Television
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Robin Williams Remembered
PBS Special September 9
By: - Sep 02nd, 2014The one-hour special will feature Williams’ last full-length television interview, including never-before-seen footage of his comments on life and work, tributes by those who knew and worked with him closely in all phases of his career, and clips from iconic moments throughout his career. Williams shares stories about his first stand-up act, his desire to be a serious dramatic actor and his tireless efforts to entertain U.S. troops overseas.
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Salamander a 12 Part Belgian Thriller
Compelling Series on Netflix
By: - Aug 29th, 2014We devoured the 12 part Belgian series "Salamander" over three riveting evenings. Starting as a not so unique bank robbery the master mind has more than theft planned for the 66 owners of targeted private boxes in the vault. The real motive is to bring down a powerful cabal with the code name Salamander surviving from a WWII Resistance group.
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Sarah Lancashire in Happy Valley
A Copper in BBC Hit on Netflix
By: - Aug 24th, 2014Sarah Lancashire is familiar to PBS viewers as the lesbian head mistress in Sally Wainwright's series Last Tango in Halifax. She has written a news cop series Happy Valley built around Lancashire. The hit, six part BBC series is now avaiable for binge viewing on Netflix.
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PBS Secrets of Underground London
Precedes Masterpiece Mystery June 22
By: - May 13th, 2014Following the success of the previous behind-the-scenes looks at England’s most notable landmarks, SECRETS OF UNDERGROUND LONDON premieres Sunday, June 22, 2014, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET. The special precedes MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “The Escape Artist†starring David Tennant.
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PBS Fall Programming
Season Launches with The Roosevelts September 14
By: - May 08th, 2014The Roosevelts kicks off PBS’ fall season Sunday, September 14, with an epic seven-night premiere. The 14-hour documentary airs nightly at 8 p.m. through Saturday, September 20 with a repeat at 10 p.m., and for the first time on television weaves the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics.
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PBS Summer Schedule
Returing Favorites and New Features
By: - May 01st, 2014PBS announces a summer schedule of programming spanning generations and genres. From examinations of our nation’s history to our connections to the animal kingdom, and escapes to Britain’s courtrooms and countryside, PBS offers diverse series and specials for all viewers.
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Pioneers of Television on PBS
Series Returns on April 15
By: - Mar 30th, 2014The PBS series Pioneers of Television returns for its fourth season on April 15. In the premiere episode through interviews and vintage clips we have insights to the complex transition from the demands of standup to those of working with an ensemble of actors. The episode balances hilarious and poignant moments.
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Hail Sid Caesar
The King of Comedy during its Golden Age
By: - Feb 13th, 2014During the Golden Age of Comedy in the pioneering era of television in the 1950s the undisputed King of Comedy was Sid Caesar. After decades of self abuse he embraced sobriety and clean living. This week he passes away at the hilarious age of 91. We recall his genius and the genre he presided over.
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Ireland’s Crime Series Love/ Hate
Four Award Winning Seasons
By: - Jan 27th, 2014The four award winning seasons of the Irish crime series Love/ Hate is powerful, insightful and compelling. The young hoods are well drawn and complex. The first three seasons are available on Netflix. They invite marathon viewing. Then the cliff hanger while we wait for season four that aired in the fall of 2013.
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Streaming The Grand on Netflix
Vintage BBC Series for Downton Abbey Fans
By: - Jan 02nd, 2014Shot for a fraction of the budget of Downton Abbey, on a lot of levels the 1997 BBC series, The Grand, more than holds its own. There are mistakes and some curious casting changes but the plot twists and cliff hangers kept us hungry for the next of 18 fascinating episodes.
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Chasing Shackelton on PBS
Three Part Series Premieres January 8
By: - Dec 31st, 2013Chasing Shackelton, a new three-part series about a modern expedition that follows the path of history’s most extraordinary survival story, will premiere January 8, 2014. The series follows a crew of five intrepid explorers led by renowned adventurer, scientist and author Tim Jarvis as they re-create Shackleton’s epic sea-and-land voyage in a replica of the original explorers’ boat, using only the tools and supplies his team used.
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Orange is the New Black by Netflix
Hit Prison Series To Return for Season Two
By: - Aug 13th, 2013Three's a charm with Orange Is the New Black the third mini series created by Netflix. All 13 episodes were released on July 11 resulting in an orgy for fanatical viewers. There was a cliff hanger ending followed by the good news that Piper and her inmates will be back next year with season two. Initially we thought of Piper as a good girl who made a bad mistake. Gradually she is revealed as a bad girl who has to make good. Or just survive her 15 month sentence.
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Pasta an Enchanting South Korean TV Series
Food and Romance in a Steamy Kitchen
By: - Jul 27th, 2013This summer we were utterly captivated by a South Korean romantic comedy Pasta set in the kitchen of an upscale Italian restaurant La Sfera. There were 20 amazingly well crafted and consistently surprising episodes in a series we never wanted to end. We urge you to check it out on Netflix.
