Archive: October 2011 (1-10 of 33)

Oct 31 2011 11:16 PM ET

'Rock Center with Brian Williams' premiere review: 'Birth tourism' and man-camps: Jon Stewart gives his blessing and some beer

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Categories: Brian Williams, Fall TV, In the News, Politics, Television, TV news shows, TV Review

Brian Williams has carved out a unique position in network news. He’s the anchor for NBC’s nightly news at a time when the early-evening national newscast has never meant less to a public used to 24-hour cable news and instant internet updates. So Williams has raised his profile by pursuing his instincts, which are those of a wiseguy. He’s been very funny on talk shows, displaying a wry, self-deprecating humor that doesn’t undercut his authority when he has to report breaking news or grave stories. Which also makes him one of the few news broadcasters who can make the most out of the showcase he’s been given: the cutesily named but engagingly interesting Rock Center with Brian Williams. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 30 2011 11:43 PM ET

Ruth Madoff on '60 Minutes': Hard to believe?

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Categories: 60 Minutes, Television, TV news shows, TV Review

It was hard to believe Ruth Madoff on 60 Minutes, on a couple of levels. The first was why 60 Minutes had her on its show. Even as a craven ratings ploy, it was pretty embarrassing for the news magazine to devote time to the wife of convicted financial advisor Bernie Madoff. Morley Safer’s kid-gloves scoffing at Ruth’s gullability was supposed to pass as journalistic interrogation, but what did the segment really provide, other than an opportunity for Ruth to natter on about her ignorance of her husband’s massive Ponzi scheming? READ FULL STORY »

Oct 30 2011 11:06 PM ET

'Allen Gregory,' 'The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror, 'Family Guy,' and 'The Cleveland Show': Which animation dominated your attention?

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Categories: Cartoons, Controversy, Dexter, Family Guy, Movies, Seth MacFarlane, South Park, Television, The Simpsons, TV Review

With its sleek animation and meticulously well-spoken central kid character, Allen Gregory was a quirky addition to Fox’s “Animation Domination” programming bloc on Sunday night. This new creation headed up by actor-producer Jonah Hill, who voices what other characters consider a “pretentious” little seven year-old, was eccentric in a way that belied its glossy surface. Gregory joined a line-up that included the 22nd “Treehouse of Horror” edition of The Simpsons, plus new episodes of Family Guy and The Cleveland Show. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 28 2011 10:23 PM ET

'Grimm' premiere review: Better than 'Once Upon A Time,' it's its own creature

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Categories: Dramas, Sci-Fi, season premiere, Television, TV Review

Grimm follows Once Upon A Time as the second fairy-tale themed new fall show, but it’s first in quality. While it’s no instant classic, it nonetheless reinterprets its classic fairy tales with vigor, some wit, and a sleek visual flair. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 28 2011 03:52 PM ET

'Parks and Recreation' move to ABC, after 'Modern Family': I had a dream; 'Fringe' was in it too: VIDEO

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Categories: Community, Fall TV, Fringe, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Sitcoms, Television, TV Review, TV Tonight

Parks and Recreation is at a high point in its creative life, but it’s not doing too well in the ratings. In my dream, it would air on Wednesday nights, move from NBC to ABC, and follow Modern Family. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 27 2011 10:38 PM ET

'Beavis and Butt-Head' premiere review: Lashing out at reality; are you glad they're back?

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Categories: Cartoons, In the News, Music, Reality TV, season premiere, Television, TV Review, TV Tonight, Vampires

They sit in judgment. Well, actually, they sprawl in judgment, their sneers at the ready. Beavis and Butt-Head may be the best TV critics ever, at least for a certain kind of TV. In the ’90s, they dissected the visual signs and verbal disconnects of music videos with the rigor of semioticians (Beavis and Butt-Head and Barthes). READ FULL STORY »

Oct 26 2011 10:48 PM ET

'Work of Art' recap: Andy Warhol and the 'Fame-Whore'

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Categories: Reality TV, Television, TV Recap, TV Review, Work of Art

There’s a distressing pattern beginning to emerge in this season of Work of Art: When it comes time to determine which artist-contestant is going to be eliminated, there’s so much bad art lying thick upon the ground, picking a justifiably clear-cut loser is impossible. And as for the winner? It’s usually the creator of the least derivative piece, perhaps the one artist who provoked more than a “Meh.” Or as Lola said about another competitor’s work: “It’s kinda like, ‘Oh, yeah? And… ?’” READ FULL STORY »

Oct 25 2011 11:11 AM ET

David Letterman 'loves' the Occupy Wall Street protests: 'I'm very sympathetic' -- with Leno UPDATE

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Categories: Barack Obama, Controversy, Craig Ferguson, David Letterman, In the News, Jay Leno, Keith Olbermann, Politics, Pundits Right and Left, Talk Shows, Television, The Late Show, The Tonight Show, TV Last Night, TV Review

David Letterman did not pussyfoot around in making clear his feelings about the Occupy Wall Street protestors. “I love these people causin’ trouble,” he said on Monday night’s Late Show. “Increasingly, this is the way we get change in this country.” READ FULL STORY »

Oct 23 2011 09:16 PM ET

'Once Upon A Time' premiere review: Did this fairy-tale show make your dreams come true?

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Categories: Dramas, Sci-Fi, season premiere, Television, TV Review

Once Upon A Time premiered on Sunday night as a compatible lead-in to Desperate Housewives — that is, if you re-titled the new show something more apt, such as Desperate Fairy-Tale Characters. Certainly, like Housewives, its small-town setting is stuffed with nighttime-soap style characters engaged in endless intrigue. But Once, unlike Housewives, doesn’t have a humorous bone in its brittle body. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 20 2011 05:01 PM ET

'Prime Suspect': a preview clip and video review...plus, 'Parenthood'!

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Categories: Dramas, Television, TV Review, TV Tonight

Prime Suspect is on tonight — it’s the best episode to date, “Carnivorous Sheep,” about a convicted sex offender suspected of kidnapping a little girl, with unexpectedly tragic results, as Maria Bello’s Jane Timoney takes the hour in a different direction at its climax. READ FULL STORY »

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