I get a particular feeling of joy on those rare occasions when I can steer readers and viewers, during this seemingly endless and soul-sucking pandemic, towards something that is so full of joy itself – that will make you feel good watching it, and beaming with satisfaction and happiness even afterward. Well, for a while. And here’s a wonderful example: Directed by Spike Lee, it’s HBO’s TV adaptation of a buoyant Broadway treat: David Byrne’s American Utopia,&n

2020

Oct

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN By David Bianculli

And speaking of things to recommend and watch that bring joy… Here’s another TCM showing of the 1952 movie musical classic, starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. TCM shows this movie a lot, and why not? It’s great. And Reynolds, who was cast in this movie and filmed it when she was just 19 years old, turned 20 only 10 days before Singin’ in the Rain premiered in 1952. Her first starring performance is fabulous – but so is just about every performance i

2020

Oct

2020 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS By David Bianculli

When the Tampa Bay Rays took the first three games in this year’s American League Championship Series, proceeding to the World Series seemed an almost foregone conclusion. In baseball history, 38 teams have fallen behind 0-3 in the league series, and 37 of them lost. The sole exception: the Boston Red Sox, who climbed back against the New York Yankees to claim the pennant in 2004. But after winning last night’s Game 6, the Houston Astros have won three straight, and tied the ALCS at

2020

Oct

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE By David Bianculli

Yes, it’s another fresh episode of NBC’s SNL – and it’s hard to imagine that Alec Baldwin won’t return to make fun of Donald Trump’s town hall appearance on the same network earlier this week. Can’t wait. Issa Rae of HBO’s Insecure guest hosts, marking her first time appearing as such at Studio 8-H. And the musical guest, Justin Bieber, has been featured on this show many times – not only appearing as himself, but as imper

2020

Oct

THE REMARKABLE TALENT OF SISTER ROSETTA THARPE By Mike Hughes

It was a time before Elvis or Aretha, a time when "rock" and "soul" were mostly just nouns. It was when Sister Rosetta Tharpe brought a rocking, soulful feel to gospel music...

2020

Oct

"DO WE CARE?" NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER JOEL SARTORE EXPLAINS HIS LIFE'S WORK IN NATGEO WILD'S 'PHOTO ARK' By Alex Strachan

At its heart, the Photo Ark is one man's 25-year mission to save the world's wildlife, one photo at a time...

2020

Oct

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 By David Bianculli

MOVIE PREMIERE: Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed this new take on the 1969 trial of the Chicago 7 – originally, the Chicago 8. They were various revolutionary leaders put on trial by the Nixon administration, which claimed conspiracy as the cause of the protests and violence outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. There have been other dramatizations of this trial, which took six months in 1969, and was derailed from several angles: the outrageously eccentric and conserv

2020

Oct

PERFECT WEAPON By David Bianculli

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: So you’re depressed enough by current events that you’re not sure you want to watch a new documentary about international cyber warfare, and how the Russians are targeting the imminent U.S. presidential election. I understand. I feel your pain. But hey – this new documentary, directed by John Maggio and based on the book by New York Times national security correspondent David E. Sanger, doesn’t spend all its time depressing you about cyber-

2020

Oct

2020 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS By David Bianculli

In the National League Championship Series, after the Atlanta Braves won the first two games in this best-of-seven contest, the Los Angeles Dodgers asserted themselves Wednesday with a 15-3 rout, sending the Braves a message. Well, message received – and responded to. Yesterday, the Braves bounced back with a rout of their own, winning Game 4 by a 10-2 score, and heading into tonight’s Game 5, televised at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, with a 3-1 series lead. Unless the Dodgers answer again, thi

2020

Oct

THE WAY I SEE IT By David Bianculli

In this documentary, premiering on TV tonight, Pete Souza, the chief official photographer for the White House during the Barack Obama years, provides his perspective on those years – through his camera, and through his candid and very personal memories.

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