Saturday TV: Francis Scott Key’s Song Turns 200
It's one of the hardest songs to sing, especially at ball games But Francis Scott Key's "The Star-Spangled Banner" has endured as our National Anthem from the time he unveiled…
Friday: Bill Maher Live from D.C. Twice
"Real Time with Bill Maher" (HBO, 9 p.m.) returns for its 12th season an hour early, in a live show from the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Sidney Harman Hall in D.C.…
Thursday TV: A ‘Nutty Professor’ on 9/11
Every year on this date the past dozen years, I'd chide networks for their programming choices and its any tone-deafness to the solemn anniversary of 9/11. Everybody's apparently over that…
Wednesday TV: Vaccines Get Shot in the Arm
You would think a science based show like "Nova" (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) would come down a little harder on anti-vaccine advocates, whose fear mongering and shot avoidance…
Tuesday TV: Ebola and Torture in Africa
Things are grim in Africa. That's clear simply from the gripping, boots-on-the-ground reporting on an urgent new "Frontline" (PBS, 10 p.m.) about the effort trying to stop the spread of the ebola…
Monday TV: The Firefighters’ Life
Just yesterday, Steve Buscemi was putting in good work on the last season premiere of his series "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO2, 8 p.m.; HBO, 1 a.m.) . Tonight, he turns back…
Sunday TV: ‘Leftovers’ Finale, 9/11 Prequel
There have been so many documentaries these past 13 years on Sept. 11, 2001 and its aftermath, they have almost run out of angles come anniversary time. So here's one…
Saturday TV: Two Directors, One Script
From one of the guys who brought you the original "Project Greenlight" comes another inside look at the filmmaking process for newcomers. "The Chair" (Starz, 11 p.m.) has a little…
Friday TV: Behind the Art of Kehinde Wiley
The striking modern paintings by Kehinde Wiley have brought a strength and power to African-American subjects painted in realist style and heroic poses combined with busy colorful patterns as a…
Thursday TV: ‘Happy’ Start to NFL Season
Before the helmets comes an even funnier hat: Pharrell performs live during the annual "NFL Kickoff 2014" (NBC, 7:30 p.m.), a pre-show for the one Thursday night game on NBC…