SERIES PREMIERE: I’ve seen only the first two episodes of this new series – certainly not nearly enough to figure out what’s going on, much less whether this series is worth watching in the long run. My first impression is a reluctant no – partly because most of the early performances are as overdone as the violence. Mira Sorvino doesn’t even get enough of a chance to be judged fairly in the early episodes, but others do – and even the youngest players seem mi

2014

Aug

THE SIMPSONS MARATHON By David Bianculli

The every-episode mega-marathon of The Simpsons continues on FXX – and damned if I’m not already sucked in, dividing my attention, and my DVR, between this marathon and the Doctor Who one over on BBC America. You can’t go wrong either way – but make special plans to watch or record The Simpsons today at 4 p.m. ET, when one of the series’ very best episodes is repeated: the Season 4 classic “A Streetcar Named Marge,” in which a Springfield community theat

2014

Aug

DOCTOR WHO TAKEOVER WEEK By David Bianculli

All day today, there are more Doctors in the house. Today is the penultimate day of the Doctor Who takeover week, and it includes a new special, at 9 p.m. ET, called Doctor Who: Earth Conquest. It follows the actor playing the imminent 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, as he embarks on a seven-city, five-continent, 12-day tour to promote the new incarnation of Doctor Who. Fittingly, accompanying him on this whirlwind publicity tour is Jenna Coleman, the actress playing the Doctor’s current (and

2014

Aug

PRO FOOTBALL By David Bianculli

This pre-season game, between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, gives viewers an early look at these two teams as they head into the 2014-15 season with big dreams and grandiose game plans. And the same can be said of CBS, which is about to present a new prime-time football franchise that it’s promoting with truly unprecedented fervor and effort. And why not, since NBC’s Sunday Night Football prime-time game was last season’s most popular TV series?

2014

Aug

KILL YOUR DARLINGS By David Bianculli

Here’s an idea for a mystery movie that can’t be beat: It’s about the original Beats, and a murder in 1944 that pulls together some of the best poetic minds of its generation. Daniel Radcliffe plays a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Huston plays Jack Kerouac, and Ben Foster plays William Burroughs.

2014

Aug

THE KNICK By David Bianculli

This episode, the third in the series, ramps the show up to a higher level, as Dr. Thackery (Clive Owen) confronts a former love who now seeks his professional help. Jennifer Ferrin plays a woman from his past who asks him to operate on her, for a type of particularly risky and grisly reconstructive surgery. What was state of the art in 1900 is almost too painful to contemplate and witness now – and watching the recovery period is no less dramatic and disturbing than the prospect of the op

2014

Aug

DOCTOR WHO TAKEOVER WEEK By David Bianculli

There are now two warring series marathons on cable this week. The one that’s been running since Monday, and continue through Saturday night, is BBC America’s Doctor Who modern sampler. I’ve been watching way too much of this particular marathon, because there’s always something to hold my attention. And that continues with the Matt Smith episodes, featuring the actor who played the Doctor in the show’s most recent seasons.

2014

Aug

THE SIMPSONS MARATHON By David Bianculli

Every episode, in order, from the start – this FXX presentation isn’t a Simpsons marathon, it’s a Simpsons miracle. Starting at 10 a.m. ET, the gang’s all here – every single installment of The Simpsons series, beginning with the 1989 Christmas special and moving on from there. Yesterday, I previewed the marathon on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross – and Terry took it from there, devoting the rest of the hour to excerpts of interviews with various people

2014

Aug

PROJECT RUNWAY By David Bianculli

The designers always are charged with some challenging task on this fashion competition series, but tonight it’s personal: The contestants have to design clothing for the show’s host, Heidi Klum, to wear at a red-carpet event.

2014

Aug

RECTIFY By David Bianculli

SEASON FINALE: Tonight this series ends its second season – and since it only recently was renewed for a Season 3, tonight’s season finale may offer a bit more finality than most, because the show’s writers couldn’t count on continuing the story.

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