Given their prominence in Season 3’s strong opening episode of Masters of Sex, it’s of no small import to then see a climactic printed disclaimer that basically says, “Just pretending..."

2015

Jul

CHRIS TUCKER LIVE! By David Bianculli

Chris Tucker’s first stand-up comedy special, filmed in his home town of Atlanta, will please his hardcore fans –but for an inaugural special, it doesn’t so much set him up as an original comic voice as one who loves physical comedy – especially suggestively sexual motions – more than well-crafted punch lines. But here it is, for the record… and Tucker does carry himself with bravado and self-assurance, which, in comedy, counts for a lot.

2015

Jul

2015 WIMBLEDON TENNIS By David Bianculli

Today are the men’s semfinals, already underway with No. 1 seed Nolan Djokovic facing the one non-Top 3 seed left standing, No. 21-ranked Richard Gasquet. Then comes the battle between the No. 2 and No. 3 seed, each with his own fervent fan base: Roger Federer and Andy Murray, respectively.

2015

Jul

AMERICAN MASTERS: "HARPER LEE" By David Bianculli

In June of this year, author and filmmaker Mary McDonagh Murphy visited her old friend, Harper Lee, for a new sit-down discussion (pictured) about the discovery of Lee’s manuscript for Go Set a Watchman, Lee’s hugely anticipated “new” novel. That conversation has been added to Murphy’s 2012 American Masters study of Harper, back when the author had only one published novel to her credit. The original title of the American Masters profile – Hey Boo: Harper Lee

2015

Jul

DESPICABLE ME By David Bianculli

Great timing. The day The Minions hits theaters, ABC Family presents a prime-time rerun of Despicable Me, the 2010 animated film that introduced the yellow-skinned, oddly shaped, bizarrely behaving characters. (And no, they’re not The Simpsons.) The Minions are great fun – as you can see here, in every one of their screen appearances supporting mega-villain Steve Carell.

2015

Jul

THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING By David Bianculli

Parts 5 and 6. This spoof miniseries concludes tonight, with one more last wrap-up soliloquy by bloated author and filmmaker Eric Jonrosh (Will Ferrell), and with the end of the story of Fifties jazz musician turned amateur detective Rock Banyon (Michael K. Williams).

2015

Jul

2015 WIMBLEDON TENNIS By David Bianculli

This has been a great year for Wimbledon tennis, with dramatic matches and much-anticipated face-offs occurring virtually every day. Today, that tradition continues with one match in particular in the women’s semifinals: top-seeded Serena Williams vs. No. 4 seed Maria Sharapova. These ladies had a very close match at the Australian Open earlier this year, but Sharapova hasn’t beaten Williams since 2004 – the year when a young Sharapova came out of nowhere to upset Williams in t

2015

Jul

DATES By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: Dates really surprised me. From the title, and the network, I expected a reality show full of beautiful young twentysomethings. Instead, this series turns out to be much more mature, challenging, and original. In fact, it’s not a CW original at all, but a British import – of an anthology drama series from 2013. Two episodes are shown each Thursday this summer on CW, beginning with the first date between David and Mia (Will Mellor and, from Game of Thrones, Oona Chapl

2015

Jul

THE SEVENTIES By David Bianculli

Tonight’s installment is called Crimes and Cults – and if you think it’s just an excuse to revisit Charles Manson and his murderous cult from the early Seventies, the decade actually was a hotbed for serial killers and homicidal cultists. Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, the Zodiac Killer, Jim Jones (whose stunning mass suicide staging at Jonestown is pictured here), “Son of Sam” David Berkowitz, the Hillside Strangler – in this scary episode about disenfranchiseme

2015

Jul

THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING By David Bianculli

Parts 3 and 4. In tonight’s episodes, watch for a short but very attention-getting appearance by Kate McKinnon of Saturday Night Live, playing a train wreck of a jazz groupie. She commits to her scenes, and her characters, in a way that’s funny on its own – adding spark to this goofball spoof just when it needs a lift. Michael K. Williams stars.

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