I can't figure this one out. A recent CBS news release announced the network was planning to broadcast a weekend daytime religious program called "Faith in Action: Young People Making a Difference." I didn't know such things still were being made...

2010

Sep

'GALLOPING GOURMET,' REDIRECTED, HANDLES LIFE WITH CARE By Tom Brinkmoeller

Pace, as in the miles-per-hour context, always seems to have had a large role in the life of Graham Kerr. When he was in his 30s, in the late 1960s, he won over a very large number of viewers and pretty much invented a TV cooking form when he was known as "The Galloping Gourmet" and hosted a daily syndicated show of the same name...

2010

Sep

CLASSIC "MOLLY DODD" SERIES REMAINS LOCKED UP, AWAITING 'BAIL' By Tom Brinkmoeller

Rare snippets of "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd," like the opening sequence above, can be seen on YouTube -- but for those who would love to see that classic TV sitcom again in its entirety, I have some not-so-good news...

2010

Aug

PBS PRESENTS A PRIME-TIME MUSICAL COMPETITION, SANS SIMON COWELL By Tom Brinkmoeller

Anomaly alert: Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET on PBS, a network will broadcast a competition during which no devious alliances were formed, no overstuffed mogul fired anyone and -- though music is center-spotlight -- there was no connection whatesover to Simon Cowell. No weigh-ins; no texting of votes; no mile-high performance pastries...

2010

Aug

"HOT IN CLEVELAND" IS FIRST STOP ON TOUR OF TV LAND'S NEW NEIGHBORHOOD By Tom Brinkmoeller

Anyone else see the growing irony in this? TV Land is a cable network that replays series that once were huge hits on the broadcast networks -- when those networks knew how to regularly schedule the kinds of shows people just never skipped...But since the June premiere of "Hot in Cleveland," TV Land has escalated the contest several notches...

2010

Aug

NBC OVERTURNS LAWS OF REALITY IN UPCOMING "OUTLAW" LEGAL DRAMA By Tom Brinkmoeller

If you were watching a TV drama about baseball where the batter got a single and ran to third base -- not to first -- and the story made that seem normal, would you wonder if the show's producers knew very much about the sport? Hope not. So don't look for too many factual insights into the country's top court when Outlaw premieres this fall on NBC...

2010

Aug

CROSSING THAT "BROOKLYN BRIDGE" WHEN WE COME TO IT By Tom Brinkmoeller

[Bianculli here: Back in May, contributing writer Tom Brinkmoeller posted a column that may well have generated more comments than any single TV WORTH WATCHING post. It was about the oft-delayed DVD release of Gary David Goldberg's classic "Brooklyn Bridge" comedy series -- and with this report, he updates the story...]

2010

Aug

THE NEW COOKING CHANNEL IS HALF-BAKED By Tom Brinkmoeller

[Bianculli here: The former Fine Living Network has downsized with the times, and now presents itself as The Cooking Channel. Contributing writer Tom Brinkmoeller has seen the new incarnation, and posed questions to network representatives, and still finds both the channel's programming, and the slogan, somewhat lacking...]

2010

Jul

GUEST BLOG #106: TOM BRINKMOELLER SALUTES THE LONG, IMPRESSIVE LINEAGE OF PBS'S "AMERICAN MASTERS" By Tom Brinkmoeller

[Bianculli here: Wednesday night at 9 ET, most PBS stations are presenting the latest "American Masters" documentary, a profile of veteran country artist Merle Haggard. He's survived for decades despite the fickle currents of pop culture -- but so has American Masters itself. Tom Brinkmoeller tracked down the show's persistent and perceptive executive producer, Susan Lacy, to learn how...]

2010

Jun

GUEST BLOG #99: TOM BRINKMOELLER ON THE BERLIN WALL -- WELL, NOT LITERALLY By Tom Brinkmoeller

[Bianculli here: PBS presents a new documentary on the Berlin Wall tonight, and contributing writer Tom Brinkmoeller gives us an advance look at the literally two-sided political story...]

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Tom Brinkmoeller

I wrote about television for a daily newspaper (The Cincinnati Enquirer) in the '80s, but what drew me to covering it was how good this young medium so often was. So much of what was good then came from MTM Enterprises and its alumni. When I left the beat, MTM was still setting high standards with drama series like St. Elsewhere and comedies like Newhart. Because general TV standards have dropped a great distance since then, it's no reason to capitulate. My role here is to find and spotlight programming that still honors high standards.

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