I'm really, really impressed by NBC's Smash, the new making-of-a-musical drama series -- NOT a reality show -- that premieres Monday. I'll have a full review of that series then -- but for now, please check out Thursday's Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR, on which I interview two of the show's executive producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron...

2012

Feb

ONCE ON 'X FACTOR,' PAULA ABDUL IS NOW AN EX-'FACTOR' By David Bianculli

In reality-TV terms, it would be like Donald Trump turning to his own son on NBC's The Apprentice and dismissing him with a curt "You're fired": Simon Cowell has delivered several pink slips regarding his Fox series The X Factor, effectively X-ing out not only stiff-as-a-surfboard host Steve Jones and wishy-washy judge Nicole Scherzinger, but his American Idol crony Paula Adbul as well. Which proves at least two things... One, Cowell is an astute enough businessman to make and steal headline

2012

Jan

THE MOST HUMAN MOMENTS AT THE MOST UNEXPECTED TIMES By Theresa Corigliano

Mad Men and Downton Abbey -- I know. It seems odd to talk about these two shows in the same paragraph. But both shows hold up mirrors to their times. Both of them have persuaded me that I would not have been happy as a young woman in either the early 1900s or 60 years later..

2012

Jan

HOT SPOTS: SUPER BOWL ADS! By Diane Werts

Are you getting psyched about the Super Bowl? Or are you getting psyched about Super Bowl commercials? The NFL's big clash sometimes seems less about pigskin than about advertising, as sponsors fight to stand out among the fusillade of spots coming at viewers on the most-watched program of the year. Here's some ratings perspective. Last year's NFL championship match between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers was seen by 111 million Americans, making it Nielsen's most-watched broad

2012

Jan

I'M BRAYING FOR ASSISTANCE: HELP ME RENAME THIS TV DONKEY By David Bianculli

Hanging art in a museum is nothing unusual, but the way New York's Guggenheim Museum hung the collected works of Maurizio Cattelan for a recent exhibit certainly qualified as odd. All of his pieces, in a display appropriately titled All, were hung from the ceiling of the museum's seven-story rotunda-- one of them spoke to me the most...

2012

Jan

HOUSE By David Bianculli

If you don’t recognize the young actress playing House’s Jane Doe patient tonight, the youngest people in your household might: She’s Bridgit Mendler, graduating from her Disney Channel role on The Wizards of Waverly Place.

2012

Jan

GOSSIP GIRL By David Bianculli

I don’t normally highlight this series – but it is the 100th episode, and there is a wedding in which Blair (Leighton Meester) is walking down the aisle. It’s with whom, and whether she goes through with it, that makes this particular episode more newsworthy than most. At least on a slow TV night.

2012

Jan

GOOD 'LUCK': HBO BRINGS DAVID MILCH, AND OTHER THOROUGHBREDS, TO A NEW TV SERIES By David Bianculli

David Milch. Michael Mann. Dustin Hoffman. Nick Nolte. HBO's Luck, which premieres Sunday night at 9 ET, claims all of those defiantly individual artists and more, working towards a common goal: to produce an involved, multi-layered, intriguing show about the world of horse racing. At that goal, they cross the finish line impressively -- but not in record time. It takes a while to define, understand and warm up to the characters and conflicts in Luck -- but it's worth the effort, and the comm

2012

Jan

IT'S WORTH EAVESDROPPING ON DAVID STEINBERG'S 'INSIDE COMEDY' CONVERSATIONS By David Bianculli

Showtime series Inside Comedy, David Steinberg doesn't get much respect from Don Rickles in the opening show -- and that's funny. But he does get lots of respect, with equally amusing results, from Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Steve Carell, Jane Lynch, Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Brad Garrett and Larry David. And that's just in the first five installments of this very welcome, very entertaining, arguably important 10-part TV show...

2012

Jan

REACH OUT AND 'TOUCH' KIEFER SUTHERLAND'S NEW FOX TV SERIES By David Bianculli

When Kiefer Sutherland ended his run on Fox's 24 -- and much of the time, as CTU loner Jack Bauer, he was indeed running -- he wasn't expected to return to TV very quickly. Yet here he is, starring in a new series called Touch, which is unveiled with a sneak preview Wednesday night at 9 ET on Fox...

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