David Bianculli
Stories
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'The Four Seasons' plays as a rom-com -- with a much wiser perspective than many
Tina Fey co-created and stars in a Netflix series about three middle-aged couples who meet for four short vacations each year. It's a mature, laid-back show, evoking more smiles than belly laughs.
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A new documentary checks out the many ways libraries are a 'Free For All'
By examining the value of libraries in the distant and recent past, this PBS film makes a compelling case for the importance of the American public library system today.
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'The Rehearsal' feels more surprising than ever as it returns for Season 2
The Max show uses actors and real people to stage elaborate recreations and imaginings of events. It's like a mystery tour, because you aren't given any clues about the final destination.
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'Black Mirror' remains a thought-provoking treasure in its 7th season
Netflix's near-future anthology series draws on classic film/TV for inspiration but its strongest episode, "Common People," takes on subscription tiers in a chilling way.
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Michelle Williams is brilliantly comic -- and tragic -- in Hulu's 'Dying for Sex'
A long-married woman with terminal cancer leaves her husband and embarks on a quest for sexual satisfaction in a miniseries that's so real and so raw it's likely to make you both laugh and cry.
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In 'The Studio,' Seth Rogen offers a hilarious take on Hollywood filmmaking
An outstanding new Apple TV+ comedy series sends up Hollywood's movie-making machine. You don't have to be a movie lover to appreciate The Studio, but the more you know, the more you'll laugh.
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'Ludwig' captivates with a light-hearted story about a missing identical twin
When a police inspector goes missing, his identical twin assumes his identity in an effort to solve the disappearance. Ludwig is one of the most original takes on the TV mystery genre.
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'The Pitt' and 'Adolescence' offer a radical, real-time approach to TV storytelling
Each episode HBO's The Pitt presents an hour of a shift in a Pittsburgh ER, while each episode of Netflix's brilliant Adolescence considers the murder of a teenage girl from a different point of view.
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Robert De Niro stars as a former president confronting a cyber attack in 'Zero Day'
In Netflix's six-part political thriller, a crippling attack on American communications and infrastructure leads to abuse of power, political overreach and questionable decisions.
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Veteran performers shine in 'Planet Earth: Asia' and 'Star Trek: Section 31'
From grand and elusive creatures to small and bizarre ones, David Attenborough's BBC docuseries offers wonders in every frame. Michelle Yoeh plays an evil emperor in a new Star Trek made-for-TV movie.
