SERIES PREMIERE: The acting in this new series, and the casting, are much better than the scripts, which disappoint by not serving up very interesting or original mysteries. Eric McCormack, formerly of Will & Grace, plays a professor who has occasional hallucinations, which help him solve crimes as a consultant to the FBI. Even that central gimmick isn’t employed impressively, but when the guest roster, in the opening shows, includes Sheryl Lee from Twin Peaks and Neal McDonough from J

2012

Jul

1994: THE DEBUT OF CBS'S 'MUDDLING THROUGH' By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1994, CBS introduced the sitcom Muddling Through, a short-lived series starring Stephanie Hodge and the pre-Friends Jennifer Aniston...

2012

Jul

THE MISSLES OF OCTOBER By David Bianculli

2012 is the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the 38th anniversary of this superb made-for-TV movie, a behind-the-scenes play-by-play account (based in part on Bobby Kennedy’s Thirteen Days)...

2012

Jul

REALITY IS IN GOOD CARE ON 'NY MED' By Eric Gould

Here's a documentary series that shows we don't need all the scripted chaos of a TV emergency room. There's plenty of it going on at an actual hospital near you...

2012

Jul

GUILTY PLEASURES By Eric Gould

Romance novels have maybe never been more popular; and as the upcoming PBS documentary points out, one is sold about every four seconds around the world. it unmasks the forces shaping this large part of the publishing industry, but it's also a humourous and touching look at ordinary readers...

2012

Jul

2012 WIMBLEDON TENNIS MEN'S FINAL By David Bianculli

This could well be the most-viewed Wimbledon men’s final in history. Certainly, that will be true in England, where Andy Murray is the first male British player to reach the finals since 1938 (and where no British man has won the trophy since 1936). The home-crowd excitement should be huge, and history is in the making either way – because if Murray (pictured) doesn’t win his first Wimbledon title, Roger Federer will win his seventh.

2012

Jul

THE WALKING DEAD MARATHON By David Bianculli

The two-day marathon concludes today, and pay particular attention to the crowning entry – a 10 p.m. ET repeat of the series’ original pilot. But it’s a repeat with a difference, because it’s being televised in black and white, instead of the original color version. This is, no question, an odd twist, the reverse of the “colorization” process that Ted Turner used to enliven (or, in my mind, desecrate) old black-and-white TV shows and films. So what do you call

2012

Jul

TRUE BLOOD By David Bianculli

As usual, this series moves at vampire-fast speed, covering lots of ground and zipping from plot point to plot point. In one scene, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll, pictured) gives new vamp Tara (Rutina Wesley) a pep talk about why being a vampire is cool – and later, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) breaks the news about Tara to Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and Bill (Stephen Moyer), who learn how fast things can change when they leave town.

2012

Jul

THE NEWSROOM By David Bianculli

This third episode is where The Newsroom truly begins – or, at least, where Aaron Sorkin allows his fictional news characters to present the news as they see fit. The revamped News Night begins with a replay of former Counter-Terrorism chief Richard Clark testifying in front of the 9/11 Commission in 2004, apologizing. Then comes Jeff Daniels as anchorman Will McAvoy, saying, “Americans liked that moment. I liked that moment,” after which he apologizes for presiding over a news

2012

Jul

EPISODES By David Bianculli

Last week, Pucks! premiered to poor ratings and worse reviews. This week, everyone is in panic mode – especially the studio – but that doesn’t stop the cast and crew from forging new alliances. For example: why, in the dressing room of Matt LeBlanc, are these Friends bobbleheads bobbing? Answer: It’s one of my favorite sight gags of summer. See for yourself.

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