The characters played by Denis Leary in FX's "Rescue Me" and by Louis C.K., who plays an exaggerated version of himself in the new FX series "Louie", have two major things in common: They misbehave so much, they almost dare you to like them. And somehow, the more abrasive and honestly caustic they get, the funnier they are...

2010

Jun

HELL FREEZES OVER AGAIN: FIRST THE BOOK IS FINISHED, AND NOW THE WEBSITE RELAUNCH IS NEARLY HERE By David Bianculli

Long ago, I swore to myself that TV WORTH WATCHING would be redesigned and relaunched before we published "Guest Blog #100." Our guests, after that much time, deserve their own comfy spaces. Well, when we post our next guest contributor's column Monday, it'll be #99, so we're cutting it really, really close...

2010

Jun

CHECK OUT -- OR CHECK INTO -- ABC'S "BOSTON MED" DOCUMENTARY SERIES By David Bianculli

While most so-called reality TV shows are unwatchable and uninspired, there's a show about actual reality that begins tonight on ABC, and sparkles like a diamond amid all the summertime TV coal. It's an eight-week documentary series called Boston Med, and it's captivating...

2010

Jun

TV DOCUMENTARIES INSPIRE AND INFORM, WHILE SHOWS LIKE "WIPEOUT" SUGGEST TV'S "DOWNFALL" By David Bianculli

Tonight ABC presents two high-action, low-brain competition summer series: the returning "Wipeout" and the brand-new "Downfall". Yet elsewhere this week, quality nonfiction offerings shine -- and deserve to be supported, applauded, and, in spirit, imitated...

2010

Jun

ONCE AGAIN, A "FRESH AIR" INTERVIEW YIELDS SOME BREAKING NEWS ABOUT NBC'S "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS" By David Bianculli

Two years ago, when I interviewed NBC's "Friday Night Lights" star Kyle Chandler for NPR's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross", Chandler broke the news about the impending deal with DirecTV that would save the series from cancellation for two more seasons. Well, I just recorded an upcoming Fresh Air interview with Lights co-star Connie Britton -- and, once again, emerged with some breaking news...

2010

Jun

COMPUTER PROBLEMS ALMOST DO ME IN -- BUT I LIVE TO SCREAM ANOTHER DAY By David Bianculli

The reason updates have been sluggish last week and this: a series of disconnected, disconcerting computer problems, requiring a repair, a replacement, some wholesale data movement and password changes -- and, today, hours on the phone with every third tech-support specialist in Mumbai...

2010

Jun

"A-TEAM" MOVIE LOSES, BUT TV WORTH WATCHING READER WINS By David Bianculli

The opening-weekend box-office figures for the new movie remake of The A-Team were so low -- about half of general Hollywood predictions -- that I pity the fool who's still hoping for a cinematic sequel. Even so, one of our readers, in the contest to predict the opening grosses, came very close without going over, so wins some stuff...

2010

Jun

CABLE COMEDY PIONEER ROBERT KLEIN STRIKES AGAIN -- ON HBO, AGAIN By David Bianculli

Robert Klein opens his latest HBO special, "Robert Klein: Unfair & Unbalanced" with a very funny song, backed by a full orchestra. By contrast, he opened our interview with a joke about TV WORTH WATCHING: "It's a small website, I take it..."

2010

Jun

LOTS GOING ON: NEW TVWW TV-TO-MOVIE CONTEST, NEW LATE-NIGHT "FEUD" WITH FALLON AND FERGUSON, AND LIVELY NEW COMIC SHOWCASE ON SHOWTIME By David Bianculli

There's so much going on, I'm going to try and catch up in one big burst. Today's column will cover a) the latest TV WORTH WATCHING TV-to-Movie contest; b) the latest late-night "war"; and c) a delightful new talk show...

2010

Jun

IT'S TRUE LOVE, WELCOMING BACK HBO'S "TRUE BLOOD" By David Bianculli

The third season of HBO's True Blood begins Sunday (9 p.m. ET), picking up right where last year's season ended -- and man, is it a joy to have back...

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