It’s always compelling to see famous people make fun of themselves, and in Between Two Ferns, Zach Galifianakis takes it to a completely different level of sarcasm...

2013

Jul

1949: 'MAMA' MAKES ITS DEBUT By David Bianculli

The sitcom Mama debuted on this day in 1949...

2013

Jul

CARSON ON TCM By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: Actually, technically, this new TCM offering is a miniseries – in the truest sense of the word. Each element in this “series” is less than a half hour long, so the term mini truly applies. But these are classic Johnny Carson Tonight Show interviews with various celebrities, boiled down to just the conversations themselves – followed, in most cases, by a movie or two featuring that star. All that, and Conan O’Brien hosts these shorts, too – the

2013

Jul

GIDEON'S ARMY By David Bianculli

This new HBO documentary begins with a captivating fact: That an accused prisoner’s right to counsel, to being represented by a public defender if if he or she cannot afford an attorney, came about only relatively recently, as the result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling after a man represented himself in court for allegedly robbing $5 and some sodas from a pool hall in 1961. That defendant was named Clarence Earl Gideon, but this documentary isn’t about him. After that Gideon factoid i

2013

Jul

UNDER THE DOME By David Bianculli

Last week’s premiere episode took off like a shot, becoming an instant summer hit – at least for one week. If the interest, and the ratings, hold, for tonight’s Episode 2, then the rules for future summer seasons may be rewritten yet again. So for all those who prefer scripted shows over reality series, root for Under the Dome. And watch, this week, as the characters under glass continue to respond in increasingly extreme ways. Dean Norris stars.

2013

Jul

SIBERIA By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: This isn’t a recommendation, just an observation. CBS and NBC both want to enliven their summers a little, and offer some original scripted programming to go along with their reruns and reality shows. CBS presents Stephen King’s Under the Dome, which looks like an instant hit. NBC, by contrast, tonight launches Siberia, a scripted series about contestants on a reality show. Sigh. It’s also virtually indistinguishable, in concept, from a “real” reali

2013

Jul

WAREHOUSE 13 By David Bianculli

Here’s another series that’s working its way towards a finite conclusion. Last week, Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) was turned into a bronze statue, a reversal of which is the top priority of this new episode. (Being turned bronze, in Star Wars fashion, is the third-worst living-statue fate a hero can endure, after being turned gold or silver.) And after we finally get to the Season 4 finale, Warehouse 13 will go dormant for a bit, then return with a final, six-episode mini-season. And

2013

Jun

THE KILLING By David Bianculli

In tonight’s new episode, Holder (Joel Kinnaman) studies the photos of murder victims to look for an overlooked common denominator, while Linden (Mireille Enos) focuses on her prime suspect. At least Holder and Linden are working together in tandem again, if not always in the same room.

2013

Jun

TRUE BLOOD By David Bianculli

Tonight’s episode features the return of a pair of long-dormant characters, and their relationship has changed significantly in the interim. Meanwhile, Bill (Stephen Moyer) decides to trust Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) enough to send her out on a devious mission, to visit a professor whose knowledge Bill requires, and return with him. Bll’s advice to her, knowing the teacher’s not-so-secret lechery: “You should wear something inappropriate.” Mission accomplished.

2013

Jun

DEXTER By David Bianculli

SEASON PREMIERE: This is the beginning of the eighth and final season for Dexter, which picks up six months after last season’s bloody cliffhanger, in which Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), to protect brother Dexter, pointed her gun at someone other than her sibling. She’s still reeling from that decision – while Dexter (Michael C. Hall) has to deal with a new serial killer on the loose in Miami, and a specialist, played by the attention-demanding Charlotte Rampling, who’s broug

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