It's the end of the year --and though I've already revealed my year's best and worst on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross (you can hear my lengthy conversation with her HERE), I'm reprinting it here, with additional comments. And, after that, with one final 2010 thank-you, to both the writers and readers of TV WORTH WATCHING...

2010

Dec

THANKS FOR ALL THOSE 'WHITE CHRISTMAS' DREAMS, DAMNIT... By David Bianculli

The weather forecast for Sunday in Philadelphia is for a foot of snow, and blizzard-like conditions which at least one of our local meteorologists insists on calling a "thundersnow...

2010

Dec

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: FOR ONCE, AMERICA GETS TO SHARE THE BRITISH TV TRADITION By David Bianculli

doctor-who-christmas-specia.jpg Here in the U.S., our Christmas TV traditions include seasonal reruns and movie marathons -- but in the U.K., there's a Christmas Day TV tradition that each year offers something new: a fresh Doctor Who holiday special, broadcast by BBC 1 as a family post-dinner treat. Thanks to BBC America, this year -- for the first time -- we in the colonies get the same treat, on the same evening...

2010

Dec

HEY, LISTEN! TERRY GROSS AND I TALK TV, FOR MOST OF TODAY'S 'FRESH AIR' By David Bianculli

Hey, Listen! Terry Gross and I Talk TV, for Most of Today's 'Fresh Air'. I didn't want to mention this until it got scheduled for sure -- but on today's (Wednesday's) edition of NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Terry spends almost the entire show talking about the year in television with... me. Listen in, either on air -- or later, on the Fresh Air website -- and be prepared to take exception with my choices, or at least my omissions, for the year's Top 10. Terry already did, in a very funny way...

2010

Dec

READERS, TIME FOR YOUR HOLIDAY WRITING ASSIGNMENT: IDENTIFY YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY SPECIALS AND MOVIES, AND WHY By David Bianculli

Maybe it's because I've just graded my final college papers of the year. Maybe it's because Diane Werts has been listing such great holiday offerings on TV and DVD. Probably, it's a little of both. Regardless, here's what I'd like to know: Are there any holiday TV traditions you still keep? Any all-time favorites? Any memories you'd like to share of watching holiday TV specials or movies as a kid?...

2010

Dec

'TIS REALLY THE SEASON TO BE CHECKING OUT OUR SITE -- AND CHECKING IT TWICE By David Bianculli

Diane Werts, our esteemed managing editor and over-the-top Christmas entertainment nut, can't stop herself. Now she's added not only the latest listings to her ever-expanding lists of hoiday-related TV episodes, specials and movies, but she's added pictures, too. So now, the mere sight of something may jog your memory and make you want to set your recorders. The Yule Log, for instance...

2010

Dec

ON NPR'S 'FRESH AIR,' I REVEAL MY FAVORITE DVD GIFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: HERE'S THE LIST, AND LINKS TO BUY THEM By David Bianculli

Sometime Friday afternoon, you'll be able to tune to your local NPR station and hear my list of the very best new TV boxed sets and gifts for the holidays. But for TV WORTH WATCHING readers, the list follows immediately, along with easy links to go buy them...

2010

Dec

DO 'THE SIMPSONS' BLUSH? AND, IF SO, WHAT COLOR? By David Bianculli

I've watched The Simpsons with delight, and with rather dedicated regularity, ever since they first popped up on Fox's The Tracey Ullman Show 23 years ago. And though I'm merely noting, not complaining, last Sunday's Christmas special ended with what I consider the naughtiest joke in the lengthy history of Matt Groening's cartoon clan. And yes, it involved the week's special "human" guest star, Katy Perry...

2010

Dec

Q: WHAT DO "DEXTER" AND "WALKING DEAD," AND WIGWAMS AND TEPEES, HAVE IN COMMON? A: THEY'RE TOO TENSE... By David Bianculli

Don't worry, I'm not revealing ANY secrets about this Sunday's installments of Showtime's Dexter or (the season finale of) AMC's "The Walking Dead". But what I AM revealing -- what I marvel at -- is how incredibly, impressively tense these two shows make me as I watch...

2010

Dec

"WHO" CARES? I DO: MISSING CRAIG FERGUSON "DOCTOR WHO" MUSICAL NUMBER FINALLY SURFACES By David Bianculli

In previous recent posts, we detailed the last-minute pulling of a musical cold open for a Doctor Who-themed installment of CBS's "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson", and how angry he was to have rehearsed the production number for two days, and written special lyrics to the instrumental Doctor Who theme, only to have CBS yank the bit because music rights hadn't been secured.

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