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TV critic’s picks
Saturday Night Live 11:30 p.m., Channel 7 Last week’s episode was a bummer, and not because the writing was so weak. I really expected January Jones to surprise the world with comic chops she’d been keeping hidden on “Mad Men.’’ Boy, was I wrong. She was so half-hearted about performing in the sketches, I felt sad for her. Tonight has ...
Robert Carlock talks about the fine state of comedy
Massachusetts is a funny place. Or at least a lot of people originally from the state are currently at the forefront of TV comedy, including Conan O’Brien, Amy Poehler, and “Office’’ workers such as Steve Carell. Also on the list: Robert Carlock, executive producer and writer of “30 Rock,’’ who grew up in Weston and graduated from Harvard. I spoke ...
Sarah Palin leads her own charge into the reality spotlight
This week’s Sarah Palin TV tour has been like “Jon & Kate & Sarah & Todd & Bristol & Levi Plus Kids.’’ A 2012 presidential candidacy may not be on Palin’s “radar screen right now,’’ as she told both Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters in separate interviews, but her desire to remain a free-floating reality star on the American stage ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s corner
Happily Ever Faster 10 p.m., TLC Most of the wedding shows on TV - and there are many of them - support the whole blow-many-thousands-of-dollars-on-a-spectacle model. But this new reality series tracks the goings on at a Las Vegas wedding chapel, which probably means a lot less money - and a lot more day-glo rice - gets thrown around. The ...
TV critic’s corner
Grey’s Anatomy 9 p.m., Channel 5 It has been interesting watching “The Wire’’ cast show up - and, alas, not show up - on other TV series. A partial list of those we’ve seen includes Sonja Sohn (Kima) on “Brothers & Sisters,’’ Seth Gilliam (Carver) on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,’’ Michael K. Williams (Omar) on “The Philanthropist,’’ Tristan Wilds ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s corner
Friday Night Lights 9 p.m., DirecTV Most viewers won’t be seeing this fourth season until it airs this summer on NBC, even though DirecTV is airing it exclusively now. I’ve seen the first four episodes, and they are remarkably good. What can I say? This show continues to be soulful, emotionally honest, naturalistic, and willing to stare issues of race ...
Critic’s corner
Melrose Place 9 p.m., Channel 56 The Locklear is coming, The Locklear is coming. Tonight, the actress who began as a stiff-faced young Aaron Spelling creation on “Dynasty’’ and “T.J. Hooker,’’ who blossomed into a stiff-faced vixen on the original “Melrose Place,’’ who had a run as a stiff-faced victim in a series of TV movies, and who continues to ...
Critic's Corner
House 8 p.m., Channel 25 The writers have been toying with the cast list a lot this season, getting rid of the new guard, bringing in the old guard, getting rid of the old guard, bringing back the new guard, etc. At some point this month, Jennifer Morrison will have her last regular episode as Cameron (above). Last week, oddly, ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s corner
The Prisoner 8 p.m., AMC The six-hour, three-night, and thoroughly tedious remake of the 1967 Patrick McGoohan series begins tonight. Jim Caviezel (above) and Ian McKellen star in the story of a man imprisoned in a mysterious village in the middle of the desert.
A TV guide that honestly tells you what’s on
What if some of TV’s networks and cable channels promoted themselves as they really are? What if there were - hang on to your hats - truth in advertising? Their names, slogans, and mission descriptions might look something like this:
Critic’s corner
Saturday Night Live 11:30 p.m., Channel 7 I’m extremely curious to see what January Jones does as the host tonight. On “Mad Men’’ her cold beauty and stiff demeanor fits in with the show’s unromanticized look back to the early 1960s. She’s meant to be a Grace Kelly type but without the warmth. But can she do comedy? I hope ...
Three new hosts bring diversity, and hopefully some new life , to nighttime talk shows
You can scrutinize the elements of a talk show in order to judge it. Is the set too cozy, or too cavernous? Are the segments - the monologue, the sketches - strategically ordered and paced? Are the interviews superficial, or meandering?
‘Collision’ takes us on an emotional ride
Forcing together disparate characters through a highway pile-up has been done before, most recently in “Crash.’’ And it can be an effective device when it comes to capturing the random nature of existence, how both disasters and gifts can come out of the blue and alter everything despite our most elaborate plans. We can control our lives until we can’t.
