DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: Part 1 of 2. This four-hour documentary, concluding tomorrow night on ABC, comes not from the network’s news division, but as a co-production by People magazine and Four M Studios (the recently rebranded TV production arm of Time Inc.). So, essentially, it’s People, so expect that level of depth, which isn’t much. But ABC might as well devote four hours of valuable prime-time real estate to a look at Britain’s Royal Family – because really, thi

2018

Aug

ALMOST FAMOUS By David Bianculli

Cameron Crowe’s 2000 semi-autobiographical movie, about his early days as an underage rock journalist for Rolling Stone, is a well-crafted, completely delightful movie, with set-piece scenes that include proof of the infectious joy of rock ’n’ roll, set on a tour bus to an impromptu singalong to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” There are plenty of great performances leavened into this mix that worth savoring again and again, including Philip Seymour Hoffman’s

2018

Aug

MR. MERCEDES By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: Last year’s first season of Mr. Mercedes would seem to have completed the story it set out to tell. Based on the Stephen King novel, it was a very gripping miniseries about a retired detective named Bill Hodges, played by Brendan Gleeson, haunted by a crime he had been unable to solve – the case of a deranged man who used a stolen Mercedes to plow into a crowd of people lined up to apply at a job recruitment fair. That man, Brady Hartsfield, played by Harry Treadaway

2018

Aug

FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE By David Bianculli

There are certain weeks where comedy recaps of real-life news can seem almost therapeutic. This is one of them, and of the weekly shows doing such duty – by Bill Maher, John Oliver and Samantha Bee – Bee gets to approach the plate and swing first.

2018

Aug

SEASON 2 OF 'MR. MERCEDES' BRINGS MORE MYSTERY AND FRIGHT By David Hinckley

At the end of the first season of Mr. Mercedes, psychotic mass murderer Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway) almost died. That’s the almost good news as Season 2 of Mr. Mercedes launches...

2018

Aug

'BETTY WHITE: FIRST LADY OF TELEVISION' IS A WELL-DESERVED TRIBUTE TO A PIONEER By David Hinckley

Back in the golden age of advertising jingles, when every television commercial seemingly strove for a catchy tune that would force viewers to start involuntarily humming...

2018

Aug

BETTY WHITE: FIRST LADY OF COMEDY By David Bianculli

SPECIAL PREMIERE: There’s only really one truly delightful new offering on TV tonight – but it’s one that covers the entire history of television, and salutes an actress who has been there from the start, and never left. The subject of tonight’s PBS biography is Betty White, whose career includes the sitcoms Life with Elizabeth in the early 1950s (pictured) and Hot in Cleveland some 60 years later – and, in between, makes room for everything from regular roles on Th

2018

Aug

JAMES CORDEN AND PAUL MCCARTNEY: YESTERDAY AND TODAY By David Bianculli

When James Corden premiered his “Carpool Karaoke” segment featuring Paul McCartney on his CBS Late Late Show in June, it was much longer than usual – and much more emotional. Tonight at 8 ET, in a prime-time special, it’s even longer…

2018

Aug

CARPOOL KARAOKE: WHEN MCCARTNEY MET CORDEN, LIVE FROM LIVERPOOL By David Bianculli

Tonight CBS presents a special prime-time bonus entry of The Late Late Show with James Corden, offering an expanded edition of the recent, extremely popular “Carpool Karaoke” segment featuring Paul McCartney in his Liverpool road trip down Penny Lane and beyond. For my full story on this segment, and the perhaps surprising British TV history preceding it, see Bianculli’s Blog. It features about an hour’s worth of additional video, including a surprise appearance by Ringo

2018

Aug

BETTER CALL SAUL By David Bianculli

Tonight’s episode is called “Something Beautiful” – and it is. Not only does it bring the characters played here by Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks one step closer to their less lawful counterparts in Breaking Bad – but it makes room for yet another familiar face from that show, making an appearance on this prequel series for the first time. The only clue I’ll give you? Said character is singing along to a song by the great Tom Lehrer.

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