Television

Television critic David Bianculli reviews last night's series finale of the hit NBC sitcom Friends, and looks at the history of series finales.

David Bianculli reviews the final episode of The Apprentice.

From Showtime's drama The L-Word, actor Jennifer Beals and creator Ilene Chaiken. Beals became a star for her role in the 80's dance classic, Flashdance. She's also starred in Devil in a Blue Dress, The Last Days of Disco and The Anniversary Party. On The L-Word, she plays Bette Porter, a gay art curator. Chaiken's previous TV work includes writing Damaged Care and Dirty Pictures. The L-Word wraps up its first season this weekend.

He is the creator, executive producer and head writer of the new HBO series Deadwood, a western drama set in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Milch left a teaching job at Yale University to go to Hollywood and work on the show Hill Street Blues. He also worked on NYPD Blue, for which he won two Emmys. Milch is a former heroin addict and alcoholic.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews Deadwood the new TV series - a Western — on HBO by writer David Milch who brought us NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg on the use of profanity.

Winfield was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Sounder. He appeared in many television shows, and was a voice on The Simpsons. He died at the age of 62 from a heart attack.

Weide is executive producer and a writer for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show stars Larry David, who co-created Seinfeld, as himself. One reviewer calls Curb Your Enthusiasm "a comedy of hostility, resentment, paranoia and obsessiveness." The show is currently in its fourth season.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews "The Sopranos" - which begins its fifth season on HBO Sunday.

He created the HBO hit series The Sopranos. The show begins its fifth season this Sunday and picks up where it left off with the separation of Tony Soprano and his wife Carmela.

TV critic David Bianculli looks at The Apprentice, the NBC reality show. After all other contestants are eliminated, the winner gets to work as a corporate president for Donald Trump.

TV critic David Bianculli previews the final episode of HBO's Sex and the City.

Saturday, Feb. 7 marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in the United States. We celebrate on the show: TV critic David Bianculli remembers their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, 40 years ago.

Critic David Bianculli reviews "Tanner '88" — the fake documentary series about a fictional candidate for president rubbing elbows with actual candidates. It was created 16 years ago for HBO by director Robert Altman and Garry Trudeau, the creator of Doonesbury. The 11-part series will be rebroadcast on Tuesday nights, beginning today, on the Sundance Channel.

TV critic David Bianculli pays tribute to the original late night talk show host, Jack Paar, who died earlier this week.

Former standup comic Tom Kenny is the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, the star of his own animated series on Nickelodeon. SquarePants lives under the sea in the city of Bikini Bottom where he works as a fry cook at a greasy spoon called the Krusty Krab. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie opens nationwide Nov. 19.

Cowell is one of the judges on the talent show American Idol, a spin-off of the show he co-created in Britain, Pop Idol. The show has made him famous for his brutally frank criticism. Cowell has spent 25 years in the music industry, and is currently with BMG. His new book is Simon Cowell: I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But...

Fresh Air's TV critic looks at DVDs to keep in mind during the holiday gift-buying season.