The Emmys, Where Cable Reigns Supreme Fresh Air September 21, 2009 • TV critic David Bianculli reviews last night's Emmy awards — and considers the future of broadcast television in light of what the results revealed.
'Mad Men' Returns, With A British Invasion Fresh Air August 14, 2009 • When last we saw the ad men and women of AMC's Mad Men, the firm had just been bought by a British company and the Cuban missile crisis was underway. Critic David Bianculli offers a sneak peak at what additional drama the new season might hold.
New Clocks, New Challenges As '24' Returns Fresh Air January 9, 2009 • The seventh season of 24 premieres this Sunday. Critic David Bianculli assesses the four-hour, two-night return of counterterrorist Jack Bauer — who's got some new allies, and some new enemies.
'Dexter' Returns, And The Suspense Is Murderous Fresh Air September 24, 2008 • TV's most charming serial killer is back for a third season on Showtime. With new murders, new dangers and new characters, TV critic David Bianculli says the new season is a real thrill.
'True Blood,' Tasty New TV From Alan Ball And HBO Fresh Air September 5, 2008 • The new HBO series centers on a vampire clan living in a small Louisiana town. It's by Alan Ball, creator of the hit series Six Feet Under, and based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. Anna Paquin stars.
Reporter Helen Thomas Gets An HBO 'Thank You' Fresh Air August 18, 2008 • Documentarian Rory Kennedy, who's won acclaim and awards for her documentaries American Hollow and The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, turns her lens on legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas. David Bianculli has a review.
'Generation Kill' Takes TV To The War Zone Fresh Air July 11, 2008 • Fresh Air's TV critic has a look at the new HBO miniseries, created by The Wire's David Simon and Ed Burns. Generation Kill focuses on a unit of Marines during the first 40 days of the Iraq war.
At 'Hopkins,' a String of Real-Life ER Dramas Fresh Air June 26, 2008 • Hopkins, which premieres tonight, is the sequel to a 2000 ABC documentary series that told intimate, very real stories about medical staff and patients at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University. Fresh Air's TV critic has a review.
On FX, March Means the Return of 'The Riches' Fresh Air March 18, 2008 • Fresh Air TV critic David Bianculli previews season two of the FX series The Riches, staring Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard.
The Writers' Strike Ends...Now What? Fresh Air February 11, 2008 • Fresh Air's TV critic David Bianculli discusses the long-term effects of the four-month-long writers' strike, and--more immediately--when we can expect new episodes of our favorite shows to return to the air.
Believe It or Not, 'Lost' Returns for a New Season Fresh Air January 31, 2008 • New mysteries, new jeopardies and only eight episodes to explore them: The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 are back, but the ongoing Hollywood writers strike means a shorter season than planned. Fresh Air's TV critic — and him you can trust — previews the season premiere of Lost, airing tonight on ABC.
Gabriel Byrne, 'In Treatment' Nightly on HBO Fresh Air January 28, 2008 • HBO, once home to The Sopranos, has some experience with conflicted psychoanalysts. The latest one on the lineup: Paul Weston, played by Gabriel Byrne. The central figure of In Treatment, a nightly half-hour serial adapted from an Israeli TV drama, Weston is a calm, collected counselor on the outside — and an emotional mess on the inside. Fresh Air's TV critic offers a diagnosis.
The Best Television Programs of 2007 Fresh Air December 24, 2007 • David Bianculli, Fresh Air TV critic, shares his picks for the best television of 2007 and says he's looking forward to the 2008 seasons of ABC's Lost and HBO's The Wire. Bianculli is the author of Teleliteracy and Television's 500 Biggest Hits, Misses, and Events.
Guilty Pleasures: 'Project Runway' on Bravo Fresh Air November 21, 2007 • Fresh Air's critic at large tells us why he loves the high-fashion challenge, a reality-TV staple now in its fourth season on cable's Bravo channel.
Revealing Slices of 'Quarterlife' Fresh Air November 13, 2007 • Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, creators of Thirtysomething and executive producers of My So-Called Life, are making news again with a new series. It's called Quarterlife, and it's airing not on TV, but in short, six-to-an-hour episodes on the Web. Some pundits are touting it as an alternative for audiences during the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike. Critic David Bianculli, who's working on the Web himself now at TVWorthWatching.com, has a review.
'Aliens' and 'Daisies' Touch Ground This Fall Fresh Air October 1, 2007 • Fresh Air's TV critic reviews the fall season. New shows include the sitcom Aliens in America, premiering Oct. 1 on the CW Network, and ABC's comedy drama Pushing Daisies, making its debut Wednesday, Oct. 3.
Ken Burns, Documenting Another Iconic War Fresh Air September 21, 2007 • Fresh Air's TV critic previews The War, the new documentary series about World War II from filmmaker Ken Burns (The Civil War). It premieres Sept. 23 on PBS.
Viewing TV's Latest Offerings with a Cautious Eye September 13, 2007 • The fall TV season is upon us and the networks are rolling out their new shows. But it's hard to judge the potential success of a series based on just the pilot episode. Our TV critic looks at a few of the new shows with a cautious eye.
From HBO, Three to Watch This Weekend Fresh Air September 7, 2007 • Fresh Air's TV critic previews a new series, a new special and a season premiere — all on HBO this weekend. The special, Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq, is a series of interviews with soldiers (including Dawn Halfaker, pictured) and Marines wounded in the war.
'Californication': Duchovny, On the Prowl Again Fresh Air August 13, 2007 • Fresh Air's TV critic reviews the new Showtime dramedy Californication. It stars X-Files veteran David Duchovny as a charming, jaded rogue of a writer trapped in a Hollywood fame-and-identity crisis; he's still hung up on his ex, so much so that he's sleeping with every woman who'll let him.
From ABC, Modern 'Masters of Science Fiction' Fresh Air August 3, 2007 • ABC is preparing to launch a four-week anthology series called Masters of Science Fiction; it's scheduled to air on Saturdays at 10 p.m. Fresh Air's TV critic says it's a modern-day Outer Limits.
Old TV Is New Again, and Shorter June 22, 2007 • On its online network Minisode, Sony is making more than 500 episodes of shows such as Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch and Different Strokes available free, in condensed form. Its tagline: "The shows you love. Only shorter."