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DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

Bianculli's Blog

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

The Cold Light Reader

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Dateline Donovan
Contributors

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All Along the Watchtower

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Uncle Barky's Bytes

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TV That Matters

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Open Mike

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Ed Martin's TV Mix

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MNtv

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TV Feeds My Family

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Must-Click TV

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Raised On MTM

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TVWW ARCHIVE

Contributors Archive
 
 
2016
Jul
17
HBO'S 'VICE PRINCIPALS': AN AVALANCHE OF OBVIOUS JOKES AND DIRTY WORDS By David Hinckley
 
 
HBO’s Vice Principals will run 18 episodes, which makes it not a good sign that the laughs are already feeling forced by the end of episode one...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
17
2016 BRITISH OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT By David Bianculli
 
 
Yesterday’s third round was a fabulous round of golf to watch, with so many golfers doing so many inventive things to make it through the tricky Troon course. Today’s final round appears to be a two-man battle between Phil Mickelson, who led for most of the tournament, and Henrik Stenson, who shot an even more impressive round than Michelson yesterday to take a one-stroke lead at the final hole. Stenson starts today at 12 under par, Mickelson at 11 under. Great scores, considering th
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
17
THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH By David Bianculli
 
 
This is Must-See TV, if you’re at all into politics. (And this year, if you’re not, you’re making a big mistake, whatever your affiliation.) Tomorrow is the start of the 2016 Republican National Convention, and this documentary series, somehow, will capture the lead-up to Donald Trump’s announcement – a tweet – of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (pictured) as his vice presidential running mate.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
17
THE BEST MAN By David Bianculli
 
 
Tonight’s special TCM movie theme, based on tomorrow’s start of the Republican National Convention, is titled “Conventional Wisdom,” and it begins with two movies that use political conventions as a backdrop. First up is this 1964 movie, with a screenplay written by Gore Vidal, about the two leading candidates for president of one party. Both have secrets, and those secrets are known, and perhaps will be put in play, by their rival camps. Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson (
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
17
THE HUNT By David Bianculli
 
 
Tonight is Episode 3 of this stunningly photographed new nature series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and tonight’s show pays attention to jungle animals. The photography on The Hunt has been astounding, so even if you’re busy elsewhere, record this for later.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
17
THE NIGHT OF By David Bianculli
 
 
This is the second episode of this excellent new eight-part crime series – and tonight is the episode where John Turturro, barely seen in the pilot as a rumpled attorney, steps into the center stage spotlight as he offers to represent a young man accused of a brutal murder. He steps up in sandals, but still. For my full review on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, visit the Fresh Air website. For another full review, see David Hinckley’s All Along the Watchtower.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
17
VICE PRINCIPALS By David Bianculli
 
 
SERIES PREMIERE: This new HBO series stars Walton Goggins and Danny McBride as rival candidates for a retiring principal’s position at a high school. Bill Murray makes an extended cameo as the outgoing principal, but doesn’t have much to do. It’s fun to watch Goggins, so astounding as a star of The Shield and Justified and a recurring guest star on Sons of Anarchy, dive headlong into a purely comedic role – but the tone of the comedy is uncomfortably uneven, with one tras
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
16
2016 BRITISH OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT By David Bianculli
 
 
The 2016 British Open golf tournament, played at Royal Troon in Scotland, reared its windy and rainy head yesterday, and pushed many of the players way over par. But Phil Michelson, who shot an amazing 8 under par on day one when conditions were better, fought through with a 2 under par on day two, to lead the pack at the start of play today at 10 under par. But right behind him, at 9 under, is Henrik Stenson, who had a wonderful 6 under par round yesterday, before conditions got really brutal.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
16
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON By David Bianculli
 
 
O’Shea Jackson Jr. (pictured) stars as Ice Cube in this 2015 dramatization of the rise of the rap group N.W.A. – which is noteworthy, as is the family resemblance, because his father, O’Shea Jackson Sr., is Ice Cube. Corey Hawkins plays Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell portrays Eazy-E – and Paul Giamatti plays the white guy music manager who sees the potential in their angry stage presence and defiant lyrics. If you don’t know what N.W.A. stands for, you’ll know as soo
 
 
 
  
 
 
2016
Jul
16
THE ODD COUPLE By David Bianculli
 
 
TCM has found several excuses to play this 1968 screen adaptation of the classic Neil Simon comedy – but who’s complaining? Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau star.
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
New From TVWW

PBS' 'Frontline’ Examines Pension Promises and — Spoiler Alert — Finds the Math Doesn’t Add Up
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
The Decadence of ‘Versailles’ Comes to Ovation
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
Prescribing Mamie Gummer in 'Emily Owens, M.D.'
By Ed Bark
 
 
 
 
Looking for a Free Ride? HBO Can Deliver
By Christy Slewinski
 
 
 
 
'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy
By Noel Holston
 
 
 
 

Dispatches From TVWW

'Extinction: The Facts' is a Sobering Call to Action
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
How 'Mayans' Has Been Influenced by the Show's Creator Elgin James
By Mike Hughes
 
 
 
 
For Whom the Bell Tolls: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Take on Ernest Hemingway, the Man and the Myth
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
In the Final Season, Sutton Foster's Liza is Now the Genuine Version of Her 'Younger' Self
By Monique Nazareth
 
 
 
 
Season 2 of 'City on a Hill' Returns with Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, and Boston Corruption
By David Hinckley