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

 
 
2015
Feb
7
 
 
Because everyone at SNL is readying for next week’s prime-time anniversary celebration, tonight’s SNL is a rerun – of last year’s show starring the very talented Amy Adams.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
6
 
 
Can true crime trump even True Detective? When it’s told this compellingly, you can make a very strong case...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
6
 
 
Before there was goth, there was gothic – and this 1939 film version of Emily Bronte’s beloved romance novel is a prime example, moor or less. Laurence Olivier stars as Heathcliff, and Merle Oberon as Cathy, in a film that’s beautifully directed (by William Wyler) and cleverly adapted – by famous screenwriters Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
6
 
 
This second season of close analysis of William Shakespeare’s plays continues tonight with another double dose – and, again, starts with a classic comedy and concludes with a dark drama. This week, the opening salvo comes courtesy of host Morgan Freeman, who takes us through a very lively guided tour of The Taming of the Shrew – including, of course, the famous Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton teaming. Check local listings.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
6
 
 
The dramatic portion of tonight’s Shakespeare-loving double bill is a close and very smart look at Othello, with David Harewood serving as the show’s guide through the play’s history, stage productions and film versions. This Shakespeare Uncovered series is the best thing to happen to Shakespeare on PBS since the complete mounting of The Shakespeare Plays – and that was back in the Seventies and Eighties. Check local listings.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
6
 
 
The uneven roundtable discussions of Larry Wilmore’s new The Nightly Show on Comedy Central demonstrate just how hard it is to handle a coherent, much less entertaining, TV conversation among several volatile guests – yet Bill Maher has proven impressively adept at it, week in and week out. And on weeks such as this one, where there’s no superstar big name to dominate the proceedings, both Maher and his panel tend to be at their very best.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
6
 
 
Sometimes, I unearth some TV statistics that positively astound me. Here’s one. For the decade of the Seventies, the Top 20 programs for the entire 10-year period didn’t have a single TV series on the list – just miniseries, Super Bowls, specials and theatrical films, in those days before premium cable and VCRs changed the delivery system for movies on TV. The concluding episode of ABC’s Roots topped the list, but – getting larger audiences than any other Roots epis
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
5
 
 
Another wonderful addition to the streaming TV universe begins today – and any faithful follower of TV Worth Watching should check it out as soon as possible, then prepare to lose hour after hour diving through its inventory. That’s because Shout! Factory, the packagers and distributors of some of the best, most eclectic musical collections and vintage TV series, has just gotten into the streaming business. Just check out the Shout Factory TV website home page, and look at some of th
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
5
 
 
Last night, the first installment from Hollywood week, front-loaded its best talent by having the early-round audition standouts called on stage to perform individually, without knowing why. It was a very effective way to generate enthusiasm quickly – but as the installment ended, things got more ruthless, and more tense, as the judges started winnowing through the remaining 100-plus contestants. That process continues tonight, as Idol works to regain its footing, and part of its audience.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2015
Feb
5
 
 
Part 2 of 2. If you watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, and stayed tuned, you saw part one of this expanded episode of The Blacklist. (If not, you can catch up: NBC is repeating that first installment at 8 p.m. ET.) Well, here comes Part 2, with the show’s primary heroes in very serious jeopardy. Ron Perlman guest stars.