The first season of BROADCHURCH was a phenomenon in the UK, one that prompted the ill-fated FOX US remake Gracepoint, and also, back in England, the somewhat controversial decision to renew the series beyond its seemingly self-contained initial season.  Against the odds, though, in Broadchurch Season 2, writer/creator Chris Chibnall wove a more inventively plotted, less monotonously paced […]

  The fourth and final season of Ray McKinnon’s Sundance series RECTIFY, perhaps the most universally acclaimed television program of the post-Sopranos era, was its most conventional.  There were few surreal stretches of memory and fantasy, the plot for the most part moved forward straightforwardly, and there were even bits of humor along the way, […]

  A very busy season of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS came to an end tonight with an unusually far-fetched hour.  The show isn’t exactly known for its hard-hitting realism, but this episode, written by series creators Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro, and directed by David Grossman, really piled on the melodramatic contrivances. The main storyline continued the […]

          GUYS WITH KIDS:  Wednesday 8:30PM on NBC   WHAT IT’S SAYING:  Everyone loves Judd Apatow movies, right?  Irreverent guys who hang out together and give each other crap?   Because this is totally Apatow-esque–with cute babies! WHAT IT’S REALLY SAYING:  The last show that tried to imitate Judd Apatow was Work […]

  BRAND X WITH RUSSELL BRAND:  Thursday 11PM on FX – Change the Channel Russell Brand has been more or less flailing around for the past several years, trying to find a place in American pop culture.  His introduction to most domestic audiences came with his role as the comically dissipated rock star in Forgetting […]

  PARKS & RECREATION:  Thursday 8PM on NBC PARKS & RECREATION had a much better time in London than Elementary.  The marvelous never-a-hit comedy, starting its improbable 6th season, brought most of the cast over for a full hour of the show’s trademark mix of crazy and heartfelt.  No one who wasn’t already in love […]

  HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER:  Monday 8PM on CBS WHERE WE WERE:  At the intersection of several major events.  Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) had just had their baby; Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) had just gotten engaged to ex-stripper Quinn (Becki Newton); and Ted (Josh Radnor), having re-met old flame Victoria (Ashley […]

  THE FOSTERS seemed sturdier in the first half of its season than in its second.  Series creators Brad Bredeweg and Peter Paige loaded up so strenuously on sudsy, often ham-handed melodrama that it’s threatened to extinguish the fine little character moments that originally distinguished the series.  Tonight’s season finale had more of the same–and […]