Television

It wasn't easy, but TV critic David Bianculli, came up with a list of the year's best TV, cable, and streaming shows.

The new season of the Emmy Award-winning series finds Midge Maisel mired in personal crises, even as her comedy career is on the rise. David Bianculli says The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel remains a winner.

John Powers reviews two new series based on true crime stories. Dannemora dramatizes the story of a 2015 prison break. Dirty John follows the delusions and dangers of a woman falling for a conman.

AMC's decision to show its new six-hour miniseries The Little Drummer Girl over three consecutive nights is a smart strategy. This spy story, based on the bestselling novel by John Le Carré, begins at such a deliberate pace that it takes almost two hours before the central story line — the actual spy mission — is set in motion.

Amazon Prime Video's new drama series stars Julia Roberts as a therapist who's working with a soldier returning from Afghanistan. Critic David Bianculli binged all 10 engrossing episodes.

John Powers reviews the BBC show 'Bodyguard,' which was a hit in the UK. It premieres on Netflex this week and tells the story of a war-traumatized police bodyguard who's assigned to look after an ambitious woman politician who may be a terrorist target.

Melissa McCarthy stars in the new film Can You Ever Forgive Me? as a biographer turned literary forger. She talks about growing up on a farm, her early comedy act. her breakout role in Bridesmaids, and playing Trump's former press secretary Sean Spicer on Saturday Night Live.

The central character in the Netflix animated comedy series BoJack Horseman is a former sitcom star struggling with depression and alcohol addiction — who also happens to be a horse. Creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg likens his series to that other show about a talking horse, Mister Ed.

TV critic DAVID BIANCULLI reviews the new Amazon series by Matt Weiner who created 'Mad Men.'

Critic David Bianculli looks back at the history of televised government hearings, including the Senate Confirmation Hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Twenty years later, the core surviving members of the original cast are back, and so is the show's proudly liberal spirit. If you're in tune with that, then Murphy Brown, once again, is for you.

Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in a new, 10-part Netflix series about the psychological exploration of alternative realities and identities. Critic David Bianculli says Maniac is "a blast."

Saturday Night Live head writers and Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che are co-hosting the Emmy awards Monday night. They'll talk about their different approaches to it, and about working together on SNL.

The First is is all about the quest to launch the first manned spaceship to the planet Mars. It's created by Beau Willimon, who adapted the British miniseries House of Cards for Netflix, and stayed with it for four seasons.

Simon, who died Sunday, spoke to Fresh Air in 1996 about finding balance between his desire for leisure time and his need to write: "They were at odds," he says. "I'm my own odd couple."

The host of On Last Week Tonight often dives into obscure stories on his Emmy-nominated show, including NRA TV and the laws that govern televangelism. Originally broadcast March 7, 2018.

After years as a reporter, Avi Issacharoff co-created an action series about an elite unit of the Israeli military whose members work undercover in the West Bank. Fauda is now streaming on Netflix.

Better Call Saul acts as both a sequel and a prequel to AMC's series about the crystal meth trade. Critic David Bianculli says the show remains "as delightful as ever" in its fourth season.

The former Monk star recently won a Tony for his role in The Band's Visit and is up for an Emmy for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Despite his success, he still feels like each role could be his last.

Morgan Neville's moving documentary about Fred Rogers and Netflix's stand-up special starring Australian comic Hannah Gadsby both refuse to play along with established genre conventions.