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'Downton' returns: Did it live up to your expectations?

Posted by Emily Wright January 7, 2013 10:34 AM

Boston Globe critic Matthew Gilbert praised the return of "Downton Abbey." After watching last night's third-season premiere, do you agree with his high marks? Let us know in our discussion forum or in the comments below.

If you didn't get enough of "Masterpiece Theater" (the parent program of "Downton") last night, take a look at our round-up of familiar faces that have roots in the PBS series.


Will you watch Ryan Seacrest host 'New Year's Rockin' Eve'?

Posted by Rachel Raczka December 31, 2012 11:11 AM

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AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute


Dick Clark (right) and Ryan Seacrest at the 2011 broadcast in New York.

This evening's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013" will pay a special tribute to the late icon, Dick Clark, who died in April. The radio and TV personality has been synonymous with New York's midnight ball drop since 1972 and left the annual live hosting responsibilities in the hands of Ryan Seacrest, who began co-hosting with Clark in 2005. The longtime "American Idol" host said he plans to pay his respects to Clark during the broadcast, but told The Associated Press, "But the night will be, as he would want, a celebration of what's to come: Dick was always one to say, 'The show must go on.'"

Seacrest will share his evening's responsibilities with co-hosts Jenny McCarthy and Fergie, featuring pre-taped Los Angeles footage and a live broadcast in New York's Times Square, with performances from the likes of Karmin, Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, PSY, Jason Aldean, Justin Beiber, and more. (A full list of performers can be found on Billboard.com.)

The show begins tonight at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Will you watch this evening's show? What do you think of Ryan Seacrest as the new host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve?

Thursday TV chat at noon

Posted by Matthew Gilbert December 20, 2012 11:28 AM

What did you think of the "Homeland" finale? Thoughts on winter programming, from "Shameless" to "Downton Abbey" and "Justified"? Comments on anything TV-ish? Be there at noon.

'The Voice' pays tribute to the school shooting victims

Posted by Kristi Palma December 18, 2012 08:42 AM

"The Voice" paid tribute to the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. last night.

The coaches and contestants sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and held up the names of those whose lives were lost on Friday morning. They stood behind a line of candles.

"The Voice" will announce its winner Dec. 18 at 9 p.m.


tags The Voice

The annual Golden Globes pre-holiday post-Emmy madness

Posted by Matthew Gilbert December 13, 2012 09:42 AM
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The silly season is well underway, meaning we're on our 16th country-music awards show and heading into our 25th movie-awards presentation. And this morning, the Golden Globes began doing its part, announcing a mess of new nominations that don't mean much except that a bunch of famous people will gather on Jan. 13 to mingle with one another, promote their movies for Oscars, and get their mugs on TV.

The word "random" is overused and misused, but I think it does generally apply to the Globes TV nominations. And in some cases, that's a good thing. Connie Britton got a deserved nod for best actress for "Nashville," for instance. Danny Huston got a supporting nod for his creepy work on the small Starz series "Magic City." I thought I was the only person enjoying that show. And, at last, Mandy Patinkin got recognition for his rich supporting work on "Homeland," despite the Emmy snub.

But of course there are weirdnessess amid the randomness. A best comedy/musical nomination for "Smash"? The show started off with a bang of a pilot, but fell into storyline mediocrity across the first season. I guess the Steven Spielberg producer credit didn't hurt. And the uneven "The Newsroom" is on the list, but no "Game of Thrones" or supporting actor Peter Dinklage, despite his win last year? Huh? What? 

Golden Globe nominations tend to be somewhat Euro-centric. They're from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, after all. That's probably why the second, lesser season of "Downton Abbey" got a best drama nod, but "Mad Men" didn't. "Mad Men" may not have had its best year, but still: It was impressive and better than almost everything else out there. An odd snub, although star Jon Hamm did get a nomination.

The Euro bent is also probably why "Episodes," with its British-American culture clash, got nominated for best comedy and "Louie" and "Parks and Recreation" didn't. "Episodes" is fine, but not nearly among the best comedies out there. At least "Girls" and Louis C.K. got some due, as did Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, and "Homeland." 

Also getting deserved nominations: Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who are co-hosting the telecast. Awkwardness: averted.

Here's a link to the full list of nominees.  



We Like to Watch: Shows for the holidays

Posted by Glenn Yoder December 7, 2012 12:08 PM

Pick up some holiday viewing tips from Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman.

