Eleven years ago, in 2012, Tony Bennett put on a show for TV critics in Pasadena, Calif. The legendary singer, who passed away Friday in New York City at 96, was brought to the Television Critics Association during a January press tour by PBS. The U.S. public broadcaster has often treated reporters to a musical
Happy Boxing Day to all. If you are still looking for one last present to unwrap, check out the American Masters “Groucho & Cavett” episode premiering Tuesday night on PBS. I’ve written about this before here at brioux.tv and even had the great joy of interviewing late-night Hall of Famer Dick Cavett at brioux.tv: the
Christmas came early for me this year as I got to talk to Dick Cavett about Groucho Marx. The occasion was the American Masters‘ special “Groucho & Cavett,” premiering December 27 on PBS. Dubbed, “the thinking man’s talk show host,” Cavett emerged as a clear alternative to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show while on ABC from 1969 through 1975.
The Television Critics Association, of which I am a long time member, is soldiering on this week with its semi-annual network press tour. There were hopes things would revert back to a live gathering but they were dashed at the last minute as new COVID variants, especially in California, started packing emergency rooms. The last
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has turned his attention of late to 20th century subjects such as Muhammad Ali and Ernest Hemingway. Besides the usual mix of historians and voice-over performances by actors, this has allowed for those stories, through film clips and other recordings, to be told by the actual subjects. This week, Burns and
I’m a bit late posting this, but if you’re a fan of the PBS animated children’s series Arthur, you can catch up on-line. After a 25-year, 250-episode run, four final episodes featuring the young aardvark and his pals from Third Grade aired this past Monday on PBS. In a unique twist, the final half-hour casts
In some ways, Ken Burns takes on his toughest opponent with “Muhammad Ali.” His four-part, eight-hour documentary series about the late, great heavyweight champion and civil rights icon premieres Sunday and airs over four nights through September 22 on PBS. It is, in Burns’ words, a documentary that is “soup to nuts comprehensive in terms
Gavin MacLeod had to know both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love Boat would be referenced in the first line of all his obituaries. The New York State native — who passed away May 29 at 90 — was Murray Slaughter or Captain Stubing through 16 straight seasons of network TV glory. Yet