Things are about to get awfully busy on TV, as the February sweeps kick into gear tonight, meaning an end to the midwinter repeats for several weeks and blockbuster events over the next few weekends, starting with Sunday's Super Bowl on NBC, and continuing with the Grammys on CBS and the Oscars on ABC — just a guess, but these aren't listed merely sequentially but also in terms of audience buzz. (Adele joining the Grammy live-performance lineup makes that show instantly more interesting than anything that's likely to happen with this year's underpowered Oscars lineup.)
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Question: Now that we are about at the mid-season break for shows, I have been thinking about which returning shows are having the best, most satisfying seasons. Fringe, Castle, Community and Bones are at the top of my list, but I have to single out Parks and Recreation as the best returning show. I wasn't sure Parks and Rec could sustain the consistently funny run it had last season, but it has easily lived up to the expectations of Season 3. I think what has made this season even better ...
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Send questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!
Question: Why do successful shows tinker with what is already working? Rules of Engagement has become "The Timmy Show," and The Big Bang Theory has become a show about Penny, Bernadette and Amy. What gives? — Kelly
Matt Roush: The easiest way to answer this question is to state a pretty obvious fact of TV life: If you don't tinker, you risk growing stale. In this case, tinkering means ...
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And the Halloween countdown continues ...
With a bona fide classic leading the way, as the patient and faithful Linus once again declares It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8/7c), as he's been doing ever since the Charles Schulz animated special premiered in 1966 (and yes, I was the target audience back then). As Lucy runs afoul ...
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Jim Caviezel is knackered. It's about noon, and he and Person of Interest costar Michael Emerson have just concluded a gauntlet of satellite interviews at CBS' Midtown Manhattan headquarters. He apologetically struggles under our...
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