With the Downton Abbey movie only a day away from appearing in theaters, NBC takes this opportunity to present a prime-time special celebrating the series and its imminent large-screen return. Why NBC and not PBS? If you’re asking that question, well, frankly, so am I. Regardless, we get to revisit such beloved characters and actors as Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), Daisy (Sophie McShera), Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan). For a full review (of the movie...)

2019

Sep

TCM SPECIAL THEME: JAMES BOND By David Bianculli

The third week of TCM’s Thursday night salute to the James Bond movies is the weakest, beginning at 8 p.m . ET with begins at 8 p.m. ET with 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me and ending at 5:15 a.m. ET with 1985’s A View to a Kill. That’s a total of five films starring Roger Moore as 007, and not one of them is memorable. Not even the Bond girls, who include, at 3 a.m. ET, the likes of Maud Adams (pictured) in the title role of 1983’s Octopussy.

2019

Sep

THE LAST DAYS OF PHIL HARTMAN By David Bianculli

SPECIAL: Many network prime-time news specials these days, including several on ABC, present retrospective amounts of murder cases, in which they’re usually presented as mystery whodunnits. In tonight’s special, about the killing of former Saturday Night Live and Newsradio and The Simpsons beloved cast member Phil Hartman, the whodunnit is a foregone conclusion, his wife, Brynn Hartman, did it. But in this two-hour special, ABC examines how, and why.

2019

Sep

THE PALEY CENTER SALUTES "THE GOOD PLACE" By David Bianculli

So do I – but since the new, final season of NBC’s The Good Place begins a week from tonight, this seems a well-timed opportunity for the Paley Center to do so. It is, and remains, one of broadcast network TV’s very best current series. For more on The Good Place, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

2019

Sep

'DOWNTON ABBEY,' THE MOVIE, IS WONDERFUL – WHETHER YOU'VE SEEN THE SERIES OR NOT By David Hinckley

Downton Abbey, the television series, is a tough act to follow. Downton Abbey, the movie, does a jolly good job...

2019

Sep

SOME FAST, FUN, STREAMING HORS D'OEUVRES BEFORE THE RETURN OF 'THE GOOD PLACE' By David Hinckley

Since you’re doubtless psyched to watch the final season of The Good Place – if you’re not, you’d better have a good explanation – NBC has a cool little teaser to whet your appetite further...

2019

Sep

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT By David Bianculli

I don’t usually recommend movies playing in the middle of the day – but this is 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night, and these are The Beatles – and the music includes “I Should Have Known Better,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “And I Love Her,” “If I Fell,” the title song, and a lot more. So tell me why I wouldn’t mention it. Oh, yeah: “Tell Me Why” is in here, too…

2019

Sep

COUNTRY MUSIC By David Bianculli

Tonight’s installment is titled “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and covers the 10-year stretch from 1953 to 1956. That means it covers Ray Charles and his foray into country (hence the episode’s title), as well as Elvis Presley’s explosion onto the music charts – and The Ed Sullivan Show – in 1956. And that means this is the night Ken Burns and company cover the history of Sun Records in Memphis, as well as the ascendance of Patsy Cline. In ot

2019

Sep

A LITTLE LATE WITH LILLY SINGH: THE PRIMETIME SPECIAL By David Bianculli

Lilly Singh’s late-night NBC talk show, taking over the Carson Daly time slot, premiered earlier this week, with a show featuring Mindy Kaling as its major featured guest. That was significant not only because it was intentionally female-centric, but because Kaling, like Singh, has broken several glass-ceiling show business barriers as a woman of Indian descent. Singh became a star on YouTube, doing musical parodies and other skits, and has amassed a loyal base of 14 million fans on YouTub

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