The 70th annual Peabody Awards have just been announced -- and once again, the winners are a heady reminder of how great TV can be when it tries... This year, that would include such worthy recipients as FX's Justified, TNT's Men of Certain Age, and three documentaries from currently beleaguered National Public Radio...

2011

Mar

STUDENT BLOG #7: SEE A LITTLE, LIKE A LOT -- WATCH THE STARZ, IT'S 'CAMELOT' By David Bianculli

[The latest guest column from a Rowan University student is another from Rich Greenhalgh, who in the past has tried to explain the content, intent and appeal of such things as TV zombies and imported anime. Today, he takes on the newest version of the King Arthur legend -- Camelot, which premieres Friday at 10 p.m. ET on the Starz network -- and claims it's a very good fit for Starz, and for him...DB]

2011

Mar

TUNING IN: FINDING SHOWS WHERE YOU DON'T EXPECT THEM By Diane Werts

Photography on The Weather Channel? Miniseries on Reelz Channel? Coal miners on Spike TV? And where the heck is The Dog Whisperer? Shows keep showing up in places you wouldn't necessarily think they'd be airing. As more cable channels seek to broaden their appeal, they're reaching outside their (and our) comfort zones...

2011

Mar

SHOWTIME'S 'UNITED STATES OF TARA': LIKE ITS HEROINE, IT'S GOT MORE THAN ONE PERSONALITY By David Bianculli

The third season of Showtime's United States of Tara begins tonight at 10:30 ET -- and this is the year this series vaults to the top echelon of TV's most compelling, complex current series. It may be categorized as a comedy -- but this year, while the laughs remain abundant, Tara's various identity crises make this half-hour show as gripping and thrilling, and as impressive, as an episode of Dexter...

2011

Mar

GOTTA READ: OUR 'IDOL' EXPERT By Diane Werts

How great is it for us here at TVWW to have experts on board? As much as Bianculli and I hate to admit it, we are not the last word on everything TV, because "everything TV" has become too huge for even tubeheads like us to keep track of...

2011

Mar

CASEY HAS NOT STRUCK OUT - OR HOW 'AMERICAN IDOL' GOT ITS GROOVE BACK By Ronnie Gill

If this season's "American Idol" is turning into a circus, then we have to assume that Nigel Lythgoe is its ringmaster. It is easy to say, without hyperbole, that Thursday night's results show was the most bizarrely fascinating in Idol's 10-season history. A foreteller of the evening's events was Lythgoe's late-morning tweet...

2011

Mar

WEIRD & WILD: BICENTENNIAL BANSHEE By Diane Werts

Can't say I've seen it, but really, who needs to? It's "Scream of the Banshee", and it's the 200th Syfy Saturday Original Movie presentation (March 26 at 9 p.m. ET on Syfy). So here's what to expect -- kitschy title, cheesy special effects, dopey plot, so-so stars with genre pedigree. In other words, guaranteed brain-free entertainment. Whatthehell -- it's Saturday!...

2011

Mar

HBO'S 'MILDRED PIERCE' REMAKE TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE OF MINISERIES FORMAT By David Bianculli

For many decades now, every time I start previewing a new TV miniseries, it's with a dual sense of anticipation and dread. Anticipation, because when done well, this is one of my favorite TV genres. Dread, because when you know from the first minute that it's probably a clunker, a multi-hour miniseries is a chunk of your life you'll never get back...HBO's "Mildred Pierce" lets you know from the very first minute that it's something special. And it is...

2011

Mar

IS APRIL THE NEW SEPTEMBER? By Ed Martin

The 2010-11 television season has been a disappointing one, with the broadcasters failing to deliver a single new hit and the cable networks creatively under-performing, as well...

2011

Mar

TRIBUTE: ELIZABETH TAYLOR DIES AT 79 By Diane Werts

It didn't take long after Elizabeth Taylor's Wednesday morning death at age 79 for Turner Classic Movies to announce a 24-hour tribute on April 10. But why wait that long? Two of Taylor's most iconic films are already scheduled to air this week...

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