David Bianculli
David Bianculli is a guest host and TV critic on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. A contributor to the show since its inception, he has been a TV critic since 1975.
From 1993 to 2007, Bianculli was a TV critic for the New York Daily News.
Bianculli has written four books: The Platinum Age Of Television: From I Love Lucy to The Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific (2016); Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (Simon & Schuster/Touchstone, 2009); Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously (1992); and Dictionary of Teleliteracy (1996).
A professor of TV and film at Rowan University, Bianculli is also the founder and editor of the website, TVWorthWatching.com.
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So many of the network's new prime-time series are like cafeteria casseroles: aggressively and intentionally bland. But late-night shows continue to offer spice in the form of biting humor.
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This expertly cast film captures the rehearsals and the logistics that lead up to opening night. Saturday Night is a nonstop joy ride — and a testament to the adage that the show must go on.
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Netflix's 10-part series features Adam Brody and Kristen Bell as 30-something singles who meet and are attracted to one another, despite the fact that he's a rabbi and she's not Jewish.
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It’ll be tricky for the writers to hit the right comic and satirical tones for the remainder of this election, but SNL has a good cast this year, with some promising new additions.
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Kathryn Hahn stars as a witch who's lost her powers in Agatha All Along. To regain them, she has to assemble a witches’ coven and lead them on a journey down a magical, threatening witches’ road.
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With no costumes, no superpowers and no Batman, HBO's The Penguin is less like a comic book series than a crime drama — closer to The Sopranos than to the Batman movie from which it came.
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David Bianculli reviews Wise Guy, a documentary about the landmark HBO series. Plus, we listen back to archival interviews with creator David Chase, and actors Michael Imperioli and Lorraine Bracco.
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Season 4 brings a fresh influx of guest talent to Only Murders in the Building — but the new faces don’t outshine the crimefighting, podcasting stars: Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. -
Donahue, who died Aug. 18, hosted an issue-oriented, afternoon talk show that paved the way for Oprah and others. David Bianculli offers an appreciation, and we listen back to a 1985 interview.
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The 10-part Apple+ show, based on Carl Hiassen’s novel, is loaded with twists, turns and standout performances. Bad Monkey isn’t a great show, but it’s good, Florida fun.
