This is a repeat of the pilot episode, which means it’s a second chance to hop aboard Joss Whedon’s newest TV series. But hop with a bit of checked enthusiasm, because, through the first half of its season, this new series has demonstrated much more wit than depth. I’m still watching, but I’m also still waiting – for a bit more.

2013

Dec

WHITE HEAT By David Bianculli

Top o’ the world, Ma! (That counts, I guess, as a Truman-era Spoiler Alert.) This 1949 James Cagney movie is one of his finest achievements – and one of the best entries in the gangster film genre. Cagney, in this role, is all id, and crackles with unbridled energy from start to finish. And my, what a finish.

2013

Dec

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE By David Bianculli

Tonight, the precinct celebrates Christmas – or tries not to. It seems like only a week ago that this crew celebrated Thanksgiving. Hey, wait – it was only a week ago. How time flies when you’re a network trying to cram holiday-themed episodes into the brief window before December rerun season…

2013

Dec

THE MINDY PROJECT By David Bianculli

Tonight, Mindy celebrates Christmas by throwing a party. There are a lot of Christmas parties being thrown on television this week. No sense waiting until the last minute, I guess. And at this party, for Mindy, it’s all about the music. And the mistletoe.

2013

Dec

SONS OF ANARCHY By David Bianculli

This is the penultimate episode of this latest season of a very violent series – a series that already has claimed the life of Clay, one of its central characters from the start. And as the word penultimate suggests, the action, and the body count, isn’t through yet.

2013

Dec

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER By David Bianculli

After last week’s poetry episode, How I Met Your Mother is back to playing with the prose. And tonight, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) comes up with a questionable inspiration for the rehearsal dinner: laser tag.

2013

Dec

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS By David Bianculli

It was only a handful of days ago that I complained about TV Christmas specials being televised too soon in the season. I should complain again, tonight, but I can’t. Not when any telecast of TV’s all-time best holiday special, now nearly 50 years old, appears in prime time on a broadcast network. So welcome back, Charlie Brown – and all the great music, and the inspirational themes, and one of the best family offerings television has ever produced.

2013

Dec

THE HUDSUCKER PROXY By David Bianculli

Made in 1994, this Coen Brothers film is so clever, in both plot and visuals, that it’s one of those movies that captures, reflects and shares the sheer joy of filmmaking. Tim Robbins stars as a simple toy-company employee who’s taken in by a ruthless corporate executive (Paul Newman). It’s one of the movies highlighted in tonight’s latest installment of TCM’s The Story of Film – An Odyssey.

2013

Dec

THE BLACKLIST By David Bianculli

MIDSEASON FINALE: This series will return after the holidays – but for right now, this concluding part of a two-parter leaves viewers with a surprisingly, disturbingly violent story line, in which Red (James Spader) is trapped inside his see-through cage, watching his vengeful enemy taking aim at those on the outside.

2013

Dec

THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY By David Bianculli

This is the penultimate episode of this imported documentary series, which really is worth setting your recorders to catch. It’s so intelligent, insightful and informative that every episode leaves you enthused about films in general, and the movies discussed in particular. And TCM shows some of the films tonight as bonus treats, including Quentin Tarantino’s breakthrough film, 1992’s Reservoir Dogs (pictured), at 4:15 a.m. ET. So record and enjoy, despite some absurdly dull an

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