David Bianculli
'Strange New Worlds' is the most enjoyable 'Star Trek' show since the original
The new series is an exciting throwback, connecting the dots and pulling characters and plot points not just from Discovery, but also from the very origins of the Star Trek series itself.
New TV series revisit Watergate and the original 'Godfather'
Gaslit tells the story of Watergate, focusing on Martha Mitchell, the outspoken wife President Nixon's attorney general. The Offer focuses on the making of the first Godfather movie.
'The First Lady' is far from perfect—but its lead performances make it worth watching
The First Lady, which interweaves the stories of three different occupants of the White House from three different eras: Betty Ford is played by Michelle Pfeiffer, Michelle Obama is played by Viola Davis, and Eleanor Roosevelt, a very vocal proponent of women's rights, is played by Gillian Anderson.
'61st Street' is a well-acted — but none too subtle — crime drama
61st Street, which premieres April 10 on AMC, is a detailed look at the intersection of crime, the police and the courts in Chicago. Like David Simon's The Wire, it looks at the underbelly of all these systems — exposing their weaknesses while showing how individual characters try to cope with it all.
HBO series captures Julia Child's joy and mastery in the kitchen
Julia is a wonderful, eight-episode series that tells of story of how Child brought her recipes — and her enthusiasm for demystifying French cooking — to television.
Like the '80s Lakers, 'Winning Time' scores with an unconventional playbook
DAVID BIANCULLI reviews Adam McKay’s television series, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”.
'Pam & Tommy' asks smart questions about gossip, sexism and technology
Hulu's new series tells the story of Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, whose private sex tape was stolen in 1995 and subsequently distributed over the Internet.
W. Kamau Bell asks all the right questions in 'We Need to Talk About Cosby'
Nothing is sensationalized or trivialized in Bell's four-part documentary, which reckons with Bill Cosby's legacy both as a barrier-breaking Black star and as a sexual predator.
Remembering Ronnie Spector, lead singer of the Ronettes
Spector, who died Jan. 12, was part of the 1960s girl group that gave us "Be My Baby." She left the music business for some years but returned to recording in the 1970s. Originally broadcast in 1988.
Remembering André Leon Talley, a titan of the fashion world
The former creative director at Vogue magazine and larger-than-life fashion influencer died Jan. 18. Talley spoke to Fresh Air in 2018 about growing up in Durham, N.C., and discovering fashion.