A few wishful references to the contrary, the 1950s Australian drama A Place to Call Home won’t make heartbroken fans forget Downton Abbey. But it’s worth watching all on its own...

2016

Apr

THE VOICE By David Bianculli

Both The Voice and American Idol are diluting the product, or stretching the inventory, tonight with retrospective specials. In the case of The Voice, it’s a one-hour “previously on The Voice” special, catching up viewers on what’s happened so far this season. And since Cycle 10 has been, to this point, the show’s best, I’d suggest it for anyone who hasn’t been watching, but would like to jump aboard the bandwagon. And in this case, the band is included.

2016

Apr

AMERICAN IDOL: AMERICAN DREAM By David Bianculli

This is a retrospective of American Idol, but not just of this season. It’s of the show’s entire run, starting with Brian Dunkleman – which is why Fox is allotting 90 minutes. And we may as well look back, because after next week’s finals, we won’t have American Idol to watch any more.

2016

Apr

CAPE FEAR By David Bianculli

Two very memorable movies from 1962 are shown tonight in prime time – both about lawyers, and both starring Gregory Peck, on what would have been his 100th birthday. First up: Cape Fear, in which he plays an attorney terrorized by a vengeful former convict he helped send to prison. Robert Mitchum plays the vicious ex-con, who terrorizes the lawyer and his family.

2016

Apr

AMERICAN CRIME STORY: "THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON" By David Bianculli

MINISERIES CONCLUSION: Episode 10. This is the final installment of this unexpectedly excellent dramatization of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. When the verdict was televised live in 1995, it drew one of the largest TV audiences in history. This FX re-examination won’t score those kind of ratings. Then again, the original trial coverage didn’t win any Emmys – and this one will, starting with Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark.

2016

Apr

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD By David Bianculli

The second Gregory Peck movie in prime time, also from 1962, is To Kill a Mockingbird. Watch it with a child of the right age (and the right age may be anywhere from 8 to 18), and you might make them an even better person as a result. What a great film – and, with its insistence on standing up for unpopular causes and seeing beyond racial differences, what a great message.

2016

Apr

NEVER MIND 'OUTWIT, OUTLAST AND OUTPLAY': SOMETIMES THE REAL GAME ON ‘SURVIVOR’ IS SIMPLY TO SURVIVE By Alex Strachan

By now, Survivor’s audience is used to the routine. Twenty or so contestants are thrown together in a remote tropical location and are split into tribes. At some point, whoever’s left in the two tribes merges into a single group of conflicting personalities...

2016

Apr

DROLL BRIT COMEDY THAT FINDS HUMOR IN METAL DETECTING RETURNS TO ACORN By David Hinckley

The Detectorists achieves that rarest of all television distinctions: It’s not like anything else on the air. It’s a British comedy about two middle-aged guys whose passion is metal detecting. How often can you ever say that about a TV show?...

2016

Apr

DETECTORISTS By David Bianculli

SEASON PREMIERE: Remember The Detectorists, the quiet, quirky comedy that showed up last season with six episodes of Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook playing beachcombers with metal detectors? It’s back, starting today, imported by the Acorn TV website, with another six episodes – and this time, there’s room for a guest appearance by none other than Diana Rigg. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

2016

Apr

THE VOICE By David Bianculli

More knockout rounds, more high-energy performances – and more mentoring by, and free publicity for, guest star Miley Cyrus, who just announced she’s joining The Voice next year as an official judge.

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