Television

CBS has revamped its morning show, which now has new hosts, a new set and a new focus: more hard news, less soft entertainment. TV critic David Bianculli says the new format works -- as long as the network makes good on its news-oriented focus.

From new offerings like House of Lies to favorites like Californication and Downton Abbey, there are a plethora of options to watch this weekend. David Bianculli runs down what's on and explains which ones are worth watching.

Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen and rock veteran Carrie Brownstein are the team behind the IFC show Portlandia. "All of the stuff that makes people different, that's the stuff that's celebrated" on the show, says Brownstein. "If you're normal ... it's no fun."

The veteran voice-over actress, who played 12-year-old Bobby Hill on Fox's animated comedy King of the Hill, now co-stars in the raunchy Showtime drama.

The comedian's latest special, Live at the Beacon Theater, was released in Early December. C.K. talks about why he went with Web distribution this time, and reflects on his award-winning TV series, his relationship with other comedians and his USO appearances.

Fresh Air's TV critic reveals his top 10 list of the year's best shows, from a political drama on Showtime to a "risky" comedy on ABC. Bianculli also reveals which shows are the worst to hit screens this year — including not one but two shows featuring Snooki.

For more than 20 years, puppeteer Kevin Clash has been the voice behind the lovable red monster on Sesame Street. Both Clash "and" Elmo talk with Terry Gross about performing with Jim Henson, and creating a fun, educational experience for preschool-aged children.

The comedian's latest special, Live at the Beacon Theater, was released earlier this week. C.K. talks about why he went with Web distribution this time, and reflects on his award-winning TV series, his relationship with other comedians and his USO appearances.

The star of Showtime's bloody crime drama talks about the show's eventual plans for an ending — and also about matters both professional and personal, from how he plays an emotionless killer to how Hall himself, while filming Dexter, has dealt with both cancer and a divorce.

TV critic David Bianculli talks up some of the twists and turns presented recently in some of his favorite shows — including Dexter, Homeland and The Walking Dead. Note: Spoiler-rich.

Burstein has played a wide range of roles, from casino owner Lolly Steinman in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, to his current role as Buddy Plummer in the Broadway revival of Follies. He talks about his lengthy career on stage, screen and television.

Woody Allen is the subject of a new two-part, four-hour special on the PBS series American Masters. TV critic David Bianculli says the documentary is "a smart, sometimes serious study of a smart, sometimes serious filmmaker."

On Friday, Regis Philbin will step down from his hosting duties on the talk show Live with Regis and Kelly. But that doesn't mean he's retiring. In his new memoir, How I Got This Way, Philbin chronicles the twists and turns of his career and explains where he plans to go next.

At its core, John le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy isn't really about espionage, says critic John Powers. The 1974 novel, adapted for the screen in 1979 by the BBC, is actually about secrets and lies and shifting identities -- which is to say, a metaphor for our own daily lives.

The PBS documentary series America in Primetime, which premieres this weekend, puts TV under the microscope, analyzing various tropes and character archetypes. Critic David Bianculli says it's the smartest TV show about television he's seen in the past two decades.

The actor plays a righteous federal agent who succumbs to all sorts of temptations on the HBO drama Boardwalk Empire. To build the character of Nelson Van Alden, he says, he worked out an elaborate back story about the agent's childhood.

MacFarlane is best known for creating the animated TV shows Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. But he's also a singer whose new album features songs from the Great American Songbook.

The new FX drama series American Horror Story premiered last week and last night, the AMC drama Breaking Bad presented its season finale. TV critic David Bianculli says both are must-sees — because they both leave him wanting more.

Laura Dern is Amy Jellicoe, a health and beauty executive who returns from a post-meltdown retreat to pick up the pieces of her broken life in the new HBO series Enlightened. Dern and series creator Mike White talk about the tone of the show, and whether it's possible for people to really change.

Heroic POW or al-Qaida double agent? Howard Gordon, creator and producer of the new Showtime thriller, Homeland, talks about the twists and turns of the series, and explains why it's very different from his previous show, 24.