Last laughs (for now) on '30 Rock'

May 8, 2008

30 Rock. Tonight at 9:30 on NBC/4.

Recent columns

• Review: 'American Masters: Marvin Gaye' on PBS

  May 7, 2008

  Why you should watch. Because if you're 16, it might be nice to hear the soundtrack of the '70s and realize that brilliant music actually came out of that decade. If you're 60, you certainly don't need to be given any reason to watch - it should be self-evident.

• Review: 'The Jewish People: A History of Survival'

  May 7, 2008

  Why you should watch. Producers say this is a departure from recent films, like David Grubin's "The Jewish Americans," which may have placed greater emphasis on culture or religion. The key word here is "survival," and how Jews, at every turn through their long and rich history, were sustained by an unshakable cultural identity as much as by the Torah and Talmud.

• What I now know about Walters

  May 6, 2008

  No wows.

• 'Ugly Betty' returns at last - for her birthday

  April 24, 2008

  Ugly Betty. Tonight at 8. ABC/7.

• Review: Tim Conway appears on NBC's '30 Rock'

  April 17, 2008

  30 Rock. Tonight at 8:30 on NBC/4.

• Review: 'The Paper,' high school office politics

  April 14, 2008

  The show: "The Paper"

• More Wisteria hysteria on 'Desperate Housewives'

  April 11, 2008

  You should watch because: Honestly, do whatever you want, but I happen to think "Desperate Housewives" is the best dramedy on ABC right now. ("Lost" ranks as best drama, while"Grey's Anatomy" is still looking to recapture that ol' "Grey's" magic.)

• CBS flummoxed with no heir apparent to Couric

  April 11, 2008

  What now, CBS?

• Vanderbilt Planetarium has a mini-Hubble telescope

  April 7, 2008

  A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a beam of light took off.

• American Idol boring? Verne Gay doesn't think so

  March 25, 2008

  Good heavens, here we go again: Another rant about "Idol."

• COOL 2 DO: Get up close and personal with sea life

  March 24, 2008

  Steve loves aquariums.

• 'Wire' wraps up brilliant run on HBO

  March 7, 2008

  David Simon, the creator of "The Wire," once told the author of a book on the program that the best crime shows are all about "good and evil -- justice, revenge, betrayal, redemption."

• 'American Idol' changes tune for 7th season

  January 15, 2008

  We can all agree to disagree on "American Idol" and pretty much always have over the past six seasons.

• 'American Idol' changes tune for 7th season

  January 15, 2008

  We can all agree to disagree on "American Idol" and pretty much always have over the past six seasons.

• 'Sopranos' high notes

  June 7, 2007

  How do you say goodbye to "The Sopranos," the greatest drama in TV history? With a list, of course, which explains why we loved this show for nearly a decade, and why the word "classic" will forever remain glued to its hide. Here we sum up a few key reasons.

• 'The Sopranos': New season worth the wait

  March 28, 2007

  For all you disaffected, embittered, remorseful and hugely disappointed fans of HBO's "The Sopranos" who complained endlessly last summer about a beloved old show where "nothing ever happens anymore," today we offer some words of encouragement.

• NBC's '2.0' may be a zero

  October 23, 2006

  Did you read the news about NBC last week (oh boy)? Seven hundred lay-offs worldwide. ... MSNBC headquarters in Secaucus will be shuttered, and the network moved to 30 Rock ... 8 p.m. slots on the NBC prime-time schedule will be handed over to "non-scripted" programs, like "Deal or No Deal."

• Race for 'Survival'

  September 14, 2006

  When was the last time anyone talked about that granddaddy of reality TV/cultural bellwether/20th century artifact that once set prime time on fire and now merely keeps CBS' Thursday 8 p.m. time slot pleasantly warm, like a tea cozy?

• Family comes first for Vieira

  September 13, 2006

  I ran into Meredith Vieira a couple of months ago, or rather - to be precise - walked up to the table where she sat in the dining hall of a remote lodge in upstate New York. We've known each other (slightly) over the years, so a pleasant little chat ensued, followed by our goodbyes and that was that.