‘Battle of the Nutcrackers,’ Reality-Style
A "Battle of the Nutcrackers" week on Ovation begins with a surrealist 2006 version by Mikhail Chemiakinas from Saint Petersburg, Russia, "Marinsky Theatre's The Nutcracker" (Ovation, 8 and 10:15 p.m.).…
Comcast Fail
It’s been a tough couple of months since my last cable contract lapsed, before I moved. It was eye-opening how much TV I could watch through basic, bare-boned cable, online…
Also On Today: Parades, Football, Gaga
The 85th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC, 9 a.m.) is leaving a bigger imprint than ever on TV this season. Not only does the main event continue until noon,…
Another Paula Act Axed from ‘X Factor’
When it comes to the acts mentored by the judges on “The X Factor,” those under the tutelage of Paula Abdul continued to crumble this week, just as she did…
Why Students Rioted
Some were perplexed to see college students at Penn State University rioting last night. They weren’t even part of Occupy State . They were reacting to the firing of Joe…
Saturday TV: MTV at the Occupation; Christmas Begins
Most of the fare of MTV’s “True Life” has to do with personal individual stories: “I Want a Perfect Body,” “I’m a Textaholic,” “I Have a Hot Mom.” Today’s episode…
Saturday TV: First College Football Saturday; ‘Get Low’
They’ve been teasing NFL football with preseason games for a month, but college football returns like a sudden midfield pileup. Among the many, many games that kick off the season’s…
‘Today’ Goes Royal on Halloween
How obsessed is the “Today” show with the Royal Wedding, to which they devoted so much time this year? Enough to keep it in mind as their main set of Holloween…
Also On Friday: ‘X-Men’ Anime, Revisited ‘Nightmares’
“X-Men” (G4, 11 p.m.) get an animated treatment in a new series they prefer to call Marvel Anime. Scott Porter is the voice of Cyclops in the series that follows…
Laurel and Hardy Dance
One of the more amusing videos circulating on Facebook and elsewhere has Laurel and Hardy doing an adorable little dance that syncs up surprisingly to a track by Santana. But…