Uneven ‘Prisoner’ gets caught in plot loops
Ian McKellen could probably make Ashton Kutcher’s tweets sound like poetry. The British actor just about sings his lines of dialogue, using melody, dissonance, phrasing, and meter in service of his intentions. With his majestic delivery, he almost gives the existential blather of AMC’s “The Prisoner’’ a sense of profundity. For the duration of this six-hour miniseries, he adds a ...
TV critic’s picks
Californication 9 p.m., Showtime This season, Peter Gallagher has been playing Stacy Koons, a dean at the college where Hank has been teaching. That’s right, he’s Dean Koons. And in one episode, aware that Gallagher is famous for his eyebrows, the writers made a bushy brow joke. “Californication’’ can be an insipid sex romp, and David Duchovny’s irresistibility eludes me; ...
Critic’s corner
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 9 p.m., Channel 4 Some viewers feel that Laurence Fishburne hasn’t met the challenge of replacing William Petersen. Well, duh. Petersen and his warm cool were a definitive part of the series from the start. No one could replace him. But I do think Fishburne is creating a solid characterization as Ray Langston, a man who, ...
Critic’s corner
Criminal Minds 9 p.m., Channel 4 “Gavin Rossdale guest stars as a gruesome goth rocker.’’ There’s so much wrong with that plot description, it sounds so right! Rossdale (above), former lead singer of Bush and husband of Gwen Stefani, continues to pursue his acting aspirations as a star whose concert tour schedule just happens to coincide with a serial killer’s ...
ABC’s new sci-fi series, ‘V,’ makes its alluring, mysterious debut tonight
Like some of the best sci-fi, ABC’s “V’’ is bursting with allegorical possibility. The alien “Visitors’’ who come to Earth appear as attractive GQ models, and they try to seduce us into cult-like devotion to them. They promote peace and prosperity, glowing with the tranquillity of the “after’’ photos on antidepressant ads. They’re particularly interested in appealing to teenagers, as ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s corner
Kate: Her Story 9 p.m., TLC As if you didn’t already know it. The last original episode of “Kate Plus 8’’ aired last week, but Kate Gosselin now talks to Natalie Morales about divorce, the media frenzy, and, you know, herself.
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s corner
Shadow of a Doubt 6 p.m., TCM In this creepy Alfred Hitchcock suspense film from 1943, a young woman fears that her beloved Uncle Charlie may be a villain. Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten star.
In defying labels, millennials are leaving their mark on TV
Back in 1963, a sitcom named “The Patty Duke Show’’ defined what a girl could be. She was either a Cathy or a Patty. Cousin Cathy was a classy little lady who adored minuets and Crepe Suzette; rock ’n’ roller cousin Patty lost control when it came to, um, hot dogs. The pair, both played by Patty Duke, were matching ...
Critic’s corner
Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew Tomorrow at 10 p.m., VH1 Oh good lord. The sequel series to “ Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew’’ premieres tomorrow night, with eight sex addicts sharing their stories in hopes of healing (and, of course, national attention, which is not healing). Whatever. The group includes porn actress Penny Flame, Playboy Playmate Nicole Narain, and drummer ...
New questions about an old murder in ‘Place of Execution’
When journalists and detectives on TV get too emotionally invested in their work, it can be a good thing for the viewer. Assuming the script is smart, we get a chance to watch parallel dramas unfold. As we figure out who committed the crime, we also figure out how the investigator’s unresolved issues are driving him or her. The crime ...
TV critic’s corner
White Collar 10 p.m., USA I’m really curious about the second episode of this series. Last week’s premiere, which did extremely well for USA in the ratings, was a strong introduction to the buddy chemistry of the lead characters, FBI agent Peter (Tim DeKay) and con artist Neal (Matt Bomer). But good pilots don’t always follow through (I feel a ...
Crude humor and guy talk is hit and miss on ‘The League’
With the popularity of Judd Apatow movies, men have been given permission to act like 15-year-old boys - and still be lovable. Apatow heroes can’t be dismissed as terminal stoners, sexists, or slobs; they ultimately have some redeeming sensitivity. What was once considered definitively caveman behavior, from the explicit sex talk to the relentless you’re-so-gay teasing, can now be understood ...
