Tuesday TV: Big Old Country Music Fest
June's big four-day festival in Nashville is turned into a three hour special on the annual "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" (ABC, 8 p.m.), with performances from Jason…
Monday TV: Nixon’s Cringe-Worthy Words
I was about the age of my daughter when I witnessed the amazing fall of Richard Nixon, through the Watergate hearings and finally to his historic resignation as president 40…
Sunday TV: Beyonce and the Bills
Got five minutes? On "Beyonce: X10" (HBO, 8:55 p.m.) a song is excerpted from the current "Mrs. Carter Show World Tour." It's one of a 10-part series that will be collected…
Saturday TV: Now it’s the Sharktopus’ Turn
It's a little late for both of these things: Conan O'Brien the TNT talk show host makes a cameo in the typically over-the-top monster B movie "Sharktopus vs. Pterecuda" (Syfy,…
Playlist 8-1-14
It's been nearly a month since the last show, so there was a lot to catch up on: The death of Charlie Haden, the birthday of Jerry Garcia. And in…
Friday TV: ‘The Killing’ Returns, Bowie Years
"The Killing" (Netflix, streaming) in many ways set the standard for today's modern detective yarn: Dour lead investigator and wry partner; skittering electronic music, all consuming atmosphere (in this case…
‘The Quest’ Not to Look Silly
"The Quest" is certainly one of the better looking new reality competitions around. Gathering a dozen people to participate, they’re brought into a misty fantasy setting with castles and moors…
Middle East Flares in New Series, Too
In a summer of strong new series that now include "The Leftovers," "The Strain," The Divide" and "Tyrant" and the return of "The Bridge," "The Killing" and "Rectify," the one…
Also on Thursday: Costumed Reality Competition
When it's been tried by others, it seemed like silly cosplay in a Comic Con vestibule. But when they mix a reality competition with elements of fantasy fiction on the…
The Forecast is Fun in ‘Sharknado 2’
For all the excitement networks tried to whip up for its new shows, the highlight of the TV Critics Association summer press tour was a poolside premiere of "Sharknado 2:…