Kevin Spacey sure calls his shots well when playing a recurring character on series TV. The last time was 25 years ago, when he burst onto the scene as Mel Profitt on CBS’s Wiseguy. And now he’s back, in a show that’s a game-changer…

2013

Jan

30 ROCK By David Bianculli

SERIES FINALE: After a witty and often wonderful seven-year run, Tina Fey and company pull up stakes at 30 Rock, with a one-hour finale that shows many of the characters scrambling for new jobs after the cancellation of their show within a show. Among the potential career opportunities: Jenna (Jane Krakowski) wants to be a corpse on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which allows Richard Belzer the chance to play his Detective Munch character on yet another prime-time TV series. But I digres

2013

Jan

THE BIG BANG THEORY By David Bianculli

In this new episode, some of the boys invest some money on some new action figures – which doesn’t even sound unusual. But this time it is, because the action figures in question are specially commissioned replicas of… themselves.

2013

Jan

GANGS OF NEW YORK By David Bianculli

It’s been 12 years since Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis co-starred in this period Martin Scorsese film, playing a gang leader and a young man out for revenge, respectively, in this drama set in the 1860s era of Copper. This year, Day-Lewis is thought to be close to a lock at the Oscars for Lincoln, while DiCaprio, in a supporting role, wasn’t even nominated for Django Unchained. But they’re both doing quite well, thank you – and this 2002 movie demonstrates the ta

2013

Jan

CAT BALLOU By David Bianculli

There’s so much to love about this 1965 comedy: the music, the light satiric touch, the all-out wild-man performance of Lee Marvin, and so much more. But for this showing, let’s sing the praises of Jane Fonda, who in this very early starring role, nailed every scene perfectly, from her walk to the gallows to her charmingly awkward revenge-filled seduction scene.

2013

Jan

PIONEERS OF THIRTEEN: THE '70S By David Bianculli

You have to be in the New York area to catch this on Thirteen, or visit its website for clips and further information. But this second entry in WNET-Ch. 13’s series of historical specials about its own history is just as good as the first. The highlights in this 90-minute special, and there are many, include The Great American Dream Machine, Bill Moyers’ Journal, Watergate, Dick Cavett, The Police Tapes, and An American Family. Not mentioned, and sorely missed, are Woody Allen’

2013

Jan

SUPER BOWL'S GREATEST COMMERCIALS 2013 By David Bianculli

Capitalism at its most extreme: a one-hour prime-time special, on commercial broadcast television, presenting (and interrupted by) other commercials. But this has become an odd annual tradition, and an oddly accepted and acceptable one. Boomer Esiason and Aisha Tyler host this year’s edition, which includes ads from the past few years’ Super Bowls, as well as sneak peeks at a few upcoming ones. Included in the hour: a football-themed Victoria’s Secret spot.

2013

Jan

NATURE: "ATTENBOROUGH'S LIFE STORIES" By David Bianculli

Part 2 of 3. Another thoroughly wonderful, awe-inspiring hour from Sir David Attenborough, this central hour of his three-part career overview presents more of the amazing people and places he’s visited, and natural events and animals he’s witnessed, over more than 60 years as the pre-eminent TV natural history host on the planet. Check local listings.

2013

Jan

INSIDE THE NFL By David Bianculli

The Super Bowl is days away, and this is the time for one last pre-game hurrah. Not that the Super Bowl needs any more hype – but with Showtime and CBS being sister operations, this year the Inside the NFL preview will be especially well-connected.

2013

Jan

NOVA: WHO KILLED LINDBERGH'S BABY? By David Bianculli

What can today’s top C.S.I.-level forensic sciences bring to a really, really cold case? That’s what Nova asks tonight, as it poses, and attempts to answer, the question: Who Killed Lindbergh’s Baby? In 1932, the 18-month-old son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was taken from his crib, kidnapped with a ransom note left behind. Yet two months later, the baby’s body was found, and evidence at the time led to the arrest, conviction and execution of German immigrant Bruno

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