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HBO
Tuned In+Television | 4 hours ago

Dead Tree Alert: The Beautiful Losers of Luck

By James Poniewozik

In the print TIME magazine out now, I review (subscription required) David Milch and Michael Mann’s new HBO series Luck, which debuts Sunday and which I loved. Eventually. Yes, this is another critic flogging a cable drama by saying “It’s really good, but give it a few episodes.” And I’ll throw in another caveat—this is not a show for everyone, not even every fan of other HBO dramas.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 6 hours ago

The Morning After: To the Moon!

By James Poniewozik

There have been a lot of sitcom analogies made in this election. Last night in Florida, the show apparently became The Honeymooners. You decide who was Ralph and who was Alice.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 1 day ago

For the Love of Beets: Are You Ready for an Office Spinoff About Dwight?

By James Poniewozik
Chris Haston/NBC

It is way too early—if this project even ever comes to pass—to say that this is a terrible idea. But this is a terrible idea.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 1 day ago

There Is a Rap Song About Ron Swanson

By James Poniewozik

There is a rap song about Ron Swanson. Why are you even reading the rest of this post? Why haven’t you just clicked “Play”? What more could you possibly need to hear? Well, all right: the track comes from Adam WarRock, whose past work includes a full album about Firefly (“M to the A to [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+Review | 2 days ago

TV Tonight: Touch

By James Poniewozik
FOX

The part of me who wants networks to branch out from cop, lawyer and doctor dramas wants to praise Touch for trying something different. But the part of me who actually watched the pilot has to recognize that it is at least 50% hoo-hah.

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 2 days ago

State of the Union: A Call for Unity, in a Political Package

By James Poniewozik

A lengthy, listy speech appealed to Americans’ common goals, but was always conscious of political opponents in the room—and at least one Presidential rival outside the room.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 3 days ago

Game of Thrones Season 2 Tidbits: Building Up Qarth, and Fleshing It Out

By James Poniewozik

One of the many HBO programming announcements out of the winter TCA tour that I didn’t get around to commenting on was a return date for Game of Thrones‘ season 2: April 1. Information about the second series—and judging only by the source book, A Clash of Kings, it could be a doozy—has been coming [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 3 days ago

The Morning After: Come Back, Loud Debate Audiences! All Is Forgiven!

By James Poniewozik

Without the hoots and hollers from a partisan crowd, last night’s Republican candidates in Tampa were like sitcom actors looking for their laugh track.

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Tuned In+Television | 4 days ago

The Morning After: Doff Your Fedora for Prime Suspect, Tip Your Wings for Pan Am

By James Poniewozik
Christina Ricci and Margot Robbie in PAN AM. / ABC

Those of you still watching Prime Suspect or Pan Am, care to make the case for either show?

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 7 days ago

Colbert and Cain Do the Charleston: Which One’s the Comedian?

By James Poniewozik

I’ve never been to Charleston, S.C., but I’m pretty sure that, for this afternoon at least, Randolph Hall at the College of Charleston was located at the intersection of Reality and Satire. There it was that Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain, unlikely ballotfellows, held a funny, serious and seriously funny rally to promote Colbert’s bid [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 7 days ago

The Morning After: Archer and the Bandit

By James Poniewozik
FX

In one of my favorite Archer episodes ever, Sterling and Lana have an adventure in a Florida Louisiana swamp, which is mainly exciting to Archer for its resonances with the Burt Reynolds classic Gator. “I’ve been waiting my entire life to say this exact phrase,” Archer says, excitedly: “I am commandeering this airboat!” Last night [...]

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Tuned In+News Media | 7 days ago

Debate Watch: You Come at the King, You Best Not Miss

By James Poniewozik

When John King opened the debate by asking Gingrich about the bombshell marital charge, it was as if he had walked up to the former Speaker, set up a glass fishbowl on a tee, and handed him a Flintstones-sized club.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Review | 8 days ago

Modern Family Watch: What the Bleep Was the Big Deal?

By James Poniewozik
ABC/PETER "HOPPER" STONE

For some reason, argued decency protesters, a TV episode premised on the idea that it is a problem for a child to cuss encourages children to cuss. Oh, for ___’s sake.

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 8 days ago

Dead Tree Alert: Truth Vigilantes, Attack!

By James Poniewozik

Last week, New York Times public editor (the equivalent of an ombudsman) Arthur Brisbane wrote a blog post asking whether, in covering the campaign, reporters should challenge in the body of their straight-news stories statements by candidates that are dubious, distorted or outright false. Or as he put it—in a headline that generated unsurprising outrage [...]

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Tuned In+News Media | 8 days ago

Romney Didn’t Win Iowa After All. Is It Too Late To Change the Story?

By James Poniewozik
Win McNamee / Getty Images

For over two weeks Romney got the benefit of being described as the “winner” of a caucus that journalists should have called a tie. And the difference it made may have been a hell of a lot more than a few votes.

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Tuned In+Television | 9 days ago

The Morning After: Icepickin’ and Grinnin’

By James Poniewozik
Prashant Gupta / FX

FX’s Justified, coming off a second season that was one of the best things on TV in 2011, returned last night with an episode that included new nemeses, an icepick-wielding adversary and some old-fashioned Western shootistry. (Also back—TNT’s Southland.)

Tuned In
Tuned In+Review | 9 days ago

Glee Watch: Wedding Bell Curve

By James Poniewozik
Adam Rose/FOX

I asked my Twitter feed its verdict on the episode. “The best in a while,” came the answer. Also: “The worst in a while.” This being Glee, I assumed they were both probably right.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 9 days ago

Late Show Fires Comedy Booker, Revives the Are-Women-Funny Debate (Sigh)

By James Poniewozik
CBS PHOTO by JOHN PAUL FILO

Letterman’s now-ousted booker said that too many women comics were trying to act like men, rather than being “authentic.” What does that even mean?