Critic’s corner
Time Warp 10 p.m., Discovery Channel Tonight, the show that slows reality way down welcomes Blue Man Group. It will be Blluue Maaannn Grrrouppp: Three of the silent ones will clown for the “Time Warp’’ cameras, catapulting blue paint at one another, and then we’ll watch the footage in the slowest of slo-mo. You’ll have a good time, gradually.
Critic’s corner
2009 Scream Awards 10 p.m., Spike Yeah, it’s on Spike, the guy’s guy’s guy channel. But expect “Twilight’’ to win a prize or two. Presenters include Kate Bosworth, Jessica Alba, Eliza Dushku, and Liv Tyler - you get the point. Also, expect to see plenty of love for J.J. Abrams, William Shatner, and Stan Lee, who will fly over the ...
Critic’s corner
Castle 10 p.m., Channel 5 “Castle’’ is developing a loyal fan base, with ratings in the 9-10 millions, and CBS recently gave it a full-season pickup. The light show is an old-fashioned crime series, by which I mean it’s not all about forensic evidence and cool atmosphere. It’s like “Bones’’ - Nathan Fillion’s Castle and Stana Katic’s Beckett banter and ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s Corner
Endgame 9 p.m., Channel 2 This installment of “Masterpiece Contemporary’’ is a political thriller set in South Africa amid the negotiations that led to the release of Nelson Mandela. Chiwetel Ejiofor, William Hurt, and Jonny Lee Miller (above) star.
These characters can almost ruin an otherwise clever TV show
Lately, I’ve been loving “House.’’ But every time Omar Epps’ Eric Foreman shows up in a scene, I cringe. He just annoys me. Plain and simple. Ditto Katherine Heigl’s Izzie on “Grey’s Anatomy.’’ She’s a mosquito buzzing around my ear.
TV critic’s corner
Always and Forever 9 p.m., Hallmark Channel You go, Hallmark. The cable channel just keeps churning out these watered-down romantic movies starring C-list actors. Tonight’s entry is about a pair of high school sweethearts, played by Dean McDermott and Rena Sofer, who meet up again at their 20th reunion.
‘White Collar’ pair are a comfortable fit
On the surface, there’s nothing special about “White Collar.’’ The latest in a long line of lighthearted crime dramas from USA, including “Monk,’’ “Burn Notice,’’ and “Psych,’’ the show follows a by-the-book FBI agent and a charming young con artist who team up to catch white-collar criminals. Yup, another odd-couple buddy set-up in the manner of “48 Hrs.’’
Critic’s corner
Monk 9 p.m., USA Bitty Schram. Oh how I’ve missed being able to use those two words. Bitty Schram. It almost sounds like a porn name. The former costar of “Monk,’’ who left during the third season due to a contract dispute - er, I mean “creative differences’’ - will return tonight for one episode as Sharona. She has a ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s Corner
30 Rock 8:30 p.m., Channel 7 This sitcom has won three best-comedy Emmys and countless media plugs, but it nonetheless lags in the ratings. Last week’s season premiere drew 6.3 million viewers, which was down 30 percent from last year’s. I wonder if the show would do better on a different night, when the competition isn’t so fierce. In any ...
‘Dunham Show’ laughs are strictlyfor dummies
There are those who enjoy watching a guy lock his jaw closed and tighten his lips, clenching his entire face into an expression of no expression, looking as if there is a gremlin freaking out at the entrance to his esophagus because his throat muscles are flexing and twisting so demonically. You know who you are.
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s Corner
Modern Family 9 p.m., Channel 5 One of the best new characters of the fall season? Manny on “Modern Family.’’ He’s a passionately romantic 10-year-old who likes to write love poetry and wear hair gel. Alas, he’s doomed to be bullied at school, which his bullyish stepfather (Ed O’Neill) knows too well. Played by Rico Rodriguez (above), he’s an old, ...
NBC took a risk and lost. Now it’s time to pull the plug on an experiment gone wrong.
There’s something hollow and disingenuous about the nightly kick-off of “The Jay Leno Show.’’ Wearing his best “modest face,’’ which looks more like a “maniacal-wizard face,’’ Leno is greeted at the stage’s edge by a small rush of audience members. They high-five Leno like a pack of dutiful, embarrassed eighth-graders. Then the standing ovation recedes on cue, the music peaks, ...
