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DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

Bianculli's Blog

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

The Cold Light Reader

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Dateline Donovan
Contributors

DAVID HINCKLEY

All Along the Watchtower

ED BARK

Uncle Barky's Bytes

ALEX STRACHAN

TV That Matters

MIKE HUGHES

Open Mike

ED MARTIN

Ed Martin's TV Mix

KIM AKASS

Aerial View

MONIQUE NAZARETH

MNtv

BILL BRIOUX

TV Feeds My Family

ROGER CATLIN

TV Eye

GARY EDGERTON

Must-Click TV

TOM BRINKMOELLER

Raised On MTM

GERALD JORDAN

Crossing Jordan

NOEL HOLSTON

The Grassy Noel

TVWW ARCHIVE

Contributors Archive
 
 
2013
Aug
28
FUTURAMA By David Bianculli
 
 
In this penultimate new episode of Futurama, Dr. Zoldberg, the giant crab creature, gets his moment in the animated spotlight, and gets to fall in love with Marianne, a beautiful blonde. This is unusual for the good doctor – not because he’s shellfish, but because, as he admits to her, “I’m smellier than a whorehouse’s outhouse.” But Marianne has no sense of smell, so it may be a perfect match. And Game of Thrones fans, take note: Marianne’s voice is pro
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
28
THE BRIDGE By David Bianculli
 
 
FX calls this a “pivotal episode” of The Bridge – and when the promotion team at FX makes that kind of a claim, they’re not kidding. But now that the clues to the killer have led to an apparent identification, expect his cat-and-mouse game with authorities to get even more felonious. Or feline-ious.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
27
LIFE OF PI By David Bianculli
 
 
Ang Lee won the Oscar last year for directing this 2012 adaptation of the Yann Martel novel, an epic fable of sorts about a young man who is cast adrift with an unlikely fellow survivor at sea: a Bengal tiger. A stunningly beautiful, impressively ambitious movie.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
27
WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? By David Bianculli
 
 
Regular comic cronies Colin Mochrie, Ryan Styles and Wayne Brady are joined tonight by a real knockout: boxing champion Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali. And when she shows up to play along, she doesn’t take the gloves off.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
27
THE ANDERSON TAPES By David Bianculli
 
 
Sidney Lumet directed this 1971 crime caper movie with such inventive usage of its Manhattan locations, that some people watch this Sean Connery movie just for the scenery. I do, too – but in my case, the scenery in question is co-star Dyan Cannon, who’s lovely.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
27
DRUNK HISTORY By David Bianculli
 
 
SEASON FINALE: The first round of Comedy Central’s version of this sop-errific series ends tonight, with the focus on the Wild West – and drunken tales that include stories of Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and others at the Alamo.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
27
WEB THERAPY By David Bianculli
 
 
In tonight’s new episode, Fiona (Lisa Kudrow) accepts and tries to counsel some new clients, including a young couple whose relationship, until Fiona does her “magic,” has been entirely on line. They’re played by young actors who already have done fine work on other TV shows, but on broadcast TV: Mae Whitman on NBC’s Parenthood, and Darren Cross on Fox’s Glee.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
27
FROM 'THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.' TO 'NCIS' By Bill Brioux
 
 
From Illya, with love: David McCallum's 50-year run as a top TV star...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
26
ABOUT 'FRESH AIR,' AND TVWW, AND DEAR FRIENDS By David Bianculli
 
 

This week, NPR’s Fresh Air devotes a week of shows to late-night TV hosts and history – which has me thinking about friendships, and careers, and a just-departed dear friend…

 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Aug
26
GLICKMAN By David Bianculli
 
 
James L. Freedman wrote, produced, directed and narrated this loving biography of sports broadcaster Marty Glickman, who gave Freeman one of his first jobs. His reverence is understandable, though, as is HBO’s in scheduling this special: When HBO began its satellite network service in 1972, Glickman was the first voice heard. He not only covered sports for HBO in its early days, but long before that – before, in fact, network television – Glickman was providing colorful descrip
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
New From TVWW

PBS' 'Frontline’ Examines Pension Promises and — Spoiler Alert — Finds the Math Doesn’t Add Up
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
The Decadence of ‘Versailles’ Comes to Ovation
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
Prescribing Mamie Gummer in 'Emily Owens, M.D.'
By Ed Bark
 
 
 
 
Looking for a Free Ride? HBO Can Deliver
By Christy Slewinski
 
 
 
 
'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy
By Noel Holston
 
 
 
 

Dispatches From TVWW

'Extinction: The Facts' is a Sobering Call to Action
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
How 'Mayans' Has Been Influenced by the Show's Creator Elgin James
By Mike Hughes
 
 
 
 
For Whom the Bell Tolls: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Take on Ernest Hemingway, the Man and the Myth
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
In the Final Season, Sutton Foster's Liza is Now the Genuine Version of Her 'Younger' Self
By Monique Nazareth
 
 
 
 
Season 2 of 'City on a Hill' Returns with Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, and Boston Corruption
By David Hinckley