In this new installment of Nature, we meet a man who became obsessed with studying whales after surviving an encounter in which he was in a whale-watching kayak when a whale breached virtually on top of them. Why didn’t he die? And why do whales sometimes do that? Any time a TV nature series gets us this close to a creature this large, the results are worth watching – and marveling at. Expect a whale of a tale. And a whale with a tail. It’s about time someone broached

2020

Jan

SOME LIKE IT HOT By David Bianculli

Watch this 1959 comedy again, and pay particular attention to the deft dance pulled off by Marilyn Monroe – part innocent playfulness, part sex-appeal siren. It’s a confidently funny performance (as are those by her male co-stars, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), but watch and wonder: Who, among today’s movie actresses, would be most able to pull off Monroe’s role here?

2020

Jan

HOOTENANNY HOOT By David Bianculli

If you’re a fan of early proto-rock movie musicals that found excuses to cram as many up-and-coming acts on screen as possible, be aware that at least one movie, back in the early 1960s, tried to do the same thing for country music. Hootenanny Hoot is built around a fictional romantic plot involving the rocky marriage of a TV producer and a TV director -- but the TV setting allows for plenty of country acts to step into the spotlight and perform, including, most signif

2020

Jan

JEOPARDY!: THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME By David Bianculli

Who are Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer? That’s the question. The answer: They’re the three Jeopardy! champions who have won the most prize money in this history of this long-running quiz show – and beginning tonight, they show up in prime time special to identify the show’s all-time champion. And it’s hosted by the beloved, ailing, long-time host Alex Trebek, whose presence, along with those of the three contestants, makes this the evening&

2020

Jan

INSIDE THE NFL By David Bianculli

Usually, this show has many, many games to analyze, discuss and deconstruct. In the postseason, the focus is more intense, and the shows even more rich as a result. Tonight’s program deals with last weekend’s four wild-card games, which were exciting enough to provide two games that went into overtime, and another game that may have ended a long-running football dynasty.

2020

Jan

ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST By David Bianculli

SERIES PREMIERE: Actually, this is a sneak preview. The first one-hour episode is shown tonight – but the next episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, the one that really propels the series forward and reveals its true emotional core, doesn’t show up until February 16, five weeks from now. That makes no sense to me. But the premise of this series doesn’t make much sense either: After an earthquake tremor hits while Zoey (Jane Levy) is listening to piped-in mus

2020

Jan

'ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST' HITS A FEW GOOD NOTES BUT MOST ARE CLUNKERS By David Hinckley

The delights, charms and strengths of popular song are almost infinite. They do not extend to making popular songs a reliable main character in television dramas...

2020

Jan

HONORING EXCEPTIONAL HUMOR WITH 'DAVE CHAPPELLE: THE MARK TWAIN PRIZE' By Roger Catlin

The connection between the honoree and namesake of Dave Chappelle: The Mark Twain Prize, which airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), is made almost immediately by comic Sarah Silverman...

2020

Jan

BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA By David Bianculli

At this point of the season, and of this slowly unfolding possible TV romance, Bob is forced to deal with, and perhaps even confront, some of the other suitors vying for Abishola’s attentions and affections. And they have some advantages and commonalities Bob doesn’t share with his former heart-care nurse: Like her, these other men are Nigerian, making for what amounts to a home-courting advantage. And this week, there are other obstacles as well, including a pair of snooty women pla

2020

Jan

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: "MCCARTHY" By David Bianculli

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: Plenty of documentaries have been made about the junior senator from Wisconsin, and Joe McCarthy’s temporary stranglehold on political power and national fear in the 1950s. His tactics and impact, however, seem to all but cry out for a new treatment, and here it is. When candidate or President Donald Trump makes unsubstantiated allegations against perceived enemies, or asks where is his modern-day Roy Cohn, or talks of “witch hunts” and McCarthyism itself

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