Government Shutdown for ‘Veep’
Inaction has consequence in Washington, so when Selena Meyers couldn’t come to a budget agreement, there is a resulting government shutdown on this week’s “Veep.” That means garbage doesn’t get picked…
Sunday TV: ‘The Killing’ Returns From Own Killing
It's still raining in Seattle, in the welcome but unexpected return of "The Killing" (AMC, 8 p.m.). The effective, atmospheric thriller, canceled by its network until Netflix stepped forward to…
Saturday TV: Norman Rockwell vs. Public Enemy
It seems natural that the wholesome Americana of Hallmark movies finally aligns with the magazine cover Americana of Norman Rockwell. It happens in "Norman Rockwell's Shuffelton's Barbershop" (Hallmark Movie Channel,…
PBS Pokes Fun at Reality
Like professional wrestling and Tea Party politics, it's impossible to parody reality TV. There's just nothing that can be thought in jest that hasn't already been done in earnest by…
Friday TV: Richard Pryor’s Story, Bridezilla Help
"Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) filmmaker Marina Zenovich considers the influential, successful and wildly funny comedian who was undone by a streak of self-destruction and immolation. Big…
Thursday TV: Spelling Bee, Clint Doc
The brainiest competition on ESPN begins its telecast, with a lot of kids asking about pronunciation, place of origin and use in a sentence. The 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee…
The Rare Disaster Telethon from Rural U.S.
When there's a disaster on the coasts, almost one of the first thing organized is the celebrity-spattered TV benefit show. It's almost a reflexive action: How else can creative respond…
Wednesday TV: Tornado Benefit, Cooking
Blake Shelton, who happens to be cleaning up on "The Voice" just as he did on the AMAs, is now bent on cleaning up tornado damage in his native Oklahoma…
Shocking Elimination on ‘The Voice’
From the beginning of the season, Judith Hill was poised to win "The Voice." She already had a superstar pedigree, having been Michael Jackson's duet partner as he prepared for his…
Tuesday TV: She’s Got a Friend
Carole King, the woman who enlivened the Brill Building, recorded an album that set the tone for a generation, judging from her performance recently at the Rock and Roll Hall…