CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
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DVD Review: Perfect Final Season of ‘The Shield’ Gets Fantastic Release
Submitted by BrianTT on June 11, 2009 - 10:27amCHICAGO – There was no better show on television in 2008 than FX’s “The Shield” and the seventh and final season is now available on DVD.
TV Review: Showtime’s ‘Weeds’ Still Has Nice Buzz, But High is Wearing Off
Submitted by BrianTT on June 8, 2009 - 2:59pmCHICAGO – Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) returns to clean up the mess left at the end of season four of Showtime’s “Weeds,” one of most acclaimed comedies of last several years.
TV Review: TNT’s ‘Raising the Bar’ Presents Opening Arguments For Season Two
Submitted by BrianTT on June 8, 2009 - 1:49pmCHICAGO – I’m a huge Stephen Bochco fan and like most of the cast of TNT’s “Raising the Bar,” returning tonight to start season two and recently released on DVD in a first season set. But I can’t handle the tone changes, two-dimensional characters, and complete lack of judicial realism on this show, one that has promise on paper but has never worked in episode form.
TV Review: Edie Falco Brings Showtime’s ‘Nurse Jackie’ to Vibrant Life
Submitted by BrianTT on June 8, 2009 - 1:00pmCHICAGO – Showtime has done it again. The network has carved out a fascinating niche by focusing on unique characters and hiring talented actors to portray them.
TV Review: Kyra Sedgwick Continues to Shine on TNT’s ‘The Closer’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 8, 2009 - 12:23pmCHICAGO – One of the best shows on basic cable returns this week with the fifth season premiere of “The Closer,” a dark, gut-wrenching episode that hints at a potentially series-altering summer for the beloved mystery series.
TV Review: USA Network Finds Another Potential Gem in ‘Royal Pains’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 3, 2009 - 7:43pmCHICAGO – Premiere episodes of new series really only have to pass one test - will you return for the second week? The jury is still out on the health of a whole season, but the premiere of USA’s new “Royal Pains” is clever, witty, and promising enough that most viewers are very likely to return to see the good doctor in week two.
TV Review: Audiences Unlikely to Hear NBC’s ‘The Listener’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 3, 2009 - 7:39pmCHICAGO – Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) is a 25-year-old paramedic who can hear other people’s thoughts. The telepath is the lead character on NBC’s frustrating new “The Listener,” a show that the network is clearly burning off this summer and that I don’t need psychic powers to predict won’t be on the schedule for too long.
TV Review: Third Season of USA’s ‘Burn Notice’ Starts Still on Fire
Submitted by BrianTT on June 2, 2009 - 12:08pmCHICAGO – Very few sophomore seasons have ever ended as strongly as USA’s very good “Burn Notice” did earlier this year. Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) learned that the people that burned him may also have been protecting him.
TV Review: HBO’s ‘Into the Storm’ With Brendan Gleeson, Janet McTeer
Submitted by BrianTT on May 29, 2009 - 1:07pmCHICAGO – HBO’s “Into the Storm” is a different kind of WWII movie than audiences have recently become accustomed to seeing. This excellent drama is not about the people on the ground but about the powerful men that made the decisions that determined their fates.
TV Review: Misguided ‘Mental’ Misses the Mark
Submitted by BrianTT on May 26, 2009 - 2:26pmCHICAGO – Hugh Laurie deserves the heaps of praise he gets for his spectacular work on “House”. If you’re wondering what that show would be like without the same believable medical issues, interesting characters or whip-smart dialogue provided by the show’s underrated writers, though, check out the new “Mental”.
