Comedy

TV. Critic David Bianculli reviews "The Larry Sanders Show" on HBO and "TV Nation" which debuts on Fox.

Jonathan Katz is another comic who has broadened his horizons. He went into animation. His "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist" is a half-hour animated sitcom on Comedy Central (Sundays at 10:30 PM and Tuesdays at 8:30 PM). Katz is the voice of the psychiatrist, and fellow comics supply the voice of the patients, and the routines on therapy. (Also: Tonight Jonathan Katz will be doing standup on HBO's Comedy Half-Hour)

Actress Mary Tyler Moore. She starred in the Emmy award television show "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and the film "Ordinary People." She is now starring in a new CBS series "New York News," a drama about life at a fictional New York newspaper, and has recently written her autobiography, "After All," (Putnam's Sons).

Actress Mary Tyler Moore. She starred in the Emmy award television show "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and the film "Ordinary People." She is now starring in a new CBS series "New York News," a drama about life at a fictional New York newspaper, and has recently written her autobiography, "After All," (Putnam's Sons).

T.V. critic David Bianculli explains how two programs are making changes to appease their respective audiences: "Murder One" and Dana Carvey's Variety Show.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews Saturday Night Live's new late-night comedy show competitor: Saturday Night Special on FOX.

In the 1950s, Gelbart he was part of a team of television writers that included Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, and others who wrote for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour." Gelbart went on to develop and write for the television version of "M*A*S*H. Also, he wrote the screenplays for "Oh, God!" and "Tootsie," and the stage play for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" There's a new PBS special about Sid Caesar's comedy team, "Caesar's Writers."

O'Brien took over David Letterman's spot in 1993, and his "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" has just celebrated it's third birthday. Previous to that, he was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season premiere of the satirical HBO comedy. Bianculli says it was worth the wait.

TV Critic David Bianculli talks about the history of television laugh tracks and a new development in their usage.

Guest host (and our TV critic) David Bianculli interviews Tommy Smothers of the comedy duo The Smothers Brothers. In 1967, their show The Smothers Brothers Comedy hour first went on the air. The show has been credited with helping pave the way for a new generation of TV comedy shows including Saturday Night Live.

Ken Finkleman is the writer/producer/star of "The Newsroom" -- the hit satirical comedy series out of Canada's CBC. It's broadcast in the U.S. over many PBS stations. There's no studio audience, no laugh track, and the show is shot with one hand-held camera. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Comedian Drew Carey His ABC Wednesday night sitcom resides in the top twenty, a product of Carey's "every guy" humor. Carey has written a new book, "Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined" (Hyperion). It's his autobiography as well as a joke book.

Actress Cybill Shepherd. Her TV sitcom, "Cybill," continues in its fourth season on CBS. She also has a CD : Talk Memphis to Me. Shepherd is known for her roles in the films The Last Picture Show,Taxi Driver, and Married To It, as well as her starring role opposite Bruce Willis in the TV series Moonlighting.

T.V. critic David Bianculli reviews two new shows starring Ann Margaret and Tom Selleck.

The creator of the Simpsons Matt Groening talks with TV critic David Bianculli about the series. This month, TV's longest running animated series will broadcast its 200th episode. The Simpsons were first featured during episodes of the Tracey Ullman Show. The Simpsons own prime time series premiered in 1990. Groening has a new book called "The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family."

This week "Seinfeld" wraps up its nine-year run with it's final episode. We feature a new interview and several archive interviews:Actress Julia Louis Dreyfus. She plays Elaine in "Seinfeld." Elaine is otherwise known as the "Queen of Confrontation" for her ability to take on everyone from cab drivers to soap chefs. Before starring in "Seinfeld" Dreyfus was also a cast member of "Saturday Night Live."

TV critic David Bianculli previews the final episode of "The Larry Sanders Show" on HBO which airs this Sunday.

Standup-comic Bob Newhart. This Friday he performs at Carnegie Hall in New York City as part of the Toyota Comedy Festival. Newhart has been a part of the American comedy landscape since 1961 when his debut comedy album "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" became a surprise hit. (Now available on CD, on the Warner label) Since then he's starred in three TV shows, including the Peabody award winning original "The Bob Newhart Show." And appeared in numerous films.