Apr 28 2012
Richard Belzer is best known as Detective John Munch on “Law & Order: SVU,” but he has appeared as that character on at least nine different series, demolishing the previous record of six held by George Wendt and John Ratzenberger, who reprised Norm and Cliff, their “Cheers” characters, on “Frasier,” “The...
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Apr 21 2012
In the third episode of HBO’s new political comedy “Veep,” Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis- Dreyfus) greets a long line of people as her assistant, Gary (Tony Hale), whispers facts about these people into her ear such as, “He’s got a glass eye,” and, “pro-gambling, loves to...
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Mar 17 2012
While filming in the Arctic Circle, crew members working on “Frozen Planet,” the seven-part look at Earth’s Arctic and Antarctic regions, found themselves just three feet away from the largest land predator on the planet: a raging polar bear, who caught them off guard in their 12-by-12-foot cabin.
“My...
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Feb 19 2012
The Simpsons,’ which airs its 500th episode tonight at 8 on Fox, has become such an American institution that it’s hard to decide which of its achievements is most impressive — 500 episodes (putting it third in prime-time entertainment programs behind only “Gunsmoke” and “Lassie”), 27 Emmy Awards, or the...
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Feb 12 2012
Elmore Leonard is a dean of American crime fiction, a master of dialogue, and, with films emerging from novels including “52 Pick-Up” “Get Shorty,” and “Out of Sight,” a master as well at writing novels that scream for screen adaptations. Before Leonard wrote crime fiction, he wrote western novels such...
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Feb 06 2012
Broadway legend and former "Eight is Enough" star Betty Buckley launched a Twitter tirade against "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson Thursday night, for his habit of dismissing the show’s failed singers as "too Broadway."
"With respect, ‘Dog,’ your opinion is whack & uninformed!" Buckley tweeted, calling Jackson’s characterizations "beneath...
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Feb 05 2012
While their new ABC mystery/horror/action-adventure show “The River,” which premieres Tuesday night, takes place in the Amazon jungle, show runners Michael Green and Zack Estrin had good reason not to film there.
“The Amazon is an incredibly dangerous place,” says Green. “We had our researchers look into it...
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Jan 29 2012
If anyone was born to create a series about the world of horse racing, it’s “NYPD Blue” creator David Milch.
Not only has Milch owned more than 100 horses, winning several Breeders’ Cups and also winning and losing bets in the six-figure range, but the veteran showrunner placed his...
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Jan 22 2012
Steven DeKnight, creator and executive producer of the Starz show “Spartacus,” is remarkably candid about how he hated the show’s very first episode. But while he felt it a soon-corrected misstep, there was one aspect of it that he loved: the show’s charismatic lead actor, Andy Whitfield.
“One...
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Jan 15 2012
The modern-day Western “Justified,” which returns Tuesday night at 10 on FX, has been a thrilling showcase for Timothy Olyphant as a lawman who takes his attitudes on fighting crime straight from the Old West.
But with last season’s Emmy-winning performance by Margo Martindale as crime boss Mags Bennett...
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