Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Television

As ‘Idol’ Returns, It Must Face New Rivals

From left, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, the
Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

From left, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, the "American Idol" judges.

As “American Idol” begins its new season on Fox on Wednesday, it faces competitors in “The X Factor,” also on Fox, and “The Voice” on NBC.

Television Review

A Warrior’s Quest for Fame, Ending in a Last Stand

George A. Custer’s path to the Little Bighorn was largely a quest for personal fame, according to “American Experience” on PBS.

Television Review

Tracking Lost Pieces of the Rock

“Alcatraz,” a new Fox drama from the J. J. Abrams brain trust, concerns a detective hunting inmates who disappeared when the prison closed in 1963.

Chef Has Diabetes, and Some Say ‘I Told You So’

Paula Deen’s announcement that she has Type 2 diabetes has added impetus to the debate on the national diet.

The Power Stylists of Hollywood

An influential coterie knows that dressing for the red carpet is not just about looking fetching for fans; it can also win roles and lucrative contracts.

Renovate Renovate Baby. Need Help?

Vanilla Ice, whose “Ice Ice Baby” was a 1990 monster hit, has a show on the DIY Network about home remodeling: “The Vanilla Ice Project.”

A Lot Going On Behind the Eyes

Kiefer Sutherland and David Mazouz star in the new Fox drama “Touch,” about a child who doesn’t communicate in any traditional way but has special powers.

Television Review

Film’s Oddballs Reunite for a Small-Screen Makeover

“Napoleon Dynamite” makes its way to the small screen — with the same creators, cast and story — as an animated series on Fox.

Television Review

It Can Be So Hard to Save the World When Those Hormones Kick In

“The Fades” on BBC America and “Lost Girl” on Syfy are the latest series trying to feed an apparently bottomless American hunger for dark and sexy science fiction.

Warm Hearts and Freeze-Dried Pets

Taxidermy is the wholesome family business at the center of “American Stuffers,” a reality TV show on Animal Planet.

Critic’s Notebook

The Comedy Gatekeeper Who Makes Letterman Laugh

Eddie Brill books comics for “Late Show With David Letterman.” He also does stand-up and teaches comedy workshops. Is there a conflict of interest?

Television Review

Third Film on Killings Shows Toll of Time

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” is Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s third film about the 1993 murders of three children in West Memphis, Ark.

Television Review

Comedy and Drama, Lost and Found

A new Fox series, “The Finder,” created by Hart Hanson, focuses on a man with a knack for locating missing people and things.

Television Review

Funny, You Don’t Look Stereotype-ish

Rob Schneider’s new sitcom, “Rob,” is predicated on ethnic humor, even though he and his fellow writers make a few weak attempts to subvert their own stereotypes.

Denise Darcel, Sultry French Actress, Dies at 87

Ms. Darcel played parts ranging from peasants to nobility in movies from the 1940s and ’50s.

TV Highlights

What’s On This Week

A daily updated summary of the week in TV.

Multimedia
Hollywood’s Power Stylists

As insiders see it, the investment is worthwhile: the right red-carpet turnout can help a performer change lanes.

Scene City: Cheers for Darren Criss of ‘Glee’

Susan Sarandon, Parker Posey, Alan Cumming and others toast a young heartthrob’s debut.

Video
The Keys to the Cos

Here is a series of vignettes from Bill Cosby’s 50-year television career, showcasing examples of what has made him so good for so long.

Scenes From a Career

The actor Timothy Olyphant has worked steadily since the 1990s, but in “Justified” he has found his defining role.

What’s On Tonight

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