SEASON PREMIERE: Because of the season-long anthology approach of this series, tonight’s episode actually should count as a series premiere. It’s an all-new story, with some stellar returning stars – Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates – joined by some bold newcomers to the American Horror Story fold. Paulson is the amazing scene-stealer this week, Michael Chiklis and Angela Bassett show up next week, and other favorites are held back even longer, but there’s

2014

Oct

BYE BYE BIRDIE By David Bianculli

This 1963 movie musical, playing off the Elvis Presley craze and his headline-grabbing appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, stars Jesse Pearson as Conrad Birdie, a hip-swiveling, lip-sneering, guitar-playing pop star. Pau Lynde plays the protective father of a daughter who wins a fan contest to receive a personal visit from Birdie. The daughter is played by Ann-Margret, who steals the show from the start (literally: from the opening credits) – but Lynde does get to sing an ode to Ed Sulliv

2014

Oct

THE COLBERT REPORT By David Bianculli

Carol Burnett already has appeared on The Colbert Report this year, doing a droll comedy bit about sarcasm with host Stephen Colbert – but that was patched in via satellite. On tonight’s show, she shows up in person, which is more than reason enough to tune in.

2014

Oct

2014 NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS By David Bianculli

The St. Louis Cardinals outplayed and outlasted the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, giving it a 2-1 edge in games and making this afternoon’s Game 4 the chance for the Cardinals to advance to the National League Championship Series for the fourth straight year. That game begins at 5 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. Also last night, the San Francisco Giants threw away what could have been its series-clinching game against the Washington Nationals, with a throwing error that led to a loss, setting u

2014

Oct

FAMILY GUY By David Bianculli

The good news: Utopia is tanking so badly for Fox that the network has scrapped its Tuesday outing of the show, and continued to broadcast the abrasive “reality show” on Fridays only. The better news: Taking the place of Utopia tonight is a repeat of the recent one-hour Family Guy crossover special with The Simpsons, a giddily clever installment that paired all the right characters in all the right circumstances.

2014

Oct

FINDING YOUR ROOTS By David Bianculli

Talk about having the tables turned: One of Henry Louis Gates’ guests on tonight’s edition of Finding Your Roots is Ken Burns, the documentarian who’s much more used to probing other people’s histories than having his own family tree examined. But tonight, this series traces back Burns’ ancestry – and discovers that Burns (like another of tonight’s guests, CNN’s Anderson Cooper) is descended from Southerners who owned slaves. Check local listings.

2014

Oct

NETWORK By David Bianculli

Last week in my TV History & Appreciation class at Rowan University, we showed Paddy Chayefsky’s Marty, one of the seminal Golden Age live TV dramas of the Fifties. Later this term, in that class’ unofficial sequel, I’ll show the movie that TCM is showing tonight: Chayefsky’s 1976 masterpiece, Network, an astoundingly prescient commentary on television that is equal parts searing satire and accurate prediction. Peter Finch is perfect as the mad prophet of the airwaves

2014

Oct

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART By David Bianculli

They’ve parried and thrusted on each other’s shows so many times by now, so to speak, that both Jon Stewart and tonight’s guest, Bill O’Reilly, seem to truly enjoy the game, whenever one of them ventures into the other’s lion’s den. Tonight, O’Reilly makes his latest appearance, to promote his latest book – while Stewart, as usual, will want to talk at least as much about what he perceives as the latest excesses by Fox News. Gentlemen, en garde!

2014

Oct

2014 NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS By David Bianculli

After yesterday’s games, and sweeps, the Baltimore Orioles will be playing for the pennant for the first time since 1997, while the Kansas City Royals will be going for its first pennant in almost 30 years. Meanwhile, their sweeps make today’s TV schedule a little simpler: just two games, televised by two different networks. First, at 5 p.m. ET, it’s the Washington Nationals vs. the San Francisco Giants, presented by the Major League Baseball Network. The Giants, after winning

2014

Oct

THE BIG BANG THEORY By David Bianculli

In tonight’s episode, Raj introduces his girlfriend Emily to the gang – and the gang reacts with a less than unified and unconditional welcome. Laura Spencer guest stars in her recurring role as Emily.

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