Tracy Smith reports on a case that sounds like an episode of a scripted crime series: A married college swimming coach named Kristen Cunnane, becoming increasingly tormented by flashbacks of sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her female gym teacher in high school more than a decade earlier, decides to confront the memory – and her abuser. She goes to the police, carries a tape recorder to the “reunion” – and the rest of the story, which becomes increasingly and dis

2014

Oct

THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW By David Bianculli

This talk show has three elements that make it distinctive, and particularly entertaining, from the viewpoint of a U.S. viewer watching this U.K. import. One, most of the guests come out at the start, and stay and intermingle for the whole hour. Two, the guests are top-notch: This week’s guests, for a (sterling) example, include John Cleese, Taylor Swift and Neil Diamond. And three: There’s usually one British-based celebrity in the lot, someone who is unfamiliar to stateside viewers

2014

Oct

'THE KNICK': USHERING IN TV’S DIRECTOR’S AGE By Eric Gould

Finishing up its first season tonight on Cinemax, The Knick has been graphic, violent, grim... and a unique director's vision that's good news for TV audiences...

2014

Oct

GOTHAM By David Bianculli

In a same-week repeat of Monday’s episode, Jim Gordon gets closer to the truth about the seediness pervading Gotham – but farther away from his wife, after a tense argument. Meanwhile, the seductive and evil Mooney opens her nightclub to auditions, because she’s seeking a seductive and evil minion of her own. It was TV worth watching Monday, and the same goes for Friday.

2014

Oct

THE GERSHWINS' "PORGY AND BESS" By David Bianculli

It’s no longer summertime, but tonight it’s time for “Summertime.” The PBS Fall Arts Festival presents the San Francisco Opera’s rendition of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, starring Eric Owens as Porgy and Laquita Mitchell as Bess. The musical with an all-black cast, based on the play by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, opened on Broadway in 1935 – and was performed there, most recently, in a Tony-winning 2

2014

Oct

THE KNICK By David Bianculli

SEASON FINALE: This compelling, hit-the-ground-running series – the first genuine quality hit from Cinemax – completes its first season, with a momentum that ought to carry it easily into Season 2. For a full review of the series, see Eric Gould’s Cold Light Reader.

2014

Oct

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER By David Bianculli

Bill Maher’s guests tonight are of secondary importance. The real headline is how he’ll handle recent headlines in his monologue – not headlines about the Ebola virus, or the latest midterm election tactics, but headlines related to his most recent Real Time show. That’s the one in which Ben Affleck took umbrage to remarks by author Sam Harris and by Maher himself, leading to a very heated discussion about Muslims and bigotry. This is one live monologue that will have lot

2014

Oct

THE FOO FIGHTERS: SONIC HIGHWAYS By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: “Eight cities, eight episodes, eight songs.” Dave Grohl, formerly of Nirvana and now of Foo Fighters, concocted an absurdly ambitious concept for the group’s next album. Record each song in a different studio, in a different city – and don’t write the song until you get to that city, absorbing its culture while retelling the history of its local music scene. And he emerged not only with Sonic Highways the album, but Sonic Highways the HBO documentar

2014

Oct

GHOSTBUSTERS By David Bianculli

What ya gonna watch? Well, tonight the options include this 1984 comedy, with its infectious theme song, its goony but delightful special effects, Bill Murray as his most effortlessly charming, and Sigourney Weaver as someone who is both haunted and possessed by a demonic entity. Costars include Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis.

2014

Oct

2014 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES By David Bianculli

Last night, the Kansas City Royals completed their sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. Also last night, the San Francisco Giants took another game from the St. Louis Cardinals, and now lead the National League Championship Series 3-1. The Giants can clinch tonight – or the Cardinals can fight back.

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