Television

TV critic David Bianculli reviews “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.” This week celebrities are the contestants.

Actor, writer, director and producer Peter Berg. He is the creator and executive producer of the new controversial ABC series Wonderland. The show is set in a mental hospital. Some call it the most accurate portrayal of the mentally ill on network television, while some mental health organizations say that the series further stigmatizes mental patients. As an actor, Peter Berg has started on the TV show Chicago Hope, and has appeared in movies like The Last seduction, Copland, and the Great White Hype.

TV critic David Bianculli tells us about the upcoming live TV event: a live production of "Fail-Safe" on CBS Sunday night starring George Clooney.

Actor John Spencer. He plays Leo McGarry, the Chief of Staff to the President in the tv series "The West Wing." The show, set in the Whitehouse, and concerning a fictional democratic President and his staff has just won a prestigious George Peabody award. In this first season of the show, Spencer's character has had to deal with his former alcoholism becoming a matter of public scrutiny. Spencder previously was a regular on "L.A. Law" and began his career on "The Patty Duke Show."

TV critic David Bianculli reviews “The Beat” the new cop drama by the Tom Fontana/Barry Levinson team that also created the series “Homicide.” The new show premieres on the UPN network tonight.

Attorney and former Deputy Commissioner of Baseball, Stephen Greenberg. He’ll discuss his father, legendary baseball player Hank Greenberg, who faced bigotry in the 1930s and 40s as America’s first Jewish baseball star. Greenberg played first base and outfield for the Detroit Tigers from 1933-46 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947. And he helped the Tigers win the pennant four times. There’s a new documentary about him, “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” (by Aviva Kempner).

Actor Michael Imperioli. He currently stars as Christopher In the HBO series "The Sopranos" and wrote one of this season's episodes. He's also appeared In five Spike Lee films, and starred In, co-wrote and executive produced Lee's latest film "Summer of Sam." Imperioli also appeared In the films "Goodfellas," "Malcolm X," "Clockers," and "Household Saints."

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new NBC animation show, "God, The Devil, and Bob" featuring the voice of James Garner.

Actress Anne Heche. She wrote and directed a segment of the upcoming HBO film “If These Walls Could Talk 2” a look at the lesbian experience thru three different decades. The segment, set in the year 2000, stars Sharon Stone, and Heche’s real-life lover, Ellen Degeneres, who is also one of the film’s executive producers. The film debuts on Sunday, March 5th.

Executive producer of the TV show "Frasier", Christopher Lloyd. The show made Its debut In 1993 and since then has won many awards Including the Peabody. The new book, "The Frasier Scripts" collects 15 of the staff's favorite shows (Newmarket Press).

TV critic David Bianculli previews this Sunday’s “Homicide” made for TV movie on NBC.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the made for TV movie "Mary & Rhoda" starring Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper.

Late night talk show host David Letterman underwent heart surgery last Friday. CBS, the home of Letterman’s “The Late Show” will run reruns until Letterman recovers. Our TV critic David Bianculli has another idea for what to do in the interim.

TV critic David BIianculli reviews “The Sopranos.” It begins its second season this month.

Writer Alan Ball. His first feature film screenplay was for this year's critically acclaimed movie, "American Beauty." He's also creator, head writer, and executive producer of the new TV comedy "Oh Grow Up." Previously, Ball wrote for the TV shows "Grace Under Fire," and "Cybill."

Actor Liev Schreiber. The 32-year old's film credits include "The Daytrippers," "A Walk on the Moon," and the "Scream" movies. He's currently starring in New York in the Public Theatre's new production of "Hamlet." And he plays Orson Welles in the HBO drama "RKO 281" about the clash between Welles and William Randolph Hearst over the making of Welles's masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." It premiered last night.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new hit game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

Pokemon (POH-kay-mahn) is the latest kid craze and worldwide phenomenon. It hails from Japan, and began as an Nintendo game, featuring the superpowered animals called Pokemons. There are 150 characters in all. After the game came the trading cards, comic book series, and weekly cartoon. Now there's the Pokemon movie. We meet the American translator of the Pokemon characters, Gerard Jones.

Manager to TV and film stars, Bernie Brillstein ("STEEN"). His clients include John Belushi and Garry Shandling. He developed a very hands-on style of management, and has written a new memoir about his work, "Where Did I Go Right?: You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone wants You Dead" (Little, Brown & Co.).

TV writer, director and producer Marshall Herskovitz. With his partner Edward Zwick, Herskovitz created "Thirtysomething," "My So Called Life," and the new show "Once and Again."