Tag Archives: Television

P-Funk — George Clinton’s confabulous mutating fusion of science fiction, animation, whimsy, agitation, and the bodacious, bootilicious, redemptive might of FUNK — is profiled tonight at 10pm in the documentary film PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: One Nation Under a Groove, on the PBS series Independent Lens. After forming the Parliaments as a …

Let’s see if I get this straight: E!’s Kill Reality was a “meta-reality” series wherein “reality personalities” — i.e., participants in other reality shows like Survivor, The Real World, The Apprentice, The Bachelor, The Amazing Race — were ensconced in a house together as they auditioned, rehearsed and acted in …

Taking the low-density marathon-type route, the Disney Channel began its family-oriented “Hauntober Fest” — a Halloween-themed movie every night at 8 ET/PT in October — over the weekend. We caught the charming-if-tepid Halloweentown High last night, about attempts by a well-meaning teenage witch to integrate the denizens of Halloweentown with …

Disneyland and The Mickey Mouse Club share their 50th anniversaries in 2005, and 10 of the original Mouseketeers are returning to Disneyland on Monday, October 3, to celebrate the golden milestone (I’m not sure which 10, however, hmm). In a ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Mouseketeers will …

Like tobacco companies scolding against underage smoking and alcohol makers counseling “responsible drinking,” there is cognitive dissonance in hearing Nickelodeon telling kids to turn off their TVs and go out to play: “You must watch us to find out how to not watch us.” But there you have it. Nickelodeon …

All preschool, all the time – our almost-2 year old will likely burst with programming-induced joy. PBS announced this week the launch of a new 24/7 preschool channel, called PBS KIDS Sprout, available on digital cable and satellite, and a companion website, which are “dedicated to offering little ones safe, …

The insurance company GEICO must have an exceptionally large ad budget: it is almost impossible to escape their onslaught of radio and TV ads, varying between straight, informational “15 minutes could save you 15% on car insurance” spots; their edgy, parodic “but there’s good news, I just saved a bundle …

Every year the fall/winter holiday season starts just a little bit sooner: our local Wal-mart had out Halloween candy, costumes and decorations by the first of September. I’m not sure who is buying Halloween candy two months before the fact, unless they plan to eat it themselves, since I am …

The BBC show Horizon tackles a ripping good scientific controversy tonight: were the astonishingly small, 18,000 year-old adult human remains found on the isolated Indonesian island of Flores last year a previously unknown species of human, Homo floresiensis, or were they the benighted remains of a modern human with the …

ER kicks off its twelfth season on NBC September 21. Kristen Johnston and John Leguizamo join the cast hoping to fill the void created by Noah Wyle’s departure.