Noon TV chat on Friday

Posted by Matthew Gilbert December 7, 2012 11:21 AM

What are you watching? What are you liking, hating, and liking to hate? Come share your feelings on anything TV-ish, from the January return of "Girls" and the upcoming finale of "Homeland" to the developments on "Nashville" and "Revenge." MG

We Like to Watch: Fall season report card

Posted by Glenn Yoder November 30, 2012 03:59 PM

Watch Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman grade this season's shows and tell us what you think.

Carrie Underwood to play Maria von Trapp on live TV

Posted by Emily Wright November 30, 2012 12:30 PM

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Jordan Strauss/AP

The hills are alive with the sound of... country music?

"American Idol" winner and country music superstar Carrie Underwood will play Maria von Trapp in the NBC live television broadcast of "The Sound of Music," scheduled to air around the 2013 holidays.

Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC entertainment, made the announcement that the golden-haired beauty was chosen to take on the role on Nov. 30.

"Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn't be happier to have the gifted Carrie Underwood take up the mantle of the great Maria von Trapp," Greenblatt said in a People online post.

The 29-year-old singer has just three acting credits on her IMDB page, including an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," 2011 biopic "Soul Surfer," and an episode of "Sesame Street."

Will she be able to stand up to the likes of her predecessors? Only time will tell. The role of Maria was made famous by Mary Martin on Broadway in 1960, and then further popularized by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film by the same name. The film won an Oscar for best picture that same year.


Matthew Gilbert talks TV at noon

Posted by Glenn Yoder November 30, 2012 11:41 AM

Chat with Globe television critic Matthew Gilbert today at noon. Log in with your questions below.

CNN to begin the Zucker era

Posted by Matthew Gilbert November 29, 2012 10:10 AM
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It's official: Jeff Zucker will be taking over from Jim Walton as president of CNN Worldwide in January. 

CNN just announced that "Zucker will assume executive oversight of a portfolio of 23 branded news and information businesses that includes CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN.com and HLN and reaches more than 2 billion people in some 200 countries around the world."

Zucker has a long history at NBC, rising from a researcher for NBC Sports to become the executive producer of "Today" and finally the President and CEO of NBC Universal. He is currently the executive producer of the syndicated daytime series "Katie."

Let's see what he can do for the troubled news channel, which has been slipping in the ratings while the more partisan cable news outlets Fox News and MSNBC have been thriving. His bold moves at NBC weren't always successful, creatively or ratings-wise, from "supersizing" sitcoms and filling primetime with mediocre reality shows to the 2010 late-night debacle involving Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno. During Zucker's tenure, the network fell from No. 1 to No. 4.

But CNN needs bold right now. Shaking up is in order. Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Piers Morgan, brace yourselves. 

Stars to reprise roles as Cory, Topanga in 'Boy Meets World' spinoff

Posted by Emily Wright November 27, 2012 01:37 PM

Three weeks ago fans of the ‘90s smash sitcom “Boy Meets World” had reason to jump for joy when news broke that a spinoff, rumored to be named "Girl Meets World," was in the works.

The show's name has been confirmed by Entertainment Weekly and EW has given those fans have yet another reason to rejoice: Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel have signed on to reprise their roles as Cory and Topanga Matthews in the new show.

Ben Savage tweeted on Nov. 26: "I'm going to be a father! Well, on TV at least. The "Boy Meets World" sequel is officially happening!"

"Girl Meets World" will chronicle the life of Corey and Topanga's now-grown daughter, Riley, according to the EW post. The spinoff was created and will be executive produced for the Disney Channel by "Boy Meets World" creator Michael Jacobs.

Rumors began circulating that the show's stars would return to the small screen after Fishel tweeted, "Just want you guys to know that @BenSavage and I have talked and we've decided...Thanksgiving is going to be delicious this year!" on Nov. 3.


Lifetime to air encore presentation of Lohan's 'Liz & Dick' at 8 p.m.

Posted by Emily Wright November 26, 2012 01:31 PM

Lifetime is airing an encore of the much-buzzed about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton biopic, "Liz & Dick," starring Lindsay Lohan, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m., a day after it premiered on the network.

Boston Globe critic Matthew Gilbert wrote that "Lohan delivers her lines essentially as herself, LiLo, complete with her hoarse, flat voice and her blasé-meets-bratty affect."

You be the judge.


'Downton Abbey' gets a fourth season

Posted by Matthew Gilbert November 26, 2012 11:09 AM
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Whew. 

British channel ITV has announced that "Downton Abbey" has been renewed for a fourth season. The upstairs-downstairs show will begin filming again in February.

That's the good news. The not-so-good news? Season 4 may return without the regular presence of Dan Stevens (above), who plays Matthew Crawley. According to a number of British news sources, Stevens will probably only appear in the fourth season's first episode. He is currently on Broadway, costarring with Jessica Chastain in "The Heiress."

Meanwhile, the third season of "Downton" premieres in the U.S. on Sunday, Jan. 6. Most of it has already aired in the U.K., which means you need to be very careful of spoilers if you start fishing around online for stories about season 4 and Stevens' possible withdrawal. I stumbled across one spoiler in the lead of an article in the British press and it was a doozie. 


'The Voice,' 'Dancing' eliminate contestants

Posted by Emily Wright November 21, 2012 09:30 AM

A slew of reality TV competitions are nearing this season's end and hosts are getting ready to crown victors. Are your favorites still around?

Both "The Voice" and "Dancing With the Stars: All Stars" sent home two contestants last night. "The Voice" said goodbye to Team Adam's Bryan Keith and Team Christina's Sylvia Yacoub, while "Dancing with the Stars: All Stars" sent home teams Emmett and Cheryl, and Apolo and Karina.

The remaining three teams on "Dancing" (Derek and Shawn, Kelly and Val, and Melissa and Tony) will duke it out in the final performance show on Monday night and dance a freestyle number, as well as their favorite routine from the show's current.




We Like to Watch: Shows we're thankful for

Posted by Glenn Yoder November 20, 2012 06:23 PM

Watch Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman discuss which shows they're thankful for this year.

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'Dancing,' 'The Voice' eliminations tonight: Who will you watch?

Posted by Emily Wright November 20, 2012 11:33 AM

Contestants on "Dancing with the Stars: All Stars" and "The Voice" stepped up their performances during Monday night's shows by trying out new styles and mash-ups, but will their efforts be enough to save them in tonight's elimination shows?

The 2-hour semifinal show on ABC was divided in half. The first hour showcased combination dance routines by each of the five teams, including combos like surfer flamenco (see video above). The themes were picked for teams by competitors in the previous week. The second hour was dedicated to Michael Jackson and his music, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the release of his iconic album "Bad."

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and her partner Derek Hough scored a perfect 30 points for their "Knight Rider Banghra" routine, which floored judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli. Their second dance, an Argentine tango to the title track off Jackson's "Bad," brought in a 29, giving the duo a 59 and the highest combined score of the night.

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'New Girl' parents revealed, show's star on People's 'sexiest' list

Posted by Emily Wright November 15, 2012 11:49 AM

Zooey Deschanel's character Jess, on the Fox hit TV comedy "New Girl," is quirky to say the least. While in character, the younger sister of "Bones" star Emily Deschanel sings her conversations, dresses in funky outfits, and finishes her look off with hipster framed glasses.

What type of people could the creator of the show, Liz Meriwether, dream up to have produced such a wondrous creature? We'll find out when Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner guest star in next week's Thanksgiving episode, playing Jess's parents.

Curtis and Reiner's characters are divorced and have been for a "really long time," Meriwether told TVGuide.com, and Jess tries to work a "Parent Trap"-style scheme on them to patch things up.

Do you think Reiner and Curtis are the obvious choice for the roles?

In other "New Girl" news, Deschanel's costar Max Greenfield, who plays affluent businessman and Jess's roommate, Schmidt, was named to People magazine's "sexiest men alive" list on Nov. 14. Greenfield is accompanied by stars like Channing Tatum (dubbed the "Sexiest Man Alive" by the magazine) and Chris Hemsworth in the steamy rankings.

"New Girl" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

Noon TV chat on Thursday

Posted by Matthew Gilbert November 15, 2012 10:02 AM

Thoughts concerning "Homeland," the "SNL" Homeland sketch, the Rolling Stones documentary, "Nashville," "Happy Endings," other shows? Come and share 'em.

Video: We Like to Watch: Rolling Stones documentary

Posted by Glenn Yoder November 14, 2012 12:39 PM

The Rolling Stones are celebrating 50 years. You've heard the new single. Now, watch Globe television critics Matthew Gilbert and Sarah Rodman discuss "Crossfire Hurricane," the new documentary about the band, which airs Thursday night on HBO.


About Viewer Discretion

What we're watching on TV.

Contributors

Matthew Gilbert is the Globe's TV critic.

Sarah Rodman is a staff TV and music critic for the Boston Globe.

Michael Brodeur is the assistant arts editor for the Boston Globe, covering pop music, TV, and nightlife.

Katie McLeod is Boston.com's features editor.

Rachel Raczka is a producer for Lifestyle and Arts & Entertainment at Boston.com.

Glenn Yoder is an Arts & Entertainment producer at Boston.com.

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