE LOOMING? By David Bianculli

How long has it taken for things to return to normal after the writers' strike? This long... and longer. Scripted prime-time series began to check in with their first post-strike episodes during the past two weeks, but there are plenty left to come...

2008

Apr

"BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" RETURNS WITH FRAKKING STRONG EPISODE By David Bianculli

It's always dangerous, when you're talking about TV, to think in terms of firsts, onlys and absolutes, but Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" holds, arguably, a very distinctive place in TV history. It may well be the best series ever made based on one of the worst series ever made...

2008

Apr

NBC PLANS, GOD LAUGHS By David Bianculli

What I love most about NBC's "52-week" schedule plan, announced yesterday, is the unbridled optimism of it. It's actually a 65-week plan...the brainchild of relatively new NBC Entertainment and Universal Studios co-chairman Ben Silverman, who laid out the plans of his fourth-place network with pride and enthusiasm....

2008

Apr

THIS JUST IN: 2007 PEABODY AWARDS ANNOUNCED, AND IT'S ANOTHER DISCERNING ROSTER By David Bianculli

The University of Georgia just released its list of the 2007 Peabody Award winners for excellence in broadcasting... and what an amazing, discerning, inspiring list it is. These folks sure know excellence when they see it...

2008

Apr

NETWORKS MISSING THE VALUE OF RELIABILITY By David Bianculli

If you're watching broadcast network TV these days, you've been inundated with the various ways they're letting you know their scripted programs are about to come back. NBC plays the theme from "Welcome Back, Kotter." CBS has gone from "All Gnu" to letting you know, like ABC, that you have only a week or two until your favorites will be back!...

2008

Apr

BROADCAST NETWORKS BOUNCE BACK FROM STRIKE WITH AMBITIOUS NEW SCRIPTED SERIES... APRIL FOOLS! By David Bianculli

More scripted shows are trickling back into prime time in their post-strike incarnations -- both "My Name Is Earl" on NBC and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS return Thursday. But as some shows return, and others are benched until fall or buried forever, what's next? Maybe it's better not to ask...

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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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