Scandal, the new ABC drama from mega-producer Shonda Rhimes, is set in the world of politics, which is not to say that it is a political drama. It’s about politicians, and the associates and secret lovers around them. There are …
Crystal Persuasion: Keith Olbermann, on Letterman, Likens Self to Expensive Chandelier
It made perfect sense for Keith Olbermann to go on Late Show with David Letterman to post-mortem his departure from Current TV. Two talented broadcasters, two very strong-willed guys, two guys who have a history of, shall we say, friction with their employers. So whatever Letterman thinks of how things went down with Olbermann and his …
Game Change! On Today Show, Palin Joins Lamestream Media
Before she was a guest host on this morning’s Today show — 45 minutes before — Sarah Palin was a guest, joining Matt Lauer on the morning of three Republican primaries, to offer “her take on the race.” Toward the end of the …
You’re Sorkin in It: HBO’s Newsroom Trailer Looks Pretty Familiar
Taking advantage of the tune-in audience for the season premiere of Game of Thrones, and the built-in overlap between fans of fantasy epics and cable news, HBO previewed a trailer for its Aaron Sorkin drama The Newsroom last night.
Game of Thrones Watch: Dark, and Full of Terrors
SPOILER ALERT: Before you read this post, throw a couple of your gods on the fire, and gather your friends around to watch last night’s season premiere of Game of Thrones.
“A comet means one thing, boy: dragons.”
I have …
Olbermann Out, Spitzer In at Current TV
Once Keith Olbermann worked for MSNBC. Then he left amid a feud with his bosses. Then he signed up to remake Current TV’s news operation. Then he got embroiled in a feud with his bosses (despite ostensibly being one of them). Now, eight months and change later, late on a Friday afternoon Current announced that Olbermann is leaving the …
Dead Tree Alert: Veep, Women in Power and Game of Thrones’ Clash of Queens
In the current print edition of TIME magazine, my new column (subscription required) is about how–while women candidates may not be as prominent in 2012 as in 2008–TV has become chock-full of women exercising political power. I …
Talking TV on the Radio: Primetime and the Recession (and/or Recovery)
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post here about how, whatever signs of economic rebound are going on in the actual economy, TV shows were still talking about economic bad times and probably will be for a while. Kurt Andersen, a …
Did American Idol Trade More Talent for Less Excitement?
I haven’t been doing week-by-week writeups of American Idol performances this season, which I thought might give me the perspective to see the forest of the season without getting lost in the trees of the individual song …
Hummus-Aisle Intifada! The Daily Show Comes to My Neighborhood
Ah, those cut-ups at The Daily Show! They’re so delightful and on target–when they’re mocking and ridiculing people who are not you, who do things that you don’t do, and believe things that you do not personally believe! But is Jon Stewart’s satire as funny-because-it’s-true when it comes to your own neighborhood?
A confession: I am …
Jimmy Kimmel to Host, and Hopefully Roast, Emmys
One of my favorite part of upfronts week in recent years has been Jimmy Kimmel‘s monologue at the annual ABC fall-season presentation, in which he roasts celebrities (on Charlie Sheen’s comeback: “Tiger Woods must feel like a …
Mad Men‘s Return: Surprise!
NOTE: Because AMC is not sending out advance screeners of Mad Men this season, I won’t be doing postairing reviews of each episode — the show needs time to be reviewed right, and I’m too often on deadline for magazine pieces …
TV Weekend: Mad Men Returns, A Nation’s DVRs Feel the Strain
Once upon a time, Sunday was a nice evening to relax and take in a good show or two before the work week began. Now it’s more like a job in itself, even if you don’t watch TV for a living.