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So So or So What Mad Men Returns
Mad As Hell Over Launch of Season Six
By: - Apr 08th, 2013Last night we watched Masterpiece Theatre and Tivoed the relaunch of Mad Men. Starting at 10 we were able to fast forward through two hours worth of ads. While it was fun to cut to the chase what we saw was mostly a muddle. A double time season opener is designed to set up plot points but there was little of the magic that got us hooked on the award winning series.
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Netflix Gambles on House of Cards
$100 Million for So So Original Programming
By: - Mar 15th, 2013Last year Netflix initiated original programming with the series Lillyhammer starring Steven Van Zandt as a mobster in witness protection in Norway. It was mildly amusing. Now Netflix has taken a step forward with a remake of the classic BBC mini series House of Cards. The American version stars the always masterful Kevin Spacey who is not enough to bind together a sprawling often absurdly out of control political drama.
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Smash Reboots
Season Two Launch Sophomoric
By: - Feb 06th, 2013Despite creative mood swings the Theresa Rebeck created Smash was among our favorites TV shows last year. After a so so first season the drama focused on bringing a musical to Broadway was on the cusp of being cancelled. Rebeck was sacked and replaced by Joshua Safran of the former show Gossip Girl. A number of characters and subplots have been dumped and new story lines inserted. The relaunch, however, was a muddled mess. If ratings plummet, as well they should after the two hour bomb of a relaunch, this show may not be around much longer.
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Spiral a Violent Spin on Cops and Robbers
Brilliant Series a Global Hit for French TV
By: - Nov 25th, 2012Critics are unanimous that the four seasons of the cop show Spiral is the best TV drama ever produced in France. The series has been syndicated in 70 countries and was a huge hit for BBC. Curiously the brilliant, gritty view of the underside of the French judicial system has not been seen on American television. But the fist three seasons, available for streaming on Netflix, is totally addictive. Sprial is as good if not better than HBO's The Wire. Be warned, however, its ultra vi.
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Omari Hardwick to Film Verses & Flow
TV One Debuts August 31.
By: - Jun 01st, 2012On June 11, “Verses & Flow†will begin filming its second season at the historical Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. This year’s host is American actor and Georgia native, Omari Hardwick.
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Totally Tubular Seasonal Depression
Some TV Shows Terminal Others See You Next Year
By: - May 15th, 2012For the past couple of weeks the ads have proclaimed "Watch the series finale of House or Desperate Housewives." Or the season's finale of Smash and Madmen. Now what? Endless reruns? Baseball? Video Games? Recreational drugs? TV is about not to be TV. Yikes.
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PBS to Broadcast Tanglewood 75th Gala
All Star Concer to Air on August 10
By: - Apr 26th, 2012PBS announced today that the Tanglewood 75th anniversary gala concert, featuring many of the iconic artists identified with the fete, has been added to the line-up of the PBS Arts Summer Festival and will air nationally on Friday, August 10 at 9 p.m. ET as part of GREAT PERFORMANCES.
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Spring Cleaning on TV
New Shows: Smash, Scandal, Missing, Touch
By: - Apr 08th, 2012t’s that time of year when there is spring cleaning by TV networks. The lease has run out of the flops launched in the fall. A handful have traction while the deck is reshuffled to fill gaps. Slots open up for shows in the works. Or production schedules are moved up to flesh out the remainder of the season before summer reruns.
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Mad as Hell
Fat Betty and Other Surprises
By: - Apr 03rd, 2012After an absence of a year and a half, eons in the entertainment industry, the enormously successful and innovative Mad Men returned with a two hour bundle of plot points. Absent from the season's launch with Don Draper's ex wife Betty now remarried. She returns as the bored housewife, sulking and consoling her misery with afternoon snacks. It's a shock to encounter the formerly svelte and glamorous January Jones (currently pregnant in real life) as 'fat Betty.'
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Mad Men Back on TV
Time Flies When You're Not Having Fun
By: - Mar 26th, 2012Last night with a blockbuster, two hour opening episode Mad Men, after an endless hiatus, returned to launch Season Five. In TV years the once hip hit series may be over the hill. Mad Men may run out of gas as it struggles to win back fans. There is always something new and fresh competing for our attention. In a Twitter era, Mad Men and its fixation on the 1960s may be, like, so over.
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Lilyhammer Launches Original Content for Netflix
Steve Van Zandt On the Lam in Norway
By: - Feb 16th, 2012Millions who miss the The Sopranos are likely to get hooked on the notion of Silvio in Witness Protection in Norway. Why Lilyhammer? Because he watched the Olympics. That makes sense about as much as this series for Netflix starring a parody of mobster/ rocker Steven Van Zandt. Fugggedddahboutit. Bada bada bing.
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TV or Not TV
Smash, Luck, Downton Abbey, Mad Men
By: - Feb 09th, 2012Too much TV turns your brain to mush and causes cancer. Which is what I love about it. This week we saw the first episode of Smash. It was awesome. But I just don't understand Luck on HBO. Something about horse races. So, if you like TV as much as I do here's an update.
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