Tuned In

Could Sex-Scandal Coverage Be Doing Herman Cain a Favor?

If there’s one thing people who follow politics are trained to believe, it’s that sex scandals bring politicians down. A sexual harassment scandal, doubly so. And an inartful response to a sexual harassment scandal, triply. So after Politico reported that Herman Cain had been accused of harassment by former employees who received settlements in exchange [...]

In Stephen King’s Latest, Trying to Stop Lee Harvey Oswald

Stephen King 112263

I started 11/22/63 because I was curious what Stephen King was up to. I finished it because I liked it.

Tuned In

First Horse Out of the Gate: HBO to Sneak-Peek Luck Pilot

HBO has announced a premiere date, Jan. 29, for its David Milch / Michael Mann horseracing drama Luck. But should you care to lay odds on it early, the network will run a sneak preview of the pilot episode on Dec. 11, after the season finale of Boardwalk Empire. Then HBO will hold its horses, [...]

‘Dancing with the Stars’ Week 7: Justin Bieber Performs. Oh, And Someone Exits.

ADAM TAYLOR / ABC

Seriously, you guys, how is Nancy Grace still on this show?

I Want My MTV: Drugs and Money and Cows in Boardrooms

I Want My MTV

This oral history is compulsively entertaining, though it wraps up before the real golden age of the music video.

The Perils of Reading About Pauline Kael

MARTHA HOLMES / Time Life Pictures

After reading Brian Kellow’s biography, I still adore film critic Pauline Kael. But I’m glad I didn’t know her.

Tuned In

American Horror Story, Homeland Get a 2nd Season. Do They Have One in Them?

SHOWTIME

In News That’s Old But I’ve Been Too Busy To Blog About It News: FX’s American Horror Story and Showtime’s Homeland each got an order for a second season—no surprise for either, given their respective ratings success. (AHS draws more viewers, but at Showtime the absolute number doesn’t need to be as high, since those [...]

American Reunion, In Which Jason Biggs Replaces Pie With Sock

Y’know that guy you knew in high school, the one who gave you the nickname “Frog Guts” after you accidentally dropped a dissected animal in biology class, and who still calls you that 12 years after you graduated? He probably writes it on your Facebook wall and clicks “like” on his own post? You know [...]

Harlow, Daffy and Ken Kesey's Magic Trippers

Bettmann / Corbis

Treasures from the vaults: a platinum blonde, a duck and the acid-laced author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Tuned In

‘Rock Center with Brian Williams’: Why Isn’t the Evening News More like This?

NBC

Brian Williams is my favorite network news anchor. That is not to say that I watch him very often on NBC Nightly News. Let’s not get crazy here! But I love his dry humor and sharp observations; I like his work on 30 Rock and his appearances on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. If I were [...]

Get Ready New York: Conan O’Brien is Back

Meghan Sinclair / Team Coco

Conan continues to struggle in the ratings, yet people were camped out at 5 a.m. to see the first of his New York shows.

House Watch: Please, Please Bring Back the Old Team

Hugh Laurie in House

I’ve been watching House M.D. since it first aired in 2004, and I can safely say that last night’s “Risky Business” was a steaming pile of place holding. Or that the writers were dulled by Vicodin. Whatever the case, the episode proved that, as fantastic an actor as Hugh Laurie is, he alone cannot carry [...]

‘Dancing with the Stars’ Week 7: The Monster Mash

ADAM TAYLOR / ABC

Who was the scariest dancer on DWTS’ Halloween-themed night?

Top 10 Racing Games

NFS-Hot Pursuit

To mark the arrival of this fall’s fantastic Forza Motorsport 4, TIME takes a look at the best driving games around.

Lou Reed and Metallica Go Loopy on Lulu

Lou Reed Metallica Lulu

This album-length collaboration is a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence.