May 28, 2020 | Picture of the Day, Television
Ken Levine wrote a blog post yesterday about whether sitcom showrunners should allow the studio audience to applaud when a popular character or guest star makes an entrance. Think of Jimmy Walker as JJ on “Good Times” or Henry Winkler as The Fonz on...
May 22, 2020 | Television
As we continue trying out new TV shows in the hope of finding something bingeable, we came upon “Defending Jacob” on Apple TV+. It’s based on a novel by William Landay, which Martha read, but it must not have made a great impression, because she...
May 22, 2020 | Comedians, Television
On the 28th anniversary of Johnny Carson’s final “Tonight Show,” let’s look back at the time he allowed Mike Wallace to profile him for “60 Minutes” in 1979. Wallace got Carson to open up about his problems with alcohol and tobacco,...
May 15, 2020 | Television
Like most others during this lockdown, Martha and I have been consuming an inordinate amount of TV. Sometimes that means older shows that just feel comfortable when re-viewed. While I’ve gone back to “NYPD Blue” and “Cheers,” she has been...
May 13, 2020 | Music, Picture of the Day, Television
Tom Snyder was one of the best broadcasters of his generation. He could do it all, from anchoring local newscasts and one-minute network updates to hosting national magazine shows and one-on-one interviews. He rose to fame doing the latter on the...
May 7, 2020 | Picture of the Day, Television
If you’re doing a talk show of any kind, you can’t do much better than booking Nathan Lane as a guest. As we say in the business, the man is Money In The Bank. Not only does he show up with energy and anecdotes, but he always has a bunch of fresh material...
