DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
2011
Jul
20
 
 
If you're following the Murdoch scandal, it pays to throw a fairly wide media net. On Tuesday, live coverage of the Rupert and James Murdoch hearing, and the testimony of Rebekah Brooks, was presented on Current TV, with Keith Olbermann presiding as anchor and John Dean weighing in as an analyst. Tuesday night, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart scored big, by underlining how Murdoch's Fox News has been largely ignoring the story...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
19
 
 
In my previous blog entry, I suggested the creation of a TV equivalent of Turner Classic Movies, but for TV -- a real one, not like what TV Land has morphed into -- and got lots and lots of fabulous responses, and suggestions for shows deserving of inclusion on such a network. You can read that post, and those comments, HERE. But you can also read a lot more on Twitter, where people have chimed in separately...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
18
 
 
The same year it earned a Peabody Award, and the same week it was handed a second Emmy nomination for Andre Braugher as Outstanding Supporting Dramatic Actor, Men of a Certain Age was awarded by TNT Friday by being given its pink slip. After two excellent seasons...It deserved to be shipped off to a home...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
15
 
 
What a weekend for quality TV. I don't know whether it's coming or going -- and this weekend, with Friday Night Lights leaving NBC and Breaking Bad returning to AMC, it's doing both...In both cases, I'll end up referring you elsewhere...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
14
 
 
Many of the nominations I most wanted to see this year, acknowledging such superb work as Margo Martindale's sinister Mags in FX's Justified and Kelly Macdonald in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, ended up making the cut. But others, as usual, did not, starting with egregious snubs in the Outstanding Drama category for FX's Rescue Me and Justified, and HBO's Treme and True Blood...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
12
 
 
Wednesday night at 10 ET, FX's Rescue Me returns with the first of its final nine episodes about New York firefighters, in a run culminating with a finale scheduled, fittingly, the week of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Damages, the Glenn Close legal drama formerly seen on FX, returns for a new season, its fourth, Wednesday night at 10 ET as well -- but in a new location, on DirecTV's exclusive Audience network. Both series are great, and both should, must, be seen...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
11
 
 
It's almost laughable that September still is considered the start of the TV season -- because if you think of seasons in terms of a bountiful harvest, now is the season of our contentment. This month, in particular, brings back fresh episodes of more great shows than we have a reason to expect at any one time. Put it this way: How many series you're watching each week right now are likely to end up on your end-of-year Top 10 TV list? For me, it's a lot...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
8
 
 
Two more delightfully different TV shows return this weekend to brighten up the summer: HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm sitcom, returning Sunday at 10 p.m. ET, and the sci-fi drama series Torchwood, returning Friday at 10 p.m. ET on Starz, its new home. Both shows are daring, playful, and far more intelligent than the norm in their respective genres...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
7
 
 
I'm really happy about this one. NBC has confirmed that James Spader, one of the many guest actors who appeared as candidates to replace Steve Carell's Michael Scott in the season finale of The Office, will join the cast next season. It's exactly what I hoped for when the episode was televised in May...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Jul
6
 
 
Wednesday night at 10 ET on TNT, Men of a Certain Age presents its second-season finale, with Ray Romano's Joe competing in the qualifying round for golf's Seniors Tour. Meanwhile, today on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, I talk to Ray Romano about his excellent drama series, his life and his career. Just some middle-aged guys sitting around talking -- just like on his TV show...