Last week, we seemed to arrive, at last, to the moment when the “official” Joker was born – though it might take him tonight’s episode to be unwrapped from his bandages to reveal his new rictus smile. Meanwhile, we have other villains to deal with – many, in fact. Some old, some new, and some almost disturbingly familiar…

2019

Feb

TRADING PLACES By David Bianculli

This 1983 movie, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy as two people on polar-opposite ends of the social spectrum whose lives are slowly but surely reversed by outside forces, is a very funny film. But given recent headlines and scandals, let’s watch, this time, paying particular attention to one of Aykroyd’s playful screen disguises, in which he shows up… in blackface. Discuss among yourselves.

2019

Feb

BETTER THINGS By David Bianculli

SEASON PREMIERE: Pamela Adlon returns for Season 3, facing even more obstacles in her character’s single-mom life – one obstacle being that her daughters are getting older, which seems to keep complicating things.

2019

Feb

'WHISKEY CAVALIER' GIVES ABC A SPIRITED INTERNATIONAL SPY CAPER By Ed Bark

ABC clearly is very high on Whiskey Cavalier, even if Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t during his chainsaw massacre of the show’s very title during the network’s “upfront” presentation to advertisers last May...

2019

Feb

HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HEARING By David Bianculli

Today at 10 a.m. ET, on every news channel and conceivably on a bunch of other networks, Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, is scheduled to testify live before the House Oversight Committee Hearing. Is this a significant day in the history of this presidency and this nation? Or just another day of swirling questions, allegations and conflicting arguments? By the end of the day, we may well know.

2019

Feb

THE MASKED SINGER By David Bianculli

SEASON FINALE: The most popular reality competition series in years, since the premiere of The Voice, presents its Season 1 finale tonight, unmasking its final, and thus most talented, singer. And yes, The Masked Singer already has been renewed for next season. And yes, I told you so… though, trying to pinpoint this show’s appeal (even to myself), I had a hard time explaining why.

2019

Feb

BIOGRAPHY: THE TRUMP DYNASTY By David Bianculli

Part 3 of 3. This concluding chapter of The Trump Dynasty brings the story of Donald Trump’s family up to date – up to a point. Because, as we all know, this family’s history is still being written. A significant chapter, in fact, is being written today, both in Washington, DC and halfway around the world in Hanoi…

2019

Feb

DOCUMENTARY NOW: “CO-OP” By David Bianculli

I’ve seen only two scenes from this new episode of the faux documentary series Documentary Now, but they’re both delightful in their audacity and, to the original inspiration, fidelity. (Can’t wait to see the entire show tonight.) Host Helen Mirren is presenting, in this installment, a 1970s-vintage (fake) film account of a cast recording for a (nonexistent) Broadway musical called Co-Op. The musical is about a group of characters inhabiting the same apartment building –

2019

Feb

ROOTS By David Bianculli

If you want to honor both Black History Month and TV history, there’s no program better to watch this month than 1977’s Roots, the landmark ABC miniseries that remains, to this day, the most popular scripted TV show ever telecast. And today, beginning at 11 a.m. ET, Sundance Channel shows the original Roots in its entirety, in one convenient miniseries maxi-showing. LeVar Burton stars.

2019

Feb

THE VOICE By David Bianculli

John Legend continues to establish his territory, and display his competitive nature, as he becomes the latest judge to sit in a red chair on The Voice. He’s already lasted longer than anyone who’s sat in the Red Chair on BBC America’s The Graham Norton Show, and this is only the second night of the new Voice season. Then again, Norton’s Red Chair is less of a cozy, career-enhancing showcase than an unforgiving mechanical bull.

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