Mary McNamara, Television Critic


The Latest


PBS' 'Doping for Gold'
TELEVISION REVIEW

In a tragic story, young athletes' sexuality and health are traded for Olympic...



Sidekicks are second bananas no more
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

The leads are out and the quirky best friends are in: See the successes of 'Baby...



FAMILY & KIDS

Child carriers, strollers and other equipment that help the trip roll more smoothly.



'Cranford' on PBS
TELEVISION REVIEW

Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton and Eileen Atkins may be the draw, but charming as...



Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photo risks her squeaky teen image
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

Marketing the teen star gets harrowing when she has one foot in Disney clean and...



'Robin Hood'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The BBC America series is a throwback worth following to the castle walls.



'The Mighty B!': new Nickelodeon cartoon
TELEVISION REVIEW

Googly-eyed 10-year-old Bessie has Amy Poehler's voice and Nick's wild...



HBO, after the revolution
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

It used to always be the premium of the premiums. Now the cable pack's...



'Under One Roof'
TELEVISION REVIEW

New comedy tries to be like 'Fresh Prince,' but this show oozes offensive...



'Soccer Mom'
TELEVISION REVIEW

A new reality series on TLC enables stay-at-home mothers to see how the other...



'The Memory Keeper's Daughter'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The melodramatic Lifetime tear-jerker 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' helps...



'Room With a View'
TELEVISION REVIEW

Writer Andrew Davies puts his spin on the E.M. Forster story of love and class...



It's not too late to climb onboard the good ship 'Galactica'
TELEVISION REVIEW

A quick primer will get you up to light speed on one the best shows on...



'The Capture of the Green River Killer'
TELEVISION REVIEW

A well-made Lifetime movie defies 'CSI' style to tell a difficult true story.



'Sense and Sensibility'
TELEVISION REVIEW

Masterpiece Theatre has time to do in two meticulous parts what Emma Thompson...



'Tracey Ullman's State of the Union'
TELEVISION REVIEW

No one is safe as the comic flexes her considerable talent for mockery and...



'Autism: The Musical'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The HBO documentary challenges stereotypes about the disease.



REVIEW: 'Miss Guided'
TELEVISION REVIEW

It's got a talented cast, but 'Miss Guided' rehashes a well-worn premise:...



'John Adams'
TELEVISION REVIEW

Like a declaration of war against any contenders at this year's Emmys, HBO's " John Adams" arrives...



'The Return of Jezebel James'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The Fox sitcom's sugary sister act is hard to believe.



BOOK REVIEW

In Laura Lippman's "Another Thing to Fall," P.I. Tess Monaghan finds babysitting a TV star annoying --...



Spitzer scandal makes a perfect news storm
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

There's nothing like a good old-fashioned political-sexual explosion to get...



'The Wire'
TELEVISION REVIEW

In the end, 'The Wire' spins out a future that is believable if not exactly...



'Canterbury's Law'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The legal series starring Julianna Margulies talks tough but has nothing new...



'Quarterlife'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The new NBC show about earnest, talky twentysomethings was spawned on MySpace...



'Knight Rider'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The show is stuck in the '80s -- and it hasn't aged well.



Writers working late again
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

The late-night talk shows have their jokesmiths back, but during the strike,...



'Prince Among Slaves'
TELEVISION REVIEW

The PBS documentary explores the life of an African royal who was enslaved for...


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