Critic’s corner
NCIS: Los Angeles 9 p.m., Channel 4 This is the season’s most popular new series, ratings-wise. And that makes me happy for Linda Hunt! As Hetty, she’s the division’s own Edith Head, suiting up the team for their oh-so-dangerous undercover work. And her owl glasses? They’re NCI-Spectacular.
Critic's corner
Lie to Me 9 p.m., Channel 25 This show is awkwardly written, which is too bad. The problem is that the supporting characters keep having to explain the science of face-reading while Tim Roth’s Cal Lightman is doing it. Their stilted dialogue to each other about how a smirk means this or that is really directed at us. In “The ...
From Facebook to television, we are all playing roles carefully crafted - by us
Matthew Gilbert is writing a story for the Globe. Matthew Gilbert is pondering the meaning of life.
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s Corner
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After 9 p.m., History Channel This two-hour documentary revisits the events of the first day after President John F. Kennedy was killed, including LBJ taking the oath of office (above).
‘Occupation’ captures inner battles of war
There have to be good reasons to watch a scripted drama about the war in Iraq, as opposed to a documentary. And BBC America’s powerful “Occupation’’ provides plenty of them. This four-hour epic, which premieres tomorrow night at 8, is a spectacularly acted and dramatically filmed look at three British soldiers during and after their service. A sort of “The ...
Critic’s corner
Really Awards 10 p.m., Fox Reality Channel Vivica A. Fox (above) is the host of the awards show that pays tribute to reality TV. Categories include “Really Favorite Villain’’ and “Really OMG Moment,’’ and the, um, Innovator Award, um, will, um, go to Paris Hilton. Meanwhile, Lance Bass will give us the scoop from the red carpet. By the way, ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s Corner
Law & Order 8 p.m., Channel 7 Take a few cubes of Octomom and a dash of the Florida parents of 16 disabled kids and mix them in boiling “Jon & Kate Plus 8’’ and - voila! - you have another ripped-from-the-headlines soup. Yuck is right. There are a zillion potential killers in this episode, and most of them are ...
Matthew Gilbert’s Critic’s Corner
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 9 p.m., Channel 4 The procedural “Without a Trace’’ disappeared - yeah, without a trace. And that was OK, since the crime stories had been played out after seven seasons and the character dramas never quite clicked. Tonight, Enrique Murciano, who played Danny Taylor on “Without a Trace,’’ guest stars on this series, as a detective.
‘30 Rock’ hasn’t lost its sharp edge
‘Hello, everyone, I’m so happy to see all of you and welcome you to Season Four,’’ Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy says at the start of tonight’s “30 Rock.’’ And then the camera quickly pulls back to reveal Jack, Liz, Tracy, and Jenna about to eat a meal at an Asian fusion restaurant called . . . Season Four.
Critic’s corner
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 9 p.m., Channel 7 When known actors and actresses do guest turns on the procedurals, I often groan. They tend to seriously overact. Did you happen to see Eric McCormack’s turn on “SVU’’ a few weeks ago? Or Erika Christensen on “Lie to Me’’? Wow. Tonight, Scott Foley (above) guests as an alcoholic who ...
Critic’s corner
The Good Wife 10 p.m., Channel 4 Tonight is a jury-tampering-in-a-class-action-suit-against-a-big-pharmaceutical-company case, which is one of those we’re-a-weekly-legal-drama-so-we-can-be-lazy-when-it-comes-to-originality plots we’ve seen on a million other shows, which is too bad because this show could have been a focused what-happens-when-a-political-marriage-faces-public-disgrace melodrama.
Critic’s corner
Latin Music USA 9 p.m., Channel 2 This four-part series, covering salsa, Tejano, and reggaeton, among many other genres, “makes a startling case that its subject matter has been ignored for far too long,’’ wrote my colleague James Reed. Tonight: Latin jazz, mambo, and the cha-cha. Pictured: Gloria Estefan.
Television critic’s picks
Masterpiece Mystery! 9 p.m., Channel 2 Tonight’s episode of the “Inspector Lewis’’ series is called “Quality of Mercy.’’ An actor is murdered with a prop knife during a production of “The Merchant of Venice.’’ Pictured: Kevin Whately.
