The Emmys were uncharacteristically intimate because of adjustments made for the pandemic – especially when the live TV show kept returning to Canada to present another spontaneous party celebration from the Schitt’s Creek crew. How will the Golden Globes handle things? I’m not sure. But with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as co-hosts, expect some entertaining, and perhaps even slightly inebriated, anarchy.

2021

Feb

THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH By David Bianculli

There hasn’t been a week all year, so far in 2021, that hasn’t been almost crushingly newsworthy. And with what the Senate did – and failed to do – this week, and with Donald Trump making the first major political appearance of his post-presidency, and a Trump “statue,” and the post-Cancun Ted Cruz, the streak continues. Tonight, The Circus tries to condense, explain and evaluate it all.

2021

Feb

THE WALKING DEAD By David Bianculli

SERIES RETURN: The “bonus” episodes of this season begin showing up tonight, with the big anticipated event being the return of Maggie and her “reunion” with Negan, who once bashed in the skull of her husband Glenn. Nehan has since been “rehabilitated,” but bygones? That’s hardly likely…

2021

Feb

STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY By David Bianculli

The first two episodes of this new food and travel series, filmed before the pandemic, have been delicious. Tucci is such a warm guide, and knows Italy and Italian well enough, to lead us to tantalizing restaurants and culinary treats. In Rome, he even took us to a restaurant proudly specializing in animal hearts and livers and brains and intestines – and somehow, didn’t make it seem offal. Tonight, Bologna!

2021

Feb

ALLEN V. FARROW By David Bianculli

In this second hour of this new HBO documentary, the video “testimony” recorded by Mia Farrow, in which daughter Dylan, at age 7, answers questions about Woody Allen’s alleged abusive behavior, is included. Whether it answer more questions than it poses, however, depends upon your opinion about several other factors. Personally, I’m concerned by the apparent one-sidedness of this account. Both sides should be heard and evaluated, obviously – but Alle

2021

Feb

SHAMELESS By David Bianculli

Last week’s “best of” special look back was all about Fiona – played by Emmy Rossum, who departed the show last year. Tonight’s is about the paternal central character of the show, Frank Gallagher, the singularly unpredictable and usually unreliable patriarch played so brilliantly, for so long now, by William H. Macy.

2021

Feb

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER By David Bianculli

There hasn’t been a week all year, so far in 2021, that hasn’t been almost crushingly newsworthy. And with what the Senate did – and failed to do – this week, and with Donald Trump making the first major political appearance of his post-presidency, the streak continues. And tonight, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver tries to condense, explain and evaluate it all.

2021

Feb

DEAN MARTIN ROASTS MARATHON By David Bianculli

These Dean Martin specials, which Decades collects tonight in an all-weekend marathon, are anything but politically correct, so be forewarned. But they’re fascinating, to me, because no matter how many hundreds or thousands of paid customers are crammed into the Las Vegas venues for these Las Vegas celebrity roasts, the people on the dais essentially are performing only for each other. And what makes them laugh, in these vintage TV specials, is illuminating as well as sometimes surprising.

2021

Feb

DANCES WITH WOLVES By David Bianculli

Kevin Costner ascended quickly in Hollywood, and leveraged his clout aggressively and intelligently. After his breakout supporting role in 1985’s Silverado as the irrepressible Jake, he spent the next few years playing leading men who no less magnetic. In successive years from 1987 to 1989, Costner played the incorruptible Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, the poetic veteran baseball player in Bull Durham, and the obsessed farmer in Field of Dreams. Th

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