Two of our critics had wildly different reactions to the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Eric Gould, for example, called it a "spectacular tribute to British history," and asked what in the world was left out: perhaps only a song and dance tribute to the Great Plague? Or Monty Python?...

2012

Jul

2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS By David Bianculli

The centerpiece of TV’s Olympic coverage in the U.S. is NBC’s 8 p.m. ET prime-time programming, and events decided earlier will be repackaged and showcased there. But for those who want to watch their sports live, be prepared to tour the TV landscape at an all-day, all-out pace. On cable, the NBC Sports Network begins coverage at 4 a.m. ET, of women’s soccer (USA vs. Colombia) and five other events, including archery and handball. Tennis coverage begins at 7 a.m. ET on Bravo, a

2012

Jul

DOCTOR WHO MARATHON By David Bianculli

Just as Doctor Who lands on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, BBC America presents an all-day marathon presenting, in order, all episodes from the recently completed Season 5. But it’s only Season 5 of the modern reboot. The Doctor Who series originally began in 1963 – and, except for a brief respite before the current incarnation, has been running, in England at least, ever since. The latest titular star of the show: Matt Smith.

2012

Jul

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? By David Bianculli

One of the great all-time camp classics, and diva showdowns. Joan Crawford stars as a disabled woman mocked and tortured by her unhinged sister, a former child star played, with ferocity and glee, by Bette Davis. Her off-camera disdain for Crawford certainly didn’t hurt the final result here. This movie was released in 1962 -- and when I saw it as a kid, I was scared to death.

2012

Jul

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II By David Bianculli

Last month, what turned out to be an Internet hoax, with a doctored visual, claimed that the future had arrived: That June 27, 2012, was the day on which Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown time-traveled to the future from 1985. Nope. The actual date was, and is, Oct. 21, 2015. So there’s still plenty of time to plan a theme party.

2012

Jul

THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN By David Bianculli

You’ve seen this 2005 Judd Apatow comedy already, no doubt, and laughed at the antics of Steve Carell’s titular shy guy and his pals, including Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd, as he begins a hesitant romance with a single mom played by Catherine Keener. But this time, pay close attention to the supporting actresses in this film: they include Elizabeth Banks (pictured here with Carell), Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch and Kat Dennings, all of whom have gone on to more prominent roles in the seven y

2012

Jul

MOYERS & COMPANY By David Bianculli

On this weekend’s program, Bill Moyers interviews Karl Marlantes, a Rhodes scholar and Vietnam veteran who struggles to make sense of the concept of war. But as an online extra added this week to the Moyers & Company website, Moyers also delivers an exclusive video essay about the Colorado shooting, in which he takes aim at recent interpretations of the second amendment. You can watch that video essay HERE. Moyers & Company airs from Friday to Sunday on local public TV statio

2012

Jul

PRIMARY COLORS By David Bianculli

If you’ve seen USA’s Political Animals, even though we at TVWW have warned you not to bother, then you know it’s an unabashed fan fiction drama about Bill and Hillary Clinton, with the names changed to protect the guilty from lawyers. But here’s the real deal – a very smart 1998 political satire, directed by Mike Nichols, starring John Travolta and Emma Thompson as a thinly veiled variation on Bill and Hillary. Compare and contrast, and you’ll see why Po

2012

Jul

2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS By David Bianculli

And so it begins. Don’t expect a dazzling spectacle on the scale of Beijing as London hosts the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Jon Stewart, reacting to press conference video in which a scale model of the pastoral setting planned by the Brits, likened it to the Teletubbies set.” Ouch. But here it comes, along with a bunch of sheep, some folks playing cricket, and Sir Paul McCartney performing. And from this moment on, the temperature will be taken for the 2012 s

2012

Jul

WEB THERAPY By David Bianculli

Promos for Monday’s episode of Web Therapy promised a very special mystery guest star. The mystery was solved Monday night, when it turned out to be Julia Louis-Dreyfus, playing the sister of Lisa Kudrow’s Fiona. The two actresses had a great time acting out a vicious verbal duel of sibling rivalry – so if you missed it Monday, here’s a convenient chance to catch up.

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