SEASON FINALE: NBC is sending this show off for the season with an odd outburst of excess: three episodes presented the same night, culminating in the last episode of the season. But while this may smell of a loss-leader burn-off move, Community has been renewed for next year – albeit with a smaller number of episodes. So watch tonight, treasuring this particular televised endangered species. Episodes air at 8, 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET.
SEASON FINALE: In last week’s episode, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) was fired from his job as a police department consultant, and seemingly defeated, at least mentally, by his serial-killer nemesis, Red John. In tonight’s Season 4 finale, Jane takes to the road, ends up in Vegas, meets a cocktail waitress (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and things move on from there. Just don’t expect them to end happily – or for this season to end without some surprising drama. For an appreciation of this enjoyable series, read TVWW contributor Noel Holston's new The Grassy Noel column HERE.
For the first time in 13 years, Conan O’Brien visits this program as Letterman’s guest. (Their previous Late Show get-together is shown at left.) O’Brien is in New York for the TBS upfronts, and now hosts Conan for that network. But since his previous Late Show appearance in 1999, O’Brien became the host of The Tonight Show on NBC – a job Letterman coveted, but never got, and lost to Jay Leno. Then, within a year, O’Brien lost the Tonight job, too – to Leno. Wonder what these two will find to talk about tonight?
This week of shows from Scotland has been so much fun to watch. There’s a true, almost absurd variety of elements presented each night, from quick comedy blackouts to lengthy, eventually intimate interviews. By now, if you’ve tuned in, you know what I mean. If not, it’s not too late to experience it. And today is Craig's 50th birthday, so tune in and celebrate! And read my exclusive TVWW INTERVIEW with him, just posted today, HERE.
David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and is an occasional substitute host for that show. He's also an author and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His 2009 Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', has been purchased for film rights. His latest, The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific, is an effusive guidebook that plots the path from the 1950s’ Golden Age to today’s era of quality TV.