2021
 
 
 
 
 
 
2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2008
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2007
 
 
 
 
 
 
2001
 
 
 
 
2000
 
 
 
 
1998
 
 
 
 
1990
 
 
 
 
1989
 
 
 
 
1987
 
 
 
 
1985
 
 
 
 
1982
 
 
 
 
1980
 
 
 

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
 
 
2018
Dec
16
THE SOUND OF MUSIC By David Bianculli
 
 
The year after Julie Andrews starred in the movie Mary Poppins, she starred in another big-screen musical. More than half a century later, the hills still are alive with The Sound of Music – and ABC has made it an unofficial holiday tradition, showing it in mid-December almost every year. And here it is again…
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
16
RAY DONOVAN By David Bianculli
 
 
Things look bad for almost all the Donovans right now. Two generations of the Donovan men have either gone off the rails, committed major crimes, or gone afoul of some very, very bad and powerful forces. And with some of them, specifically Jon Voight’s Mickey, it’s the complete trifecta.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
16
COUNTERPART By David Bianculli
 
 
Last week was the Season 2 premiere of this alternate-universe series, and now more people than ever are J.K. Simmons – in one way, and one persona, or another.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
16
ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA By David Bianculli
 
 
In tonight’s Part 5, it’s the day of the planned escape, but factors suddenly shift that should cause the convicts to delay their plan. It should – but it won’t.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
15
THE DEATH OF STALIN By David Bianculli
 
 
Armando Iannucci, the caustically comic creator of Veep, directs and is the co-author of this 2017 political dark comedy. How dark? It’s about the power grab surrounding the expected demise of Soviet leader Josef Stalin – and includes facts and observations to make the movie a study in scary despotism. And yet, it’s big on laughter, too – and features, among others, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, Simon Russell Beale and Steve Buscemi.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
15
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE By David Bianculli
 
 
MIDSEASON FINALE: The last time Matt Damon was on Saturday Night Live, he killed it in a guest appearance as Brett Kavanaugh (pictured). He committed to the sketch, and the role, in a way that put at least half the regular current SNL players to shame. And tonight, he’s the host, so sit back and watch him work. The last time Damon hosted, it was 2002. Musical guests: Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
14
FROM AUSTRALIA, 'TIDELANDS' DEBUTS ON NETFLIX By David Hinckley
 
 
The once pristine image of mermaids takes another hit in Tidelands, a scary and violent new supernatural drama from Netflix...
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
14
ROMA By David Bianculli
 
 
Alfonso Cuaron’s new black-and-white film is a salute to his own childhood, and arrives as one of the most anticipated Netflix movies to date. It would be among many TV critics’ end-of-year Top 10 lists, except that Netflix thinks so much of Roma that, before streaming it today on Netflix, it released it in theaters, where you can still go see it on the big screen. So that means Roma may be eligible for an Oscar, not an Emmy – but will film critics consider it one of theirs, fo
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
14
THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA: “A MIDWINTER’S TALE” By David Bianculli
 
 
Season 1 of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina arrived in time for Halloween – but here’s a new stand-alone special to add to the canon, and give fans something new for this holiday.
 
 
 
  
 
 
2018
Dec
14
THE 'I LOVE LUCY' CHRISTMAS SPECIAL By David Bianculli
 
 
CBS and the folks responsible for these vintage TV restorations have done such a great job with computer-colorizing old episodes that, even as TV critic purist, I find it impossible to complain. And these annual showings around the holidays have become a new CBS tradition, one which I happily endorse. Tonight’s two episodes of I Love Lucy this year, presented in living color, are “The Christmas Episode,” which has been shown every year on this new prime-time showcase, and &ldqu
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
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