The Larry Sanders Show

With Stephen Colbert entering the late night talk show wars, audiences have another choice to wind down their day.  Late night, a programming block invented by NBC with Broadway Open House in 1950, spurred a slew of hosts. Steve Allen debuted Tonight, later...

Television, Philadelphia Style

Philadelphia is a rich setting for prime time television shows. Angie aired on ABC in the late 1970s.  Donna Pescow starred in the title role, a working class waitress who falls in love with a doctor, played by Robert Hays of Airplane fame.  Doris Roberts, perhaps...

Hollywood on Hollywood Cops

The 1997 movie L.A. Confidential, based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy, boasts an outstanding cast.  It served as a huge platform for Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe, two relative newcomers. Additionally, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, James...

Springfield’s First Family

The Simpsons began as cartoon shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987.  It was the debut year of the FOX network.  FOX expanded The Simpsons to a half-hour show in 1989.  The Simpsons got so popular that FOX moved America’s favorite dysfunctional family from...