The Secretaries of Don Draper
The plot turns in the fourth season finale of “Mad Men” Sunday puts us to mind of all the secretaries who have worked for Don Draper from 1960 to 65.…
Idris Elba Returns as ‘Luther’
British-born actor Idris Elba, a standout on “The Wire” as Stringer Bell, returns to cable tonight, starring in the BBC America series about a detective on the edge. Part of…
The Situation’s Bad Week
Everybody wonders what makes “Jersey Shore” so watchable. Some guess it is the ebullient, drunken ball of Snooki. I say it’s the essential sadness of the central character who insists…
Playlist 10-15-10
Salutes to some soul men who died this week -- Solomon Burke and General Johnson of the Chairman of the Board. A taste of Conan O'Brien's musical album (in lieu…
Live ’30 Rock’ Plays Like a Long ‘SNL’ Sketch
It was a noble experiment “30 Rock “ attempted Thursday – putting on its show live. Other sitcoms have attempted the same over the years, most recently by “Will &…
Chilean Miner Rescue: Something Better Coming from the Earth
The wonderful television of trapped miners in Chile emerging unscathed from their hole after 70 days, thanks to technology and government perseverance, is a once in a lifetime type things.…
Playlist 10-8-10
A few things leftover from last night’s “The Promise: The Making of Darkness at the Edge of Town,” new live stuff from Leonard Cohen and scattered other bands. And then…
Where are Today’s Daniel Ellsbergs?
In the nearly 40 years since Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers, exposing how the U.S. got involved in the Vietnam War at a time when the country was still…
Obama On Dylan: No Cheesin’
“Here's what I love about Dylan,” Barack Obama tells Rolling Stone magazine in the current issue. “He was exactly as you'd expect he would be.” That is to say, for…
Playlist 10-1-10
Methodically went through all of the recently released names of nominees for this year's inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, from Joe Tex to Chic. All except…