LOS ANGELES -- Last year, an utterly underwhelming fall TV season from the broadcast networks was saved by a new cable-TV series, HBO's Boardwalk Empire, that blew the competition away. This year, another sub-par fall season again will be redeemed by an innovative, exciting cable newcomer...

2011

Aug

PRESS TOUR: TED DANSON LIGHTENS UP 'CSI' By Diane Werts

Ted Danson is now D.B. Russell. Ashton Kutcher is now Walden Schmidt. Two famous faces are making familiar shows fresh again this fall on No. 1-viewed network CBS. Kutcher didn't "do" press tour for his new Two and a Half Men character. But TV standby Danson made the CSI panel Wednesday, seeming substantially refreshed himself...

2011

Aug

SUMMER TV TREATS: SEE 'SUITS' 'IN PLAIN SIGHT,' WITH 'RIZZOLI & ISLES' & 'FRANKLIN & BASH' By Eric Gould

It's clear by now there's a TV recipe out there with quite a bit of traction. Start with a buddy pair of leads, add great hair, glowing skin, toothy grins. Sprinkle with snarky quips and hipster references on the minute. Repeat weekly. In concept, not my idea of TV Worth Watching, or even TV Worth Folding Laundry By. But a funny thing happened on the way to the reject pile...

2011

Aug

MSNBC HOSTS PREDICT NEXT PRESIDENT, IDENTIFY PAST TV PUNDIT INFLUENCES By David Bianculli

LOS ANGELES -- At a Television Critics Association press conference Tuesday, three high-profile MSNBC hosts were asked to predict who would win the next presidential election, and to identify the TV commentators who most inspired them before they themselves became TV commentators. Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Lawrence O'Donnell, as usual, had no shortage of opinions...

2011

Aug

HEY, LOOK: IT'S JERRY LEWIS! By Bill Brioux

The amazing thing about Jerry Lewis is that he's still here. Dean's long gone. Sammy's gone, Frank's gone, almost all of those ring-a-ding rat packers checked out years ago. Lewis, the subject of Encore's biographical documentary Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis (airing this fall), has had ticker problems for decades but endures. He's still raging, too, which may explain his longevity. So getting to see the dude at press tour is a kick...

2011

Aug

PRESS TOUR AT THE PLAYBOY MANSION! By Bill Brioux

I accidentally dropped my glasses into the swirling waters of the Playboy Mansion's infamous grotto Wednesday night, and now every time I glance at my computer screen it looks like it has implants. Fortunately, fearless Television Critics Association publicist Cindy Ronzoni kicked off her heels and waded into the grotto to fetch my specs, picking the frames up with her toes. It was the hottest thing I saw all night at The Mansion, which is still a very cool joint but has a bit of a frozen-in-the-'70s feel...

2011

Aug

PRESS TOUR: PBS 'PROHIBITION' ANOTHER POTENT CONCOCTION FROM THE KEN BURNS TEAM By David Bianculli

The next documentary from Ken Burns and company, a six-hour look at Prohibition, will run Oct. 2-4 on PBS. It's another strong entry in the Burns canon, directed by Burns and Lynn Novick, written by Geoffrey C. Ward, and featuring, among many others, Last Call author Daniel Okrent. Except for Ward, all of them attended a Television Critics Association press conference Sunday night to discuss the new series -- and, afterward, to raise a glass or two...

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