Critic’s corner
Mad Men Tomorrow at 10 p.m., AMC The Sally Draper Fan Club meets here every week. She’s fabulous, don’t you think, with her lisp and her righteous anger? Go little Thally! She’s a baby boomer parent in the making, learning from her parents precisely what not to do when she has kids of her own. Betty treats her daughter poorly ...
Enough of ‘Jon & Kate’
When I think of the Gosselins, the “Jon & Kate Plus 8’’ stars who now dominate the celebrity press, I think of plastic dolls. The female wears an asymmetrical hairstyle and mom-glam sunglasses and the male has a slobby gut and a shrinking forehead. I also think of Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots.
Critic’s corner
The Manchurian Candidate 8 p.m., TCM This is the 1962 original version directed by John Frankenheimer, and it is so much better than the 2004 remake with Meryl Streep. The political thriller is about American soldiers who were brainwashed in Korea, and it features memorable performances by Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, and Angela Lansbury. Early on in “Lost,’’ I’d hoped ...
Critic’s corner
The Office 9 p.m., Channel 7 This sitcom tends to revolve around parties and events, and this time it’s a big one. Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) are getting married, after all these years of courtship. What I admire about “The Office’’ (and, OK, NBC) is that the ceremony is not going to take place during a sweeps ...
Critic’s corner
Glee 9 p.m., Channel 25 One of the benefits of this show is getting to see more of Jessalyn Gilsig, who plays Will’s lying, selfish, not-pregnant wife. Her breakthrough role was as a meek teacher on “Boston Public,’’ but she’s always at her best when she’s playing mean and twisted, as she did on “Nip/Tuck.’’ Perhaps you remember her? She ...
Intriguing ‘Secret Girlfriend’ is a tease
The format of “Secret Girlfriend’’ is pretty cool. The protagonist of this new Comedy Central series is the invisible guy who’s holding the camera. We never see him, or hear from him; but all the other characters - his two buddies, his ex-girlfriend, his new love interest - look at him and talk to him and call him “you.’’ And ...
Television critic’s picks
Darwin’s Darkest Hour 8 p.m., Channel 2 Desmond on “Lost’’ is doing some time-traveling tonight. This docudramatic episode of “Nova’’ stars Henry Ian Cusick as Charles Darwin in 19th-century puffy shirts. The story begins with Darwin competing with another scholar to break the whole-theory-of-evolution thing. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Frances O’Connor, who was so good as Fanny in the ...
Imus talk show returns to TV simulcast
Imus In the Morning 6 a.m., Fox Business Network Quack! Quack! Don Imus has been back on talk radio after CBS Radio fired him in 2007 for his offensive comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Now he’ll be back on TV, too, as FBN begins airing the simulcast of Imus’s radio show. FBN picks up where MSNBC left off ...
‘Three Rivers’ diagnosis: weak plot
‘Three Rivers’’ is going to have a profound effect on viewers. After watching the new CBS medical drama about organ transplants, you’ll never think of coolers in the same way again. Once a sacred picnic essential, a portable home to beer and burger patties, coolers will hereafter be identified with the cross-country transfer of hearts on ice. And we’re not ...
‘Seinfeld’ reunion on ‘Curb’ is nothing short of brilliant
Track this scene from tomorrow night’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,’’ if you can. Playing “Larry David,’’ Larry David, who is the model for George on “Seinfeld,’’ is telling Jason Alexander’s “Jason Alexander,’’ who played George, that he wants to make a “Seinfeld’’ reunion in which George angles to get his ex-wife back, which is what “Larry’’ is doing by creating a ...
Critic's corner
Night at the Movies 8 p.m., TCM This month on Friday nights, TCM will be profiling different movie genres. Tonight is thriller night, with a look at the history and conventions of the genre, the roles of damsel in distress and femme fatale, and classic villains. Interviewees include Ken Follett, Bryan Singer, Diablo Cody (above), Kenneth Branagh, and David Koepp. ...
Critic’s corner
The Mentalist 10 p.m., Channel 4 By bringing in Terry Kinney as the cop who has now taken over the Red John case, “The Mentalist’’ creator Bruno Heller accomplished two goals: 1.) He found a way to explain the Red John history to new viewers and 2.) He has given Simon Baker’s Patrick Jane a formidable foe. When Jane and ...
Kelsey Grammer (‘Hank’) and Patricia Heaton (‘The Middle’) launch new sitcoms
Recycling is good and all, but, alas, not when it comes to comedy. Recycled comedy only junks up the TV environment, needlessly increasing our DVR footprint.
