Television

Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Born in Russia, she emigrated to Philadelphia with her family when she was eight so that she could attend the Curtis Institute. Later her unorthodox playing, and unconventional attire on stage earned her a reputation as the "bad girl" of classical violin. In 1994 she nearly sliced the tip of her finger off chopping onions, and after surgery and painful practicing, she returned to the stage. Sonnenberg has played with just about every major orchestra and has recorded 15 albums.

Documentary director Dean Ward. His new film, "Let Me In, I Hear Laughter: a Salute to the Friars" is about the Friars club, the place where show business entertainers meet and then roast each other. Such comic luminaries as George Burns, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, as well as entertainers Will Rogers, George M. Cohan, and Irving Berlin were members. Then we meet two current members of the Friars. The documentary premieres on Cinemax tomorrow, Tuesday, October 26th. Also Comedy Central features the Friars' Club roast of comic Jerry Stiller, Wednesday, October 27th.

Dean of the New York Friars' Club, Freddie Roman, and comic Jeffrey Ross, are both featured in the documentary, and the roast of Jerry Stiller.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season opener of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the premiere of its spin-off "Angel" on the WB network tonight.

Saturday Night Live celebrates its silver anniversary this Sunday, with a prime time special. Fresh Air's TV critic David Bianculli has a review.

Executive producer, James Redford, of the new HBO documentary, "The Kindness of Strangers." The film tells the story of four organ transplant patients, and the donors and their families.. It premieres on HBO Sept 23rd. Redford, himself, underwent two liver transplants. He's also the son of actor Robert Redford. And he founded The James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness in Los Angeles (www.jrifilms.org) (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES THRU THE END OF THE SHOW).

TV critic David Bianculli previews the new TV season that starts this week. Bianculli recommends Action, Once and Again, The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Angel.

TV critic David Bianculli previews "Action" the controversial new show that premieres on the FOX network tonight.

An interview with TV producer David E. Kelly held before an audience at the Writers' Guild Foundation conference in L.A. in June. Kelly created the TV shows "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice" which were both big winners at Sunday's Emmy awards. The interviewer is Brian Lowry, who covers the television industry for the L.A. Times. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

TV critic David Bianculli looks ahead to this Sunday's 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on the FOX network.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews VH-1's new movie "Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol" showing this weekend.

Documentary filmmaker Robert Weide ("WHY-dee"). He