Let’s see, there’s Rex Tillerson, and the western Pennsylvania special election results, and the latest storm over Stormy Daniels, and President Trump’s excited talk about establishing a “space force” – and it’s only Wednesday. Have at it, Samantha.

2018

Mar

THE NETWORK OF MUSICALS STRIKES AGAIN WITH 'RISE' By Ed Bark

Here comes Rise, a 10-episode series in which a frustrated high school English teacher attempts to walk on the wild side by directing an adaptation of Spring Awakening, a Tony Award-winning musical exploration of teen angst and sexuality

2018

Mar

NBC'S 'RISE' RISES ONLY SO FAR By David Hinckley

The real-life story behind NBC’s new Rise could make a wonderfully inspiring documentary. Whether it seeds a compelling weekly series could be a different question...

2018

Mar

RICKY GERVAIS: HUMANITY By David Bianculli

SPECIAL PREMIERE: This is the first Ricky Gervais standup special in seven years. And as surprising as that is, the ease with which he continues to command the stage, totally controlling the rhythms and reactions while seeming fully conversational, is even more astounding. He starts out by talking about the Golden Globes, and inappropriate humor, and imagining himself as a “species-change” chimpanzee named Bobo – and takes off from there, eventually getting to food allergies, H

2018

Mar

THE VOICE By David Bianculli

This is the sixth night of Blind Auditions for The Voice. This segment of the show seems to expand each year – and if it is expanding, it’s with good reason. It’s the unique part of this show, and the most magical. And I love watching the faces of the judges as they hear the first notes from the contestants, trying to judge them sight unseen, and listening for talent and magic. It’s a pure, wonderful moment, and a totally hopeful and inspirational exercise.

2018

Mar

THIS IS US By David Bianculli

SEASON FINALE: This is the last show of the season for This Is Us. If nothing sad or emotional happens this episode, to end the year, it’ll be the first time all year So don’t expect the worst, necessarily – but expect something.

2018

Mar

RISE By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: This new series comes from Jason Katims, one of my favorite TV creators, who’s given us both Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. Those are two adaptations of existing properties – one a book and movie, the other a movie and sitcom – that Katims somehow turned into original TV masterworks. So the fact that Rise is, like Friday Night Lights, based on a true story didn’t concern me. What concerns me, after watching the first half of this first season of Rise

2018

Mar

AMERICAN IDOL By David Bianculli

Last night, American Idol premiered in its new iteration, brought back by ABC with new judges, but the same host (Ryan Seacrest) and basic tone and approach. That was one test – but another arrives tonight, as the musical competition series that formerly ruled television now goes up directly against the reigning champ in that genre, NBC’s The Voice. And when you put the two head to head, to me it’s no contest at all. Katy Perry, the most attention-demanding of the new Idol judg

2018

Mar

THE VOICE By David Bianculli

The new cycle of The Voice, still in Blind Auditions in its third week, is a very enjoyable show to watch. The byplay among the four judges – this time, it’s Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Alicia Keys and newcomer Kelly Clarkson – is genuinely giddy and boisterous. They’re all having a good time, and clearly in full-out competitive mode, doing whatever they can to amass talented rosters for their own teams while undercutting the other judges with verbal counter-arguments, sh

2018

Mar

JANE By David Bianculli

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: This feature documentary makes its TV premiere uninterrupted by commercials tonight on the National Geographic Channel, and it’s a beautiful piece of work. It’s about the pioneering chimpanzee-study work of Jane Goodall, and is built around hundreds of hours of film footage that was taken more than 50 years ago, but stored in archives and never used until now. Filmmaker Brett Morgen, who has helmed dramatically compiled documentary studies of Kurt Cobain and Rob

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