Love It! Hate It! 05.31.06

06.01.06 »

Rescue Me (FX)
“If, as a woman, you've ever wondered how men act when they're together, how they talk to each other, how they deal with rage and confusion and lust, there's no better guide than this show…”
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune

Rescue Me (FX)
“It has a drunker logic to it: laughing when things are at their worst, crying unexpectedly, broadly mocking itself, lashing, brawling, blacking out.”
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

Rescue Me (FX)
“…‘Rescue Me’ works because it is unflinchingly honest.”
Jacqueline Cutler, Zap2It

Last Comic Standing (NBC)
“…talent scouts hit comedy clubs to seek out thousands of unknown stand-ups...and Skippy from 'Family Ties' (ah, so that's what happened to him).”
Paul Katz, Entertainment Weekly

Last Comic Standing (NBC)
“OK, a lot of it's not so fresh or even remotely funny.”
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Frontline: The Age of AIDS (PBS)
“…this is an epic account of social upheaval, politics and prejudice in the wake of a killer virus that mystified scientists and continues to resist a cure.”
Matt Roush, TV Guide

Love It! Hate It! 05.30.06

06.01.06 »

The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (HALLMARK)
"...for anyone who's ever longed to see [Casper] Van Dien pretend to be drunk while hustling legionnaires in a game of poker, this is the TV movie for you."
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly

My Fair Brady (VH1)
“Yes, Adrianne Curry sets women back decades by whinily, weepily trapping her shell-shocked boyfriend/"Surreal Life" castmate Peter Brady (apparently called Christopher Knight in 'real life'') into marriage.”
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly

My Fair Brady (VH1)
“Can these two crazy reality stars make it down the aisle?”
Kelly Woo, America Online

The 100 Funniest Movies (BRAVO)
"Expect clips galore, inside anecdotes and commentary from the comedy elite... but don't expect to agree with all of the standings..."
Dean Maurer, TV Guide

The 100 Funniest Movies (BRAVO)
"Best get used to it, my friends -- for summer is the time when every network brings out their dusty 'Best of ...' specials."
Courtney Potter, Zap2It

Secret Smile (BBC AMERICA)
"...the Brits excel at this kind of understated drama, but there's a fine line between restraint and a good nap."
Brian Lowry, Variety

Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie (SHOWTIME)
"In the comedy world Mr. Ross is known less as a political satirist than as a hurler of insults..."
Dave Itzkoff, New York Times

A Lincoln Center Special: 30 Years of Live from Lincoln Center (PBS)
"It's a high culture hoedown of cool highlights..."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Love It! Hate It! 05.26.06

06.01.06 »

Combat Diary (A&E)
"Hearing about so much loss will inflame your passions — whatever you think about the war."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly

Combat Diary (A&E)
"...right in its details about combat in Iraq and, more challengingly, pitch perfect in its nuance in what makes the Marine Corps, active-duty or reserve, unique as a military service."
Tony Perry, LA Times

So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
"The little reality show that could... returns for a second season. Don't lie -- you watched it last summer too."
Courtney Potter, Zap2it

So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
"It's the talent search mash-up of 'Footloose' and 'American Idol' again."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Three Days in September (SHOWTIME)
"Halderman's film is...a triumphant piece of journalism, documenting a vicious moment in our recent history without exploiting it, letting the images speak for themselves"
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

Three Days in September (SHOWTIME)
"It's cinema verite at its most jarring."
Ray Stackhouse, TV Guide

Favela Rising (CINEMAX)
"It's a disturbing movie, with lots of images of police brutality and gang slaughter, but it is imbued with the passion and confidence of its protagonists."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

Love It! Hate It! 05.25.06

06.01.06 »

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
"It took two hours and a night of a thousand Crest WhiteStrips, a hundred costume-changes and at least a dozen false notes for Fox to declare Taylor Hicks the official winner of 'American Idol' last night."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
"I don't know what's more unsettling, that the person who won won, or that the outcome actually had audience member David Hasselhoff crying."
Matt Webb Mitovich, TV Guide

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
"Television's ridiculously massive hit wrapped its fifth season, and now all Hicks has to do is sell some CDs."
Verne Gay, Newsday

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
“Oh well, all good super-hyped singing contests must come to an end.”
Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press

LOST (ABC)
“OK, so the button is important.”
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

LOST (ABC)
“…turns out 'Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, take one down and pass it around' is great as a song to pass the time, but not so much as strategy for winning a ‘round-the-world sailing race.”
Daniel MacEachern, Television Without Pity

LOST (ABC)
“All we know is Charlie stumbled out of the jungle, largely unhurt, if deeply annoying.”
Scott Brown, Entertainment Weekly

Love It! Hate It! 05.24.06

06.01.06 »

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
“One order of Taylor Hicks please, don't hold the cheese.”
Daniel Bubbeo, Newsday

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
“… it's about finding the singer who will offend the smallest number of people.”
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
“So good, it almost makes us anticipate Season 6 come January, but we're glad for the break from omnipresent host Ryan Seacrest.”
Howard Cohen, Houston Chronicle

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
“I still think this is the Worst 'Idol' Season Ever. And, we're essentially talking about the future King and Queen of Karaoke.”
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

