The television series M*A*S*H premiered on CBS in 1972, and fast established itself as one of the best and most popular series in TV history. But before there was a sitcom, brilliantly developed by Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, there was a movie, brilliantly directed two years before by Robert Altman. It had a slightly meaner tone than the TV series, but was full of Altman’s trademark overlapping dialogue, visually frenetic staging, improvised moments, and waves of very dark

2019

Jan

TAG By David Bianculli

This 2018 comedy movie concerns a group of friends who have played the same unending game of tag for 30 years – and who conspire to finally tag the one player who’s never been “it.” The cast of this film is an unusual mix: Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson. What’s even more unusual, though, is that this film is based on fact, and on a group of perpetual Peter Pans.

2019

Jan

PLANET EARTH: DYNASTIES By David Bianculli

As it’s televised in the United States, tonight’s episode of Dynasties, “Chimpanzees,” is the second in the series. You might presume, like I did, it would be less bloody and brutal than last week’s opener, “Lions,” but you’d be mistaken. There’s a lot of conflict in this particular group of chimps – it’s a jungle out there. But the way the Dynasties crew identifies and follows its subjects, season in and season out, makes it a ve

2019

Jan

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE By David Bianculli

Tonight’s guest host is James McAvoy, and the musical is rapper Meek Mill. Given the week’s news events, expect the cold open political sketch to dominate the show – at least until “Weekend Update” kicks in.

2019

Jan

THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT By David Bianculli

SERIES FINALE: The last batch of episodes for the final season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt shows up today, wrapping up the series on an optimistic note – and on lots of notes, period, as music takes a playfully prominent role in many of these final stories. Watch them in order, but pay attention, in particular, to the “Sliding Van Doors” episode, in which Kimmy’s reality follows an alternate, and very, very different time line, allowing all the regular players (Carol

2019

Jan

BLADE RUNNER 2049 By David Bianculli

We waited many, many decades for the original Blade Runner movie, the influential dystopian sci-fi drama starring Harrison Ford and based on a story by Philip K. Dick. And when Blade Runner 2049 finally arrived in 2017, starring Ryan Gosling and featuring Ford in a crucial supporting role, it wasn’t worth the wait. But its technical effects are quite good, and so are some of the other supporting cast members, including Robin Wright and Edward James Olmos. But overall, as sequels go, this i

2019

Jan

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER By David Bianculli

The most newsworthy element of this week’s show, and the biggest “get,” arrives right at the top, when Maher welcomes his old friend, and political polar opposite, Ann Coulter. It’s been said that her diatribe, scolding President Donald Trump for caving on his border wall promise, is the primary reason we’re now in the second month of a government shutdown. And not only has it been said, but Maher is likely to open by saying it tonight. However Coulter answers, this

2019

Jan

STREAMING SERVICE BROADWAYHD BRINGS US 'A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN' By David Hinckley

The tragic mystique of Janis Joplin has considerably outstripped the success she enjoyed back when she was with us...

2019

Jan

CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAPES By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: Today is the 30th anniversary of the execution of Ted Bundy, a serial killer accused of murdering more than 30 women in a long-running national crime spree. This four-part nonfiction series gathers archival and new interviews with many people connected to the cases – but the core are the never-before-released audiotapes, recorded in 1980 by a pair of journalists, of Bundy himself, in conversations that took place when he was awaiting his fate on Death Row.

2019

Jan

GOTHAM By David Bianculli

Because this is the second half of the final season of this prequel to the Batman saga, we’re really getting close to the end. Which means, regarding this show’s heroes and villains, we’re finally approaching the beginning. The Penguin is acting more like himself, and Ed Nygma is about to act more like the Riddler. Selina Kyle already has begun to embrace her inner Catwoman – and tonight, or very shortly, the Joker may surface and make his move.

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