Television

TV critic David Bianculli on the 20th anniversary of MTV. The 24-hour cable music channel turns 20 tomorrow, and celebrates with an all-day retrospective, and a prime-time concert.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the return of the reality show Big Brother and considers other new reality shows.

John Lithgow is one of the stars of the animated hit movie, Shrek. His comedy TV series Third Rock From the Sun just finished its run on NBC. Lithgow also writes children's books. He's just published the book Marsupial Sue (Simon and Schuster), and he has released a new CD of music for children called Farkle and Friends (Watershed Records). Lithgow is currently performing his children's material live in concert.

Animation director J.J. Sedelmaier is the animator of the TV Funhouse skits which run on Saturday Night Live. They include The Ambiguously Gay Duo, Fun with Real Audio, and The X-Presidents. Sedelmaier and his animation company work on many other projects for TV and commercials. They have worked for MTV and Nickelodeon. He also has his own Cartoon Network series, Capt. Linger.

Alan Ball is the creator of the new HBO series Six Feet Under. Ball won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for American Beauty. He also has production credits on the TV shows Cybill and Oh Grow Up. Ball has served as producer, writer and director on Six Feet Under. Ball is a return guest on the show. His first visit was in December of 1999.

Journalist James Fallows is National Correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, a regular commentator on NPR, and a licensed pilot. In his new book Free Flight: From Airline Hell to a New Age of Travel he looks into the technological innovations which will change airline travel. For instance, smaller jet planes will ferry passengers from local airports, bypassing the crowded international airports. Fallows is also the author of Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy.

Darren Star is the creator and executive producer of the HBO series, Sex and the City which begins its fourth season on June 3rd. The series stars Sarah Jessica Parker as a columnist in New York City who chronicles the mating habits of single New Yorkers. Much of her material comes from her life and that of her three closest friends. STAR is also the creator of Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season finale of The Sopranos which was broadcast last night on HBO.

TV critic David Bianculli previews tonight's season finale of The West Wing.

He plays Josh Lyman, the Deputy Whitehouse Chief of Staff on the NBC drama The West Wing. The show's season finale airs Wednesday, May 16th. Whitford began his acting career on the stage. He has also appeared in many films including Scent of a Woman, Philadelphia, A Perfect World, Revenge of the Nerds II, and Billy Madison. He'll talk about his role on the West Wing, and what it's like playing a high-ranking staff member in a fictitious White House.

T.V. critic David Bianculli reviews last nights premiere of NBCS The Weakest Link the latest British-imported game show.

Veteran broadcaster and executive producer of 60 Minutes, DON HEWITT. Hes been with CBS News since 1948 and was producer-director of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite before creating 60 Minutes in 1968. Hes written a new memoir, –Tell Me a Story: Fifty Years and 60 Minutes in Television

David Bianculli reviews the premiere of the new Comedy Central sitcom about life in the Bush Whitehouse, "Thats My Bush" by the creators of South Park.

Bianculli reviews the season opener of The Sopranos on HBO Sunday night.

Carter is the creator of the popular FOX TV series, The X-Files. The series, about a team of FBI agents investigating paranormal activity like alien abductions, telepathy, and the occult, has a cult following. This is its eighth and possibly final season. Carters newest series –The Lone Gunman— is a spin off of –The X-Files— and features three computer-savvy conspiracy geeks. It premiers this Sunday, March 4th at 9 PM on FOX.

Mike Judge, the creator of, and voice behind, MTVs phenomena Beavis and Butthead. His current creation is the Fox series King of the Hill, where he provides the voice for main character, Hank. Hes also the writer, director and producer of the cult movie Office Space. A self-taught animator with a physics degree, Kraft talks about animation and comedy. King of the Hill is an Emmy nominated series nearing its 100th episode next week.

Whitehead Reviews Ralph Gleasons Jazz Casual Series, a collection of Gleasons 1960s TV show on DVD and video.

Bianculli reviews the premiere of The Chris Isaak Show on Showtime, a series starring musician Chris Isaak.

Parsons invented the reality format show Survive, but couldn't get any interest for it in Britain. In 1996 Strix Television in Sweden bought the format rights for Survive, and went on to produce Expedition Robinson. It has become the most successful and controversial TV series in Scandinavia.

Briggs is the creator of Who Wants to Be a Millionare? which premiered on British television in September 1998 and thereby set the phrase (or its translation) "Is that your final answer?" into orbit. The shows format has been licensed in 80 countries including India, Japan, Greece, and of course, the U.S.