The Bottle Rockets at Gypsy Sally’s
The purpose of a lot of band’s tours is to promote the new album. But I can’t imagine many being so thorough about it than the Bottle Rockets, who played…
‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ Condemned
Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” series is flickering out in glossy repetition. Its latest incarnation, “AHS: Hotel” (FX, 10 p.m.), like its predecessors, is production-designed to within an inch of…
‘Best Time’ Has Worst Debut
Neil Patrick Harris may think of himself as an old fashioned song and dance man, whose appearances at awards shows, especially The Tonys, made network execs think that if anyone…
Thursday TV: Denis Leary’s Stab at Rock
Like its central character, Denis Leary's "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" (FX, 10 p.m.) is a little out of time. The guitar slinging, groupie magnet rock star is…
When the Podcast Becomes a Stage Show
There’s a long history of radio broadcasts and stage shows. Many of the earliest radio programs in the pre-television era were recorded before live audiences. Radio stars in turn became…
An Even More Boring Oscars Than Usual
Preshow overkill — and a lot of other movie-related awards ceremonies — almost always make the Academy Awards ultimately disappointing. This year’s event is full of fully predictable wins for…
Assessing the ‘SNL’ 40th Special
The very start of the overlong "SNL 40th Anniversary" special Sunday night -- a corny duet between Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, as they spit out four decades of catchphrases…
Franco’s ‘SNL’ Weapon: Nicki Minaj
It was a packed and satisfying "Saturday Night Live" this week and not just because of the usual pre-holiday boost. James Franco has done this job before and, after kind…
We All Survived ‘Peter Pan Live!’
Although it seems to have received half the viewers of last year's live musical event, NBC's "Peter Pan Live!" was a step up from "The Sound of Music" on a…
Chris Rock’s Return to ‘SNL’ (Prince 2)
The last time Chris Rock hosted "Saturday Night Live," I'm convinced, it made him into an A-level comic. An extended monologue that was part of his peerless 1996 "Bring the…