SERIES FINALE: The Big Bang Theory premiered in September 2007 – which is a long, long while ago, even in the relative universe of time and TV. Put it this way: The Big Bang Theory was into its second season when Barack Obama was elected President. And tonight, it ends – and I expect a healthy initial audience, because this show has earned the hearts and minds it’s won over the years.

2019

May

IZOMBIE By David Bianculli

The central gimmick of this show – that “functioning” zombie Liv (Rose McIver) can temporarily absorb the memories and skills of the murder victims whose brains she samples – has been passed on to her partner in “cold case” detection, Ravi (Fahul Kohil). And tonight, the two of them snack on competitive ballroom dancer brains, then try to solve their glitzy new murder case by training for their own ballroom dance-off. And for the occasion, the usually white-ha

2019

May

YOUNG SHELDON By David Bianculli

SEASON FINALE: It’s the Season 2 finale for Young Sheldon, which will continue next year on CBS. And since it’s narrated by Jim Parsons, it’s the only place where his Sheldon, or at least his voice, will continue on the network into 2020.

2019

May

UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY: A BIG BANG FAREWELL By David Bianculli

SPECIAL PREMIERE: There’s a long tradition of long-running, very popular TV situation comedies presenting not only a meaningful finale, as with the record-smashing M*A*S*H, but an after-celebration special, looking back on the show’s production and history – as with Cheers, Seinfeld and Friends, just to name three. This special, Unraveling the Mystery, shows the evolution of this particular sitcom, and how Chuck Lorre and company brought it to CBS and kept adjusting its recipe.

2019

May

STATE OF THE UNION By David Bianculli

I seem to be writing the word “penultimate” a lot lately. It’s May, and a lot of series are fast approaching their season finales and finales – or, as is the case tonight on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, jumping from the penultimate and presenting the ultimate. But tonight, Sundance’s State of the Union indeed is presenting its penultimate installment – and with only 20 minutes of dialogue-heavy drama left (tonight’s 10-minute episode and tomorrow&rsq

2019

May

PAUL NEWMAN DOUBLE FEATURE By David Bianculli

Two of Paul Newman’s most dazzling star showcases are shown tonight in prime time by TCM. At 8 p.m. ET, there’s 1963’s Hud (pictured), Newman’s character study of a consummate rebel. And at 10 p.m. ET, there’s one of my favorite movies of all time: 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, directed by George Roy Hill and co-starring Robert Redford. In the 50 years since this film’s original release, I don’t think I’ve gone a week without quo

2019

May

SURVIVOR By David Bianculli

SEASON FINALE: This is not a recommendation. This is the finale of the 38th cycle of Survivor competitions, which I stopped watching several years ago, after watching and supporting them for a very long time. But when even the variations became repetitive, I lost interest – just as I have done increasingly, this season, with NBC’s The Voice. But if you’re still into tribal councils and duplicitous winners, here you go again. Jeff Probst, after all this time, still hosts.

2019

May

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS By David Bianculli

Last week’s episode was not only this treat of a TV show’s best yet – it also used the excuse of the convening of a “vampire’s council” to make room for a gaggle of unexpected, delightful cameos. Not only did Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi and Jonathan Brugh comprise their original roles from the movie that served as the inspiration for this FX spinoff series, but there were appearances by celebrity vampires – actors who had played vampires on film or TV

2019

May

BROCKMIRE By David Bianculli

Gabby tumbled into a depression bender last week, defiling her own home with rude graffiti aimed at her cheating wife – and falling off the fitness wagon by having a fast-food “banquet” from Panda Express. By episode’s end, she’d blurted out all her personal traumas while delivering live commentary on a baseball broadcast – the exact way her broadcast partner, Brockmire, began his own downward spiral at the start of this series. Gabby, though, has some help&he

2019

May

STATE OF THE UNION By David Bianculli

Part 8. Last night, Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd had a pre-therapy session argument about their respective tastes in pop culture: Her character likes Meet the Midwife and dislikes black-and-white films, while his character, a critic, is precisely the opposite. Really made me laugh – and love both of these characters even more. Two more episodes to go, at 10 minutes each, and I’m already bemoaning the imminent end of this intoxicating TV experiment.

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