DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
2011
Aug
6
 
 
It's been a pretty good press tour when you can say you were in on sessions with Harry Belafonte, Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Lewis, Gloria Steinem, Davy Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, Hugh Laurie, Ken Burns...and, yes, the Playboy Mansion. Add Paul McCartney to that list and all you can say is: "Fab"...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
5
 
 
During the upcoming pledge period, PBS will air three musical specials that are so enjoyable, and so well performed and produced, they may remind those watching of when the major networks regularly broadcast these kinds of shows. Even though commercial broadcast networks have abandoned such musical programming for less costly amateur hours, PBS ably picks up that dropped baton with concerts by Barbra Streisand and Michael Feinstein and a special about how the pre-Beatles folk-music scene grew
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
5
 
 
LOS ANGELES -- On Sept. 10, 2011 -- one day before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- Showtime will premiere "The Love We Make", an Albert Maysles documentary about Paul McCartney's organization and presentation of a post-9/11 show-of-support-for-New-York concert 10 years ago...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
5
 
 
Do we really need another reality show? Do we really need another talent competition? Do we really need more Simon Cowell? Well, yes. To all three. Says Simon Cowell...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
4
 
 
LOS ANGELES -- There's a burst of interesting news coming out of the Television Critics Press tour all of a sudden, along with some equally intriguing lighter moments. News today; features tomorrow. And the latest news includes several series renewals on Showtime, a Lady Gaga TV special imported by the CW, and an update about the still-in-the-works movie version of 24...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
3
 
 
LOS ANGELES -- Last year, an utterly underwhelming fall TV season from the broadcast networks was saved by a new cable-TV series, HBO's Boardwalk Empire, that blew the competition away. This year, another sub-par fall season again will be redeemed by an innovative, exciting cable newcomer...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
3
 
 
Ted Danson is now D.B. Russell. Ashton Kutcher is now Walden Schmidt. Two famous faces are making familiar shows fresh again this fall on No. 1-viewed network CBS. Kutcher didn't "do" press tour for his new Two and a Half Men character. But TV standby Danson made the CSI panel Wednesday, seeming substantially refreshed himself...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
2
 
 
It's clear by now there's a TV recipe out there with quite a bit of traction. Start with a buddy pair of leads, add great hair, glowing skin, toothy grins. Sprinkle with snarky quips and hipster references on the minute. Repeat weekly. In concept, not my idea of TV Worth Watching, or even TV Worth Folding Laundry By. But a funny thing happened on the way to the reject pile...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
2
 
 
LOS ANGELES -- At a Television Critics Association press conference Tuesday, three high-profile MSNBC hosts were asked to predict who would win the next presidential election, and to identify the TV commentators who most inspired them before they themselves became TV commentators. Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Lawrence O'Donnell, as usual, had no shortage of opinions...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2011
Aug
1
 
 
The next documentary from Ken Burns and company, a six-hour look at Prohibition, will run Oct. 2-4 on PBS. It's another strong entry in the Burns canon, directed by Burns and Lynn Novick, written by Geoffrey C. Ward, and featuring, among many others, Last Call author Daniel Okrent. Except for Ward, all of them attended a Television Critics Association press conference Sunday night to discuss the new series -- and, afterward, to raise a glass or two...