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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

DAVID HINCKLEY

All Along the Watchtower

ED BARK

Uncle Barky's Bytes

ALEX STRACHAN

TV That Matters

MIKE HUGHES

Open Mike

ED MARTIN

Ed Martin's TV Mix

KIM AKASS

Aerial View

MONIQUE NAZARETH

MNtv

BILL BRIOUX

TV Feeds My Family

ROGER CATLIN

TV Eye

GARY EDGERTON

Must-Click TV

TOM BRINKMOELLER

Raised On MTM

GERALD JORDAN

Crossing Jordan

NOEL HOLSTON

The Grassy Noel

TVWW ARCHIVE

Contributors Archive
 
 
2012
Sep
6
2012 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION By David Bianculli
 
 
Now more than ever, Americans need to be politically aware. And C-SPAN offers the opportunity to see gavel-to-gavel convention coverage without chatty pundits and unnecessary interruptive interviews. Enjoy.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
6
2012 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION By David Bianculli
 
 
NBC skipped convention coverage for NFL football last night and is making up for it with two hours of convention coverage tonight, starting at 9 p.m. ET. It's a good night for expanded coverage, because viewers will get to see more of the build-up that proceeds the president's nomination speech. President Obama will have to really shine to outperform First Lady Michele Obama, who's speech Tuesday was the most inspirational speech to date. As far as the other channels: PBS begins its telecast at
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
6
2012 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS By David Bianculli
 
 
When it comes to VMA presenters and winners, the on-stage unpredictibility factor is always high. So is the performance quotient, with lots of live performers trying to outdo one another. (Personal note to Sarah: One Direction is on the bill.) Some viewers may tune in just to see the much-anticipated trailer for Breaking Dawn, Part 2, the final film in The Twilight Saga. And thanks to MTV's decision to move the award show's start time up one hour, you can see all this and Barack Obama'
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
6
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART By David Bianculli
 
 
You expect this show to be brilliantly funny about politics, but John Oliver's rant against North Carolina barbecue was worth the trip to Charlotte itself. Keep it up guys.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
6
THE COLBERT REPORT By David Bianculli
 
 
More nightly brilliance, administered instantly and clearly, as needed. For example, Stephen Colbert's Tuesday night guest, CNN conservative and National Review blogger, Reihan Salam, got a good schooling on the difference between facts and so-called truth — from the guy who invented the genre of "truthiness."
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
5
2012 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION By David Bianculli
 
 
C-SPAN doesn't have to prove how good it is at covering political conventions. But every four years, for two weeks, it makes its case and affirms its place as the channel to turn to for unadulterated coverage.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
5
2012 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION By David Bianculli
 
 
NBC isn't covering the covention tonight because it has a binding contract with the NFL to show tonight's season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants but you can find coverage elsewhere. PBS begins its telecast at 8 p.m. ET, CBS and ABC have one hour of coverage, starting at 10 p.m. ET. And the cable networks CNN, CSNBC and Fox News will be discussing the North Carolina convention throughout the day.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
5
DAMAGES By David Bianculli
 
 
Get ready for the plots on this series to finally connect, because there's not much time left for the timelines to converge. This is the pentultimate episode of the series, which means next week we'll find out whether Patty (Glenn Close) or Ellen (Rose Byrne) wins or loses, and lives or dies. Or maybe both.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
5
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART By David Bianculli
 
 
I suppose one could argue that Jon Stewart is the comedy equivalent of C-SPAN. Like the cable public affairs network, The Daily Show team descends on the political conventions and produces exemplary programming. C-SPAN is a perfect television public service. The Daily Show isn't far behind.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2012
Sep
5
THE COLBERT REPORT By David Bianculli
 
 
The Daily Show is a tough act to follow on any occasion, but especially during a convention. Yet, Stephen Colbert last week, and so far this week, is hitting home runs out of the park. Not only that, but he's pointing them out first, like Babe Ruth.
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
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