David Bianculli appears in the following:
'Women Make Film' Shines A Long Overdue Spotlight On Female Filmmakers
Monday, August 31, 2020
TCM's ambitious 14-hour series showcases the work of female filmmakers from around the globe, and provides hundreds of examples of both artistic and technical achievement.
HBO's 'Lovecraft Country' Puts A Bold New Spin On The Works Of A Horror Legend
Friday, August 14, 2020
A new 10-part drama upends the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, presenting a narrative in which the heroes are Black, the setting is the racially divided 1950s, and each episode seems to have its own tone.
'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Sketches Out Life In The Bottom Berths Of The Starship
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
A new CBS All Access cartoon focuses on the ensigns who populate the ship's lower decks — and are charged with mostly menial tasks, like fetching drinks or repairing food replicators.
Remembering Regis Philbin, Prolific Talk And Game Show Personality
Friday, July 31, 2020
The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host, who died July 24, held the Guinness World Record for clocking more hours on camera than anyone else in the history of TV. Originally broadcast in 2011.
'Muppets Now' Proves: It's Not Easy To Capture The Old Muppet Magic
Friday, July 31, 2020
A new comedy from The Muppets Studio features familiar characters and a few new ones. But the Disney+ series isn't nearly as funny as the original — and many of its sketches go on too long.
Peacock, NBC's New Streaming Service, Isn't Quite Must-See TV
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Peacock launches with thousands of hours of old programs, plus a sampling of new ones. Most of the new shows are just average — except for Intelligence and The Capture, which are worth catching.
Seamless And Moving, 'Hamilton' Streaming Works Stunningly Well
Friday, July 03, 2020
Filmed in 2016 when the actors were at the height of their comfort and performance levels, the steadycam and close-ups make the Broadway sensation impressively impactful on the small screen.
'Perry Mason' Reboot Reimagines The Original Aggressively — And Effectively
Thursday, June 18, 2020
HBO's new 8-part miniseries stars Matthew Rhys in the title role. The show is full of delightful surprises, including its portrayal of Mason as a gumshoe — not an iconic defense attorney.
3 New Options Enhance The Spectrum Of TV Viewing Opportunities
Monday, June 01, 2020
Critic David Bianculli recommends the BBC Shakespeare plays, now available on Britbox. He's also been previewing HBO Max, a new streaming service, and the PBS documentary, An Accidental Studio.
Hulu Takes On Catherine The Great In A Series That's More Funny Than Factual
Friday, May 15, 2020
A new, 10-part miniseries follows the exploits of the Russian empress who rose to power in a coup against her own husband. The Great is shrewdly entertaining — if not exactly historically accurate.
Stephen Sondheim's Star-Studded 90th Birthday Salute Made For Perfect TV
Friday, May 08, 2020
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Groban and Meryl Streep are just a few of the artists featured in Take Me to the World, a tribute to the iconic Broadway composer and lyricist.
Inventive New Comedy 'Upload' Explores (Virtual) Life After Death
Friday, May 01, 2020
Set in 2033, Amazon's new sci-fi series follows a dead character who has been brought back to "life" as a lookalike avatar in a virtual world. Upload is smart, funny — and imaginatively complicated.
Remembering Tony Award-Winning Character Actor Brian Dennehy
Friday, April 24, 2020
The burly actor, who died April 15, played the leading role in Death of a Salesman, in both the Broadway production as well as the 2000 TV movie. Dennehy spoke to David Bianculli in 1999.
On Showtime, 'Homeland' Bids Adieu, While 'Penny Dreadful' Marks Its Return
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Critic David Bianculli says both shows have uncanny parallels to today's world. Homeland's final season has been truly unnerving, while Penny Dreadful's new season centers on a supernatural villain.
Savor, Don't Settle: On TV, Quality Counts Now More Than Ever
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
TV critic David Bianculli recommends new shows, including FX's Mrs. America, as well as some off-the-beaten-path viewing alternatives, like free web showings of musicals from London's West End.
'The Plot Against America' Asks: What If The U.S. Had Sided With The Nazis?
Friday, March 13, 2020
David Bianculli reviews HBO's new miniseries, which imagines that Charles Lindbergh became president in 1940. And we listen back to a 2004 with Philip Roth, who wrote the novel the series is based on.
'Devs' And 'Amazing Stories' Bring Fresh Sci-Fi Drama To Streaming
Friday, March 06, 2020
Hulu's new 8-part miniseries Devs is a definite must-see, while the Disney TV+ show Amazing Stories, based on the 1985 NBC anthology series by Steven Spielberg, is more of a wait-and-see.
Back For Season 5, 'Better Call Saul' Keeps The Fun And Narrative Going
Friday, February 21, 2020
Fans of Breaking Bad will love some of the faces that show up this season in Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould's prequel/sequel series. It's already clear this show will be one of the year's best.
Edie Falco Shines As LA's Top Cop In The CBS Drama 'Tommy'
Thursday, February 06, 2020
In addition to solving a case each week, Tommy features ongoing story lines involving the police chief's interactions with colleagues and family members. The scripts aren't fantastic — but Falco is.
Intriguing 'Star Trek' Reboot Sends Patrick Stewart's Picard Back Into Space
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Star Trek: Picard begins in the year 2399, when the captain, long retired, is tending to his European vineyard. But Picard doesn't stay Earthbound long in this CBS All Access show.