Critic’s corner
Glee 9 p.m., Channel 25 Hey, what was up with Kristin Chenoweth at the Emmy Awards? Accepting her supporting actress award for “Pushing Daisies,’’ she was convulsing like crazy - except when she delivered her punch lines. And no tears? Do people sob without tears? Anyhow, she brings her particular brand of cheeriness to “Glee’’ tonight, as Will’s former classmate.
Critic’s corner
Melrose Place 9 p.m., Channel 56 I was going to get excited about tonight’s return of original “MP’’ star Jane Mancini, played by ad-campaign face, People-style parenting expert, and, oh yeah, actress Josie Bissett. But now that Heather Locklear is set to return to the “MP’’ remake, well, all else pales. Locklear will return on Nov. 17. Sorry, Josie.
Action trumps character in NBC’s ‘Trauma’
You don’t need to be an Obama tour groupie to know we’re a country preoccupied with health care. Even if you’re a scripted-only TV addict, afloat in a DVR-fueled bubble, you can’t miss it. This season, the already long list of medical shows that includes “House,’’ “Grey’s Anatomy,’’ “Nurse Jackie,’’ “Private Practice,’’ and “HawthoRNe’’ will take on three new dramas: ...
Creator of ‘Mad Men’ keeps its characters true to its era
I keep hearing grumblings about how glacial this season of “Mad Men’’ has been. But I’m sending out kudos to the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, for avoiding big explosions and fast edits. This season of the AMC series has been a string of cool, understated, bottled-up hours. Generally, things only almost explode on “Mad Men’’ - “almost’’ being the operative ...
Another killer season of ‘Dexter’
‘Wanna know a secret?’’ Dexter Morgan asks his infant son in the fourth-season premiere of Showtime’s “Dexter.’’ Holding a bottle of milk up to the adorably squishy tyke, he says, “Daddy kills people.’’
Critic's corner
Saturday Night Live 11:30 p.m., Channel 7 Megan Fox hosts the season premiere. Why? Well, she sure is pretty. And she has a quote from Shakespeare’s “King Lear’’ tattooed on her shoulder: “We will all laugh at gilded butterflies.’’ Also, she stars in “Jennifer’s Body.’’ U2 is the musical guest.
Chemistry isn’t enough to save ‘Brothers’
You’ve got to love sibling rivalry jokes to tolerate “Brothers.’’ I mean, really, really love them. Because this new Fox sitcom is a dripping faucet of sibling rivalry jokes.
Critic’s corner
Law & Order 8 p.m., Channel 7 Many fans feared that, with the onslaught of the nightly “The Jay Leno Show,’’ NBC would no longer have room for this oldie. But you can relax now. The pacifier of crime dramas is back for another season, its 20th. Tonight, the murder of a veteran may have something to do with torture ...
Critic's corner
FlashForward 8 p.m., Channel 5 We all want to live forever, but vampire stories certainly make that fantasy look less than pleasant. And we’d all like to see the future, but “FlashForward’’ is about to put a grim warning sticker on that wish. The world has a collective blackout, during which people see themselves months later. Much psychological and sci-fi ...
Nurses need to inject some originality into NBC’s ‘Mercy’
What’s it like in a meeting when TV producers build a hospital drama like NBC’s new “Mercy’’? Is it like a group Lego project - put the arrogant doctor here, put the new nurse who gets puked on here, put the storage closet where staff hook up here? Do the creators have fun piecing such a prefabricated show together, or ...
‘Modern Family’ presents domestic bliss with a twist
Pop cultural anthropologists dig sitcoms. Oddly enough, those harmless, sometimes grating slivers of mass entertainment can double as valuable artifacts. Scrape off the contrivances and zany punch lines, and you can see shifting and conflicting social definitions at play. When it comes to family sitcoms, you find old-fashioned gender roles in “Make Room for Daddy,’’ a blended fantasy on “The ...
Critic’s corner
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 9 p.m., Channel 7 The show returns for its 11th season, which is amazing. I still think of “SVU’’ as a young show, because it arrived so many years after “Law & Order’’ (which returns for its 20th season on Friday). Wentworth Miller from the defunct “Prison Break’’ (above) is the guest of the ...