DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
2013
Jan
17
 
 
SERIES PREMIERE: FX’s newest comedy series stars, and is co-created by, Australian standup comic Jim Jefferies, whose character here voices some outrageous, intentionally provocative viewpoints – yet, at times, allows some warm sensitivity to shine through. For a full review, see Eric Gould’s The Cold Light Reader.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
17
 
 
According to FX press, secret agent Sterling Archer is a dashing rake, a top field operative and "a colossal tool." It's hard not to disagree...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
16
 
 
FX has explored the poetics of bad behavior with Louie. Now it's upping, or lowering, the ante with a self-described misanthropic comic in the new half-hour series Legit...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
16
 
 
SEASON PREMIERE: This is the Season 12 opener for Idol, which tries to keep itself vibrant by introducing new judges (Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, along with the show’s last surviving original judge, Randy Jackson) and, of course, new controversies. This year, the buzz is supposed to be that the ladies really don’t get along – but the real drama, for this show, would be if there were no offstage drama to hype interest.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
16
 
 
In tonight’s new episode, Gloria and Jay – mostly Gloria (Sofia Vergara) – throw Manny a surprise party for his 12th birthday. What could go wrong? A lot, on this show. And it will.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
16
 
 
Are you kidding? After last weekend’s postseason games – two of them, anyway – Wednesday-night quarterbacking with this gang will be as much fun as looking forward to this weekend’s games.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
16
 
 
Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) and Rayna (Connie Britton) prepare to perform their first joint arena concert – but first, there’s some publicity to do (pictured). And, behind the scenes, some papers to serve.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
16
 
 
You might have thought – I certainly did – that the rebooted Season 2 of this series was about as strange as it could get, what with its odd assortment of Nazis, alien visitations, satanic possessions and serial-killing Santas. But last week, after a cruelly administered mega-dose of electroshock therapy,  Judy (Jessica Lange) reacted to the playing of the record “The Name Game” in the ward by hallucinating a happy hullabaloo, leading the other patients in a merry so
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
15
 
 
SEASON PREMIERE: This documentary series about TV returns tonight with Funny Ladies, the first of four installments devoted to specific television subjects and dramas. (For a full rundown, and an interview with the documentary’s producers, see Tom Brinkmoeller’s Raised on MTM.) I have the same polar reaction to this new season as I have in years past: I love the subject matter, but usually end up disappointed or frustrated by the specific inclusions and omissions. It feels like these
 
 
 
  
 
 
2013
Jan
15
 
 
Time flies when you’re having crises: The season’s almost over for Parenthood, as this is the show’s penultimate episode. And it’s a pivotal one, with Mark (Jason Ritter) returning to try and patch things up with Sarah (Lauren Graham), who’s torn between Mark and Hank (Ray Romano).