Jeff Probst’s Ego Survives And Grows
I have watched all 28 seasons of "Survivor," a show that still has the most fascinating strategy-and-social-interplay combination of any reality/competition, as well as the best nature photography and editing on network television. The season that ended tonight ranks...
Carl Reiner, “I Just Remembered”
Carl Reiner is, inarguably, a comedy legend. You may know him from recent movies like "Ocean's 11/13" or classics like "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming." He created "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and has appeared on dozens of other shows, including as...
Comparing Comedians
To be a successful standup, you have to have a unique voice. I don't mean the audio quality of the sounds that come out of your mouth, but your own take on the world that's unlike anyone else's. You should have an act that wouldn't sound right if it were done by...
Last Week Tonight Last Night
I try not to judge a new TV show after just one episode, because its writers and producers have had months to prepare and put their best stuff out front first. It's when they have to do it week in and week out that we really get to judge a show. Even the best shows...
Cutting Down Barbara Walters
Now that Barbara Walters has announced her TV retirement date, Alex Pareene cuts her down to size in Salon. After relating stories about George Steinbrenner in Cuba that "journalist" Walters covered up, and listing some of the rich and powerful she befriended and even...
More Thoughts On Letterman
After discussing David Letterman's retirement in separate conversations with TV critics James Poniewozik and Aaron Barnhart this weekend, I'm left with a few more thoughts on the subject... I stopped recording Dave several years ago when it became apparent he was no...
Aaron Barnhart on Letterman Retiring
Aaron Barnhart wrote a lot about David Letterman, beginning 20 years ago in The Village Voice, then with his online newsletter, "Late Show News," and in his career as a TV critic at the Kansas City Star. He was also a longtime contributor to my radio show, so it...
Succeeding Letterman
As soon as David Letterman announced his impending retirement, the speculation began about who would succeed him. We know it won't be Jay Leno or Conan O'Brien, but some of the names thrown around included Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea...