technology
All Things Digital
ars technica
Comscore
digital media wire
Engadget
Gizmodo
Leo Laporte
Light Reading
Screen Plays
tech crunch
technorati
techmeme
WolframAlpha
Fred Wilson

 perspectives 
American
Big Hollywood
Business & Media
City Journal
Dennis Miller
Larry Elder
Ed Driscoll
Jonah Goldberg
Hugh Hewitt
IBD editorials
Krauthammer
Kudlow
Lileks
Heather MacDonald
Manhattan Institute
Newsbusters
NR Corner
Pajamas
Poliwood
Point of Law
Red State
Ricochet
Thomas Sowell
Mark Steyn
Weekly Standard
WSJ Opinion Jrnl

 writing 
Artful Writer ... zaz
BookReporter
Cannell Lectures
comedy design
Complications Ensue
Daily Script
Dictionary ... Thesaurus
Doolee.com (theatre)
DoneDealPro
EShaw contest links
GalleyCat
Hollywood U
imsdb
Ken Levine
Lee Goldberg
Movie-page scripts
moviebytes
new mysteries
Planet Megamall
publ. marketplace
Romantic Comedy
Scriptcity
Script Shack
Script-o-rama
Simply Scripts links
Sokoloff
TV writers guide
Warner workshop
WGA: Written By
writers store
WordSpy

 movies  
Box Office Mojo
BTL News
Cinematical
Fandango
Nikki Finke
HCD
Kyle Smith reviews
IMDB movie database
Metacritic
Movie Reviews
Movies Unlimited
Rotten Tomatoes
trailers
trailer addict

                        TVCriticism.com

Obscure but Terrific Documentaries

These traditional DVDs arrive in red envelopes via the USPS. Despite Netflix's own efforts to play down their traditional business, it persists because there are some great titles to be discovered deep in their catalog.

The "long tail" of the content industry -- thousands of titles which don't do much business individually -- doesn't excite Hollywood or Wall Street. It is, however, a rich source of entertainment and enrichment for viewers, often far superior to today's average prime time fare.

Bill Cunningham New York - dedicated 80ish photographer records styles

Nursery University -- toddlers compete for slots in pricey NYC preschool

They Came to Play - reality competition among amateur classical pianists

The Singing Revolution -- singing helps Estonians break from Soviet tyranny

Lovin' Spoonful: Do You Believe in Magic - band bio sans PBS pledge breaks

Been Rich All My Life -- aging Harlem showgirls remember and reunite

The Ritchie Boys -- Jewish intellectuals outsmart Nazis

Every Little Step -- Auditions for a revival of A Chorus Line

Babies -- Newly arrived humans in different cultures

Between the Folds -- mesmerizing world of modern origami

Objectivied - industrial design, from the director of Helvetica

Project XX: Not So Long Ago -- a 1960 look at the postwar era

A View from the Stoop -- The Bronx, 1940-1970

A Great Day in Harlem -- history of a photograph, and of jazz legends in it

A Great Day in Harlem bonus material -- more profiles of jazz greats

Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 -- factory to concert hall

The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman -- biography

Spellbound -- 2002 Oscar-nominated look at the National Spelling Bee

New Tricks Season 7 in U.S. release on June 5

If you like a smart mystery series with humor, consider New Tricks. The series has been around for years on the BBC, racking up big ratings and earning renewals year after year. It's a classic standalone-episode murder mystery of the old school aimed at mature viewers, the kind of thing which just doesn't fit on today's advertiser-supported channels. Fortunately it is available on DVD's for purchase and on Netflix, as well as on some local public TV stations.

The premise is clever. Detective Chief Superintendant Sandra Pulliam (Amanda Redman), exiled to the cold case desk, leads a team of retired officers trying to rectify longstanding injustices.

The brilliant actor Alun Armstrong plays Brian "Memory" Lane, a character with both serious personality defects and brilliant mental aptitudes.

Aging ex-pop star Dennis Waterman play Gerry Standing, a sexy rogue with an extended family of ex-wives and bad habits.

James Bolam plays Jack Halford, a sympathetic older character who has successfully worked through his serious challenges over the program's long run.

The three old dogs are still technically civilians, free, in their own minds at least, to skirt traditional police procedures. They say what they want, do what they want, and are supremely effective. Amanda Redman plays the tough, sexy boss brilliantly. Intelligent, accomplished, attractive middle aged characters are a rare thing on U.S. television, so thanks U.K., once more, for getting it right.

The first six series of New Tricks are now available on DVD from Acorn Media (not connected with the discredited A.C.O.R.N. political group), and the latest set will be out in June.

Some secondary regional public television stations in major markets have been airing season eight of New Tricks. I recommend starting with the early years first if you're new to the series. The earliest seasons are the funniest and have some of the most clever plot twists. Once you know the characters, several of the continuing arcs are paid off well in subsequent years. You can jump in anywhere in the history of New Tricks and find entertaining television well worth your time.

 tv tech 
AVS Forum
Cable Labs
CNET reviews
DBS Talk
DirecTV HD
HTPC
LiveFeed Video Imaging
Monsoon Vulkano
TV Premieres
WeaKnees (TiVo) ... blog

 television
Schedule Grid
Archive of Amer. TV
ATAS
Brian Lowry
Broadcasting & Cable
C-SPAN video library
cynopsis
Emmy magazine
episode guides
Forbes media
Futon Critic new shows
Hulu.com
Hollywood Reporter
HRTS
LA Times
Media Life
MultiChannel News
NY Times
Prelinger Archive
ratings summary
Surfthechannel
Television Week
TV on DVD
TV Guide listings
TV.com
TV tracker
Variety ...  search  
Washington Post
Zap2ItTVBTNratings

 media careers 
ABC/Disney , New Talent
CareerBuilder , index
CBS
Deadline Jobs
DirecTV
EntertainmentCareers.net Fox ... local ... news
HCD Board
Hollywood U
Hollywood Ladder
Indeed
iWantMedia links
journalism
Multichannel News
NATPE links
NBC/Universal
Mandy's
Media Bistro
Media-Match
Monster
Paramount.....Viacom
Production Hub
Reality Staff
Salem Radio
Scripps Networks
Showbizjobs.com
Simply Hired
Sony
Star
temp diaries
Time Warner... wksp
TVrundown
TV tracker ... alerts
Variety careers

 local - LA 
earthquakes
Fresh in the Box sushi
Kentwood Players
LA Observed
LAPL reservations
Larry Mantle
Tony P's, Marina del Rey
traffic report
Truxton's bistro
Typhoon

 local - NYC 
NYC - Fox
NYC- CBS
NYC- ABC

©2012 Jim Kearney

TVCriticism.com was founded in September 2005. Managing Editor: Jim Kearney
 For some past reviews, click on: www.TVCriticism.com/entertainment.htm