Fifty years ago to the minute on CBS, The Beatles played live on U.S. television for the first time, and changed pretty much everything. For my take on the topic, see Bianculli’s Blog, and visit the Fresh Air website to hear a special Beatles-related Fresh Air with Terry Gross program, on which I host, offer a review, and replay Terry’s interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. That same duo will be interviewed, more currently, on this new CBS special, by David Letterman, in th

2014

Feb

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC: "DOWNTON ABBEY" By David Bianculli

We’re up to episode six of Season 4, and a new set of running subplots, featuring characters who have been waiting, sometimes not too impatiently, to demand their share of the spotlight. In tonight’s episode, it’s the younger generation of upstairs women at Downton who step to the fore – and, on one somewhat scandalous occasion, on the dance floor. Check local listings.

2014

Feb

THE WALKING DEAD By David Bianculli

MIDSEASON PREMIERE: Apparently, the episode nine midseason premiere of Season 4 of The Walking Dead – the one premiering tonight at 9 ET on AMC – was accidentally released early this morning (Sunday), for a few hours, on Xbox Video. (Those damned walkers – they’ll show up anywhere!) Well, for those watching on AMC, the action resumes tonight, preceded by a rerun showing of episodes from the first half of the season. And if you remember the cliffhanger (if you saw it, you

2014

Feb

TRUE DETECTIVE By David Bianculli

Because of the Super Bowl, True Detective took a break last week – but it returns tonight with its strongest episode yet. It concludes – and this is no spoiler, just an admiring observation – with a super-long, super-complicated, super-intense tracking shot, by director Cary Joji Fukunaga, that matches any similarly elaborate set pieces filmed by Martin Scorsese or Brian De Palma.

2014

Feb

EPISODES By David Bianculli

I don’t want to issue a Spoiler Alert here, but I do want to Alert you, period – to one of the funniest, most unexpected TV moments I’ve seen in years. All I’ll say is that it occurs when Beverly and Sean (Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan), the long-suffering, on-again, off-again TV writing team from England, attend a couples therapy session and are asked a series of very personal questions. I laughed out loud, so loudly and suddenly, it was more like an explosion than anythi

2014

Feb

TONIGHT ON CBS, WATCH THE BEATLES THEN – AND HALF OF THEM NOW By David Bianculli

Fifty years to the minute after The Ed Sullivan Show introduced The Beatles to America on live TV, CBS presents another musical Beatles special…

2014

Feb

THE XXII OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES By David Bianculli

The Opening Ceremonies started with a hitch, built to some truly impressive video projections, and set up today’s day of competition. For the U.S., more news, at this moment, is being made by who’s not competing, rather than who is. Lindsay Vonn, after her injury, is now reporting for NBC rather than competing on it. And the latest surprise is that Shaun White, who qualified for, and occupied a spot on, the U.S. team in today’s snowboarding competition, has decided not to compe

2014

Feb

THE COLOR OF MONEY By David Bianculli

Paul Newman first played the character of pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson in 1961’s The Hustler. Twenty-five years later, in 1986, he reprised the role, opposite Tom Cruise (who played Eddie’s young protégé), in a sequel directed by Martin Scorsese. And Newman won an Oscar for his troubles. More than 25 additional years have passed since this movie was made, so it’s certainly worth a look, and not merely a nostalgic one.

2014

Feb

42 By David Bianculli

Chadwick Boseman plays Jackie Robinson in this 2013 baseball biopic, and Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, in a movie written and directed by Brian Helgeland.

2014

Feb

THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW By David Bianculli

If you’re hooked on HBO’s True Detective, you won’t want to miss this. Tonight’s guests, on this new edition of The Graham Norton Show, include Matthew McConaughey, who shares the couch with Julianne Moore, Sheryl Crow, and Alan Davies.

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