Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Television

The TV Watch

In a Bentley, Trying to Catch the Spotlight Again

Paris Hilton in an episode of “The World According to Paris,” a new reality show on Oxygen that follows her adventures in shopping and clubbing.
Adam Taylor/Oxygen

Paris Hilton in an episode of “The World According to Paris,” a new reality show on Oxygen that follows her adventures in shopping and clubbing.

Paris Hilton has returned with a new reality show, hoping the public interest is still there.

Television Review | 'Franklin & Bash'

From Law School to a Frat House?

In “Franklin & Bash,” a legal drama starting Wednesday on TNT, two young lawyers are mavericks who tend toward gonzo courtroom behavior.

Focus Groups That Look Like Play Groups

Advertisers are experimenting with new ways to learn about what consumers think of their products.

Advertising

PBS Plans Promotional Breaks Within Programs

The great unknowns are whether PBS viewers will welcome receiving programming in shorter bites, or rebel against a move they see as more commercial.

Television Review

Sex and the City (Atlanta), With Racial Politics

“Single Ladies,” VH1’s first hourlong scripted drama, explores the lives of a racially mixed group of female friends in Atlanta as they navigate dinner dates and sexual politics.

The Long Goodbye

When the iconic ’70s actress Farrah Fawcett died in June 2009, the legal fight over how she would be remembered had only just begun.

Old-Time Stuff Is Not Forgotten

“Gettysburg,” “History Detectives” and “American Picker” scrutinize the Civil War through varying perspectives, often focusing on the history of an artifact.

Jeff Conaway, Actor In ‘Taxi,’ Is Dead at 60

Mr. Conaway, who earned praise as Kenickie, John Travolta’s bad-boy sidekick in the film version of “Grease,” was known to have an addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Beliefs

The Church of Oprah Winfrey and a Theology of Suffering

The influence of religion on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was easy to see, but the lessons Ms. Winfrey shared with her flock were sometimes questionable.

Critic's Notebook

The ‘Idol’ Season: Sharper, and More Stars

The 10th season of “American Idol” sharpened its focus on the commercial viability of its contestants.

Television Review | '4th and Forever'

Hard Times at a Factory of Legends

“4th and Forever” on Current TV looks at the football program at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California.

The TV Watch

‘American Idol’ Winner Is ...‘American Idol’

Scotty McCreery may have won, but the real competition was between “American Idol” past and “American Idol” present.

The TV Watch

Television Diva Gives Thanks and Signs Off

In a valedictory monologue that was something between a graduation address and a Sunday homily, Oprah Winfrey signed off from her 25-year show.

Gathering for Thanks and Farewell

Fans from around the world flew to Chicago to say thank you as the “Oprah Winfrey Show” ends its 25-year run.

TV Highlights

What’s On This Week

A daily updated summary of the week in TV.

From Opinion
Op-Ed Contributor

Oprah, I Hardly Knew You

Four interviews later, she’s still a mystery to me.

Multimedia
Excerpt: 'Franklin & Bash'

The TNT law series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer.

TimesCast | Timely TV: "The Good Wife"

The Times's television critic Ginia Bellafonte on the end of second season of "The Good Wife," against the backdrop of two real-life political scandals.

Farewell to 'America's Most Wanted'?

Brian Stelter on Fox's announcement that "America's Most Wanted" will no longer be a weekly show.

A Clip From 'A.N.T. Farm'

China McClain performs in a clip from the Disney Channel series "A.N.T. Farm."

INTERACTIVE: Television's Meta-Pioneer

Watch Ernie Kovacs, an innovative television host, poke fun at the medium early in its history in an episode from 1955.

What’s On Tonight