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

 
 
2014
Aug
14
 
 
Tonight’s episode focuses on Envy, including some examples of wanting to either be or look like other people, or other genders. Morgan Spurlock managed to make a very interesting show out of last week’s series premiere, on Gluttony – but trying to do justice to this week’s subject? I don’t envy him.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
13
 
 
Today is Cary Grant day on TCM, and the network is using the day, and night to present lots of lesser-known, or at least less frequently televised, Grant movies, along with a couple classics. TCM’s choices are heavy on the comedies, and you could do a lot, lot worse than to make special efforts to watch or record 1940’s His Girl Friday (9:30 a.m. ET, opposite Rosalind Russell) and 1948’s Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (9:30 p.m. ET, opposite Myrna Loy). But the biggest tr
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
13
 
 
Yesterday I wrote about some of this week’s new Shark Week specials being more entertaining for their titles than, necessarily, for their content. Today, may I just say… ditto.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
13
 
 
SERIES PREMIERE: Sean Bean stars in this new TNT series, playing a deep undercover operative who sometimes gets lost in the roles he’s playing. In other words, it owes a lot to the Nineties CBS series Wiseguy, and even a little to the Seventies series Baretta, in which Robert Blake adopted weekly personas to bring down that episode’s villain. Legends breaks little new ground in this regard, and is watchable only because Bean is a charismatic leading man, and, past that, only if you f
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
13
 
 
Tonight’s new installment features a lengthy, increasingly tense dinner out in which someone pontificates, rather bluntly, about parents and children and their respective relationships. Meanwhile, on other fronts, secrets are revealed and confronted that may lead to a change of legal tactics – or allegiances.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
13
 
 
Tonight’s installment both deepens and begins to explain the central mysteries of this sci-fi series. One question addressed, and effectively answered: Why was Molly (Halle Berry) selected to go on her solo space mission in the first place? One question newly posed, and not yet answered at all: Why has her robot “son,” Ethan, just experienced his first dream?
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
12
 
 

Over my long career as a TV critic, I attended three standup shows at which Robin Williams performed live. I have very strong, very fond memories tied to all three…

 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
12
 
 
It’s been a struggle, both coming to grips with Robin Williams’ death and striving to say something that hasn’t been said already during this ongoing outpouring of grief and appreciation. I’ve settled on excerpts from four previous articles...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
12
 
 
The apparent suicide of comedian/actor Robin Williams has affected people more personally than any celebrity death I can recall. A big part of that, no doubt, has to do with Williams’ ubiquity... But the strong reaction to Williams’ death also speaks to his warmth and vulnerability...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2014
Aug
12
 
 
Some entertainers, you really hope that when you meet them, you like them. The thing about Robin Williams was that, when you met him, you liked him even more. The surprise was how candid and unguarded he was...