Simon Cowell's assessment, as usual, was right on the money. This time, though, at the end of last night's "American Idol," he was judging the program itself: "This is officially," he said with a smile, "the strangest show we've ever done"...

2008

Apr

SPECIAL GUEST STARS -- A TV TRICK THAT GOES BACK A LONG WAY By David Bianculli

Robin Williams is tonight's special guest star on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (10 p.m. ET), playing a tightly wound guy who manipulates people into doing sinister things. Eventually, he gets pulled into the court, defends himself -- and the story doesn't end there...

2008

Apr

TIMELY ADVICE FOR CBS: BE GOOD TO "YOUR MOTHER" -- WITH UPDATE! By David Bianculli

With "House" returning to TV tonight, the prime-time schedule as we know it is back, with original episodes for all its big shows, for the first time since the writers' strike. The May ratings sweeps period gives us almost nothing special, figuring fresh episodes of our favorite shows is good enough...

2008

Apr

ONE MORE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE? SURE -- IF RUN BY SOME GOOD, OLD MODERATORS By David Bianculli

Tonight on the PBS series "Bill Moyers' Journal," the veteran journalist conducts the first TV interview with Jeremiah Wright since the recently retired reverend became embroiled in a controversy over some of his incendiary sermons, with Barack Obama caught in the crossfire. The questions posed by Moyers are certain to be one thing: substantive...

2008

Apr

DON'T LOOK NOW (ACTUALLY, PLEASE DO), BUT BROADCAST TV IS BACK By David Bianculli

ABC's lineup returns with all-new episodes tonight, the first post-strike installments of "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost." The other broadcast networks present all-new episodes, too, continuing their post-strike rollouts...

2008

Apr

AMERICAN IDOL, AMERICAN POLITICS -- "AMERICA HAS VOTED, AND..." By David Bianculli

Every week on "American Idol," judges say the same thing to the remaining contestants: You have to bring your "A" game. At this level, you can't afford to make a mistake. Against the remaining competition, you have to do something to stand out. Before and after every set of political primaries, TV's pundits say pretty much the same thing...

2008

Apr

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY By David Bianculli

Today is the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, the culmination of six weeks of media coverage and political moves, countermoves, gaffes and damage control. Tonight's coverage, especially on cable news, will dissect to the death the point spread, the implications, and what happens next...

2008

Apr

MORE ON MY NEWSMAKING CONVERSATIONS WITH KYLE CHANDLER AND TIM ROBBINS By David Bianculli

A few weeks ago, I recorded an interview for NPR's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" with "Friday Night Lights" star Kyle Chandler, in which he revealed that the NBC show had struck a deal to return for a third season -- news I broke on this very website. Last week, I moderated an NAB panel with another actor, Tim Robbins, in which he made news of his own by delivering a provocative speech he had been advised not to give. Today, more on both.

2008

Apr

MURROW, MINOW, CHAYEFSKY, SORKIN, KELLEY AND ROBBINS -- SIX DEGREES OF "MAD AS HELL" By David Bianculli

Paddy Chayefsky wrote a movie. Edward R. Murrow, Newton Minow and Tim Robbins made speeches. Aaron Sorkin and David E. Kelley wrote TV shows. All six of them have looked at TV and said, in essence, the same thing: "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!"

2008

Apr

LATEST DEMOCRATIC DEBATE PROVIDES NO FIREWORKS -- AND MAYBE THAT'S OKAY By David Bianculli

Last night's ABC debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the first such verbal duel in almost two months, left them with lots of ground to make up -- seven weeks of "he said, she said" reiterations. But after all the shots were fired, by the candidates and by moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous, no one fell. And maybe that's okay...

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