DESPERATION (ABC)
“...is desperately hoping to attract anyone at all away from the penultimate episode of ‘American Idol.’”
Matt Roush, TV Guide
Matt Roush, TV Guide

DESPERATION (ABC)
“It's King done right.”
Virginia Heffernan, NY Times

DESPERATION (ABC)
“...the real surprise is that, for all the times King has taken us down this creepy path, he can still evoke chills and thrills over and over again.”
Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter

Love It! Hate It! 05.23.06

06.01.06 »

ALIAS (ABC)
“Sydney’s multiple costume changes also worked well as a metaphor for the series itself, which over its five-season run has reinvented itself perhaps more than any other modern TV drama.”
Andy Dehnart, MSNBC

ALIAS (ABC)
“The twists lately have felt like efforts to patch up some holes -- not the results of thoroughly mapped-out storytelling.”
Joshua Levs, CNN

ALIAS (ABC)
“The show got too bogged down in the Rambaldi mumbo-jumbo later in its life…”
Rick Porter, Zap2It

24 (FOX)
“It takes guts to go out in a blaze of...defeat.”
Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly

24 (FOX)
“It's no disappearing into the sunset, a man on the run, but it's certainly got me jonesing for January.”
Chana Shwadlenak, TV Guide

THE APPRENTICE (NBC)
“Trump decides they're both just being bitches -- and fires them both so they'll shut up.”
Jacob Clifton, Television Without Pity

KEITH BARRY: EXTRAORDINARY (CBS)
“…there's something just distasteful about it.”
Gina Bellafante, NY Times

Love It! Hate It! 05.22.06

06.01.06 »

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
“…last night's season finale of 'Desperate Housewives' reminded me of a reunion special for a reality show.”
Annie Barrett, Entertainment Weekly

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
“Bree taking up with another psychopath? Sounds like more fun is in the works for next year.”
David Bauder, LA Times

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
“What was with Teri Hatcher in that ‘80s wig when it was supposed to be 1994?”
Dave Anderson, TV Guide

10.5 APOCALYPSE (NBC)
“While 'DH' wastes its finale on back story, NBC whips out this stellar sequel to one of the greatest bad TV movies of all time.”
Sandy Deane, AOL Television

BIG LOVE (HBO)
“It's okay to knock her up -- yes, Margene's pregnant again -- but having her responsible for five other kids is apparently unimaginable.”
Sobell, Television Without Pity

BAGHDAD ER (HBO)
“’Baghdad ER’ is an unusually commendable film not because it tries to argue that war is madness — a generic idea — but because its perspective forces the viewer to focus on the clinical facts of physical injury…”
Ginia Bellafante, New York Times

BAGHDAD ER (HBO)
“‘Baghdad ER’ has no political point of view.”
Tony Perry, LA Times

THE SOPRANOS (HBO)
“…doomed major characters, like Richie Aprile and Adriana, often get whacked during the penultimate episode of a 'Sopranos' season.”
Gary Susman, Entertainment Weekly

Love It! Hate It! 05.19.06

06.01.06 »

WILL AND GRACE (NBC)
"… the series finale to 'Will & Grace' did have its moments and came back to the original concept of friendship among a close group of people."
Richard Keller, TV Squad

WILL AND GRACE (NBC)
"'Will & Grace' has so overextended its stay on NBC that even its creators make fun of it."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

CSI (CBS)
"Holy schnike! The nookie is confirmed!"
David Steede, TV Guide

THE OC (FOX)
"So, is she dead or what?"
Lacy Hall, TV Squad

THE OC (FOX)
"But you know what they say -- if a car appears in the first act, it will be in a tragic accident in the third."
Sara Morrison, TV Without Pity

Love It! Hate It! 05.18.06

06.01.06 »

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
"It was just like watching QVC."
Lisa de Moraes, Washington Post

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
"… it's refreshing that a pharmacy clerk with a bad haircut can walk into an open audition and, using the purity of his voice alone, earn his ticket to Hollywood.”
Michael Slezak , Entertainment Weekly

AMERICAN IDOL (FOX)
"Katharine's parents … cheering into the camera before Elliott even got to have his ‘bad day’ video didn't do Kat any favors."
Ken McGilray, TV Guide

AMAZING RACE (CBS)
"In the ‘Amazing Race’ season finale, BJ and Tyler beat the not-frat boys with peace, love, and understanding -- or something like that."
Josh Wolk, Entertainment Weekly

AMAZING RACE (CBS)
"Finally, brains beat out dumb luck."
Sabrina Rojas Weiss, TV Guide

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (UPN)
"If Tyra's so obsessed with proper speech, why can't she figure out that the correct phrase should be ‘one step closer toward becoming America's Next Top Model’ not ‘towards’?"
Sabrina Rojas Weiss, TV Guide

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (UPN)
"In the end, Jade is finally sent home, and that howling wind you heard outside of your window was millions of people simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief. "
Tracie Potochnik, TV Without Pity

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (UPN)
"Danielle became America's next next next next next next top model."
Andy Dehnart, Reality Blurred

INVASION (ABC)
"The only dissatisfaction comes from knowing that's all there is."
Matt Roush, TV Guide