As anticipation builds for this summer’s Top Chef Masters, debuting June 10, you might want to read this New York Times feature checking up on where various Top Chef contestants ended up in the New York restaurant world, after having packed their knives. It’s a mixed bag: some (like season 1 winner Harold Dieterle) have their own …
Francis Bacon: The Show Goes On
The most powerful museum show I saw last year — or, for that matter, for decades — was the Francis Bacon retrospective at Tate Britain in London. From there it traveled to the Prado and now it’s finally coming to the U.S. On May 20 it makes its third and final stop at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Bacon was one of the …
The Morning After: Boldly Go
Last night, to cleanse the experience of the NBC infront from my mind, I went to a screening of Star Trek. I might blog about it more later in the week; for now, I’ll say I liked it a lot, especially how the prequel stayed true to the spirit of the characters without being slavish toward the original series. Then again, I’m not much of a …
HIMYM Watch: If It's Not One Thing, It's a Mother
Quick spoilers for last night’s How I Met Your Mother coming up after the jump:
At the Infront, NBC Tries to Find Itself
NBC is trying to figure out who it is. Besides “the fourth place network.” That part, they know. But sprinkled in among all the promotional talk at NBC’s “infront” fall programming announcement today was a lot of talk about “brand identity,” something the network has evidently spent a lot of time and research on lately. It’s like …
The Rose Report
Late last week we got the interim report of the Brandeis University committee charged with looking into the school’s decision to change the mission of its Rose Art Museum and possibly sell some its collection. The upshot is that the 11-member committee, which consists of faculty, administrators, a trustee and two students, is starting …
Breaking Bad Watch: I Do Not Have Time For a Breaking Bad Watch Edition
Sorry. Just caught up with the episode and must needs prepare for NBC day. So just one nonspoilery thought on another excellent episode in a thus-far great season of Breaking Bad.
One idea that’s come up in the Great Saving Chuck debate recently is the idea that Chuck is worth saving because it is, unlike many critics’ favorites, a …
Corporate Press Release Theater: NBC's Fall Schedule, Sort Of
Today NBC will be previewing its fall schedule and arguing its merits for advertisers and journalists. I’ll be at its presentation early this afternoon; depending on wifi access from 30 Rock I may post some updates on my Twitter feed. In the meantime, NBC has announced six new series for next year—although it has postponed some …
Dollhouse Watch: New and Improved
Spoilers for Friday’s Dollhouse coming up after the jump:
The Morning After: Got a Love Jonas
I didn’t manage to review Disney Channel’s new star-vehicle sitcom JONAS, but really, isn’t the best time to review a review-proof TV show after it airs?
In this new tween sitcom with music, Disney pop stars Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas play teenagers Kevin, Joe and Nick Lucas. They have a different last name in the series, because …
State Your Case! Southland
Today I introduce what will be a regular feature here at Tuned In, unless, like many other regular features past, I gradually forget I ever introduced it.
Being a TV critic, I have said, is different from being a movie critic. A movie critic can reasonably see every major release of the year, and many many minor ones, and he or …
Parks & Rec / Office / 30 Rock Watch: Let's Get Physical
Spoilers for Parks and Recreation, The Office and 30 Rock coming up after the jump:
Obama Presser: Diminishing Returns?
Like a much-hyped drama debut shedding viewers to find its level, President Obama’s press conferences are drawing fewer viewers each time out. The President’s Wednesday night outing drew 28.8 million viewers on all networks covering, down 29% from his March conference and down from 49.5 million for his first. Nielsen has the numbers. …