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DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

Bianculli's Blog

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

The Cold Light Reader

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Dateline Donovan
Contributors

DAVID HINCKLEY

All Along the Watchtower

ED BARK

Uncle Barky's Bytes

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TV That Matters

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Open Mike

ED MARTIN

Ed Martin's TV Mix

KIM AKASS

Aerial View

MONIQUE NAZARETH

MNtv

BILL BRIOUX

TV Feeds My Family

ROGER CATLIN

TV Eye

GARY EDGERTON

Must-Click TV

TOM BRINKMOELLER

Raised On MTM

GERALD JORDAN

Crossing Jordan

NOEL HOLSTON

The Grassy Noel

TVWW ARCHIVE

Contributors Archive
 
 
2012
Aug
12
CLOSING THOUGHTS ON THE 2012 OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY By David Bianculli
 
 

The Closing Ceremony to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, like the Opening Ceremony, were unmistakably, sometimes inexplicably British. Like the Games themselves, I loved some elements, was baffled by others, but watched regardless…

 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
AMC'S GRITTY 'HELL ON WHEELS' CELEBRATES THE ANTI-HERO By Eric Gould
 
 
Staying true to its title, the American West of Hell On Wheels isn't an earthly paradise for its residents...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
CHEF RAMSAY LAUNCHES HIS FOURTH FOX SERIES By Ed Bark
 
 
Hotel Hell is every bit as watchable — in a morbidly fascinating way — as Gordon Ramsay's other Fox crock pots...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS By David Bianculli
 
 
For the final day of Olympic competition, NBC may not have saved the best for last, but it’s certainly saved most of the last for itself.  Live coverage of the men’s marathon begins at 6 a.m. ET on NBC, and live coverage of the men’s basketball gold-medal game begins at 10 a.m. ET, with the U.S. squad taking the court against Spain, the same team it beat four years ago in Beijing. And all this comes to an end, starting at 7 p.m. ET, with the Closing Ceremonies, also televi
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
TRUE BLOOD By David Bianculli
 
 
Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), once again, is on his knees and threatened with the “true death.” But this time, the person doing the threatening is someone he didn’t formerly consider an enemy.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
BREAKING BAD By David Bianculli
 
 
In last week’s episode, Walt (Bryan Cranston) showed his wife so much of his controlling side that she protested by meekly trying to drown herself in their pool as her sister and brother-in-law visited. This week, Walt shows the same formerly dormant dominance with his son, Walt Jr. (RJ Mitte), who doesn’t know quite how to react to it either. But the elder Walt, these days, is taking control of all aspects of his life. At least for now.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
THE COMEDY CENTRAL ROAST OF ROSEANNE By David Bianculli
 
 
The Roastmaster of this recently taped “salute” to Roseanne Barr is Jane Lynch, who saves some of her most biting barbs for Chick-fil-A. Some words will be bleeped, just as some of Jeff Ross’ widely reported jokes already have been excised. As for what remains, expect some one-liners from guests Carrie Fisher. Katey Sagal, Seth Green, Ellen Barkin, Wayne Brady, ex-husband Tom Arnold, and others.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
12
THE NEWSROOM By David Bianculli
 
 
In this week’s episode, Jane Fonda returns as Leona Lansing, the corporate owner of the cable network for which news anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) and news executive Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) work. And this week, Leona informs Charlie that Will may not be working there much longer, despite his multi-year contract.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
11
TNT'S 'MAJOR CRIMES' PICKS UP WHERE 'THE CLOSER' ENDS By Ed Bark
 
 
Is it a crime to say that the continuation of The Closer under a new title might be a better series without Kyra Sedgwick?
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Aug
11
2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS By David Bianculli
 
 
NBC is broadcasting the Olympics on its parent broadcast network most of the day and evening, and is saving one particularly high-profile event for prime time: the women’s volleyball gold-medal match. But in daytime, on this penultimate day of competition, tune to NBC Sports Network at 10 a.m. ET for the men’s soccer finals, with Mexico vs. Brazil, both of them vying for their first Olympic gold medal in this particular sport.
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
New From TVWW

PBS' 'Frontline’ Examines Pension Promises and — Spoiler Alert — Finds the Math Doesn’t Add Up
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
The Decadence of ‘Versailles’ Comes to Ovation
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
Prescribing Mamie Gummer in 'Emily Owens, M.D.'
By Ed Bark
 
 
 
 
Looking for a Free Ride? HBO Can Deliver
By Christy Slewinski
 
 
 
 
'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy
By Noel Holston
 
 
 
 

Dispatches From TVWW

'Extinction: The Facts' is a Sobering Call to Action
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
How 'Mayans' Has Been Influenced by the Show's Creator Elgin James
By Mike Hughes
 
 
 
 
For Whom the Bell Tolls: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Take on Ernest Hemingway, the Man and the Myth
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
In the Final Season, Sutton Foster's Liza is Now the Genuine Version of Her 'Younger' Self
By Monique Nazareth
 
 
 
 
Season 2 of 'City on a Hill' Returns with Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, and Boston Corruption
By David Hinckley