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.
-
HBO's miniseries centers on a group of creatives working on a remake of the 1916 serial The Vampires. Part comedy, part satire of the film industry, Irma Vep is a winning combination.
-
Adam McKay's new HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers goes out of its way to be out of the ordinary. But its showboating is in keeping with the style of the basketball team it chronicles.
-
During her career and after her death, Monroe was objectified and scrutinized — mostly by male writers, biographers and historians. CNN's new docuseries tells her story from a fresh perspective.
-
Picking up where The Mandalorian left off, this new fantasy series on Disney+ features well-defined characters, exciting action and special effects that are as good as in any Star Wars movie.
-
The new three-part Disney+ docuseries Get Back is a true treasure. It offers an inside look at The Beatles' creative process, as well as amazing footage from their legendary rooftop concert.
-
A three-part PBS documentary probes deeply into Ernest Hemingway's life and his writings. Among those featured are each of his four wives, who shed light on the author's troubled personal life.
-
The new installment of the FX anthology series deals with racism and sexism in 1950 Kansas City. But don't let the period trappings fool you: Fargo's conflicts sizzle with resonance to today's world.
-
BBC America's new docuseries, Seven Worlds, One Planet, uses cutting-edge technology to showcase extraordinary creatures on seven continents. It's narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
-
Fifteen years after its debut, Veronica Mars has outlived the UPN and has aired on the CW, HBO and now Hulu. Chances are this new, excellent season won't be the last we hear of the wry detective.
-
Showtime's miniseries chronicles the rise and fall of the cable news mogul. But The Loudest Voice's treatment of the sexual harassment case against Ailes is so lurid it begins to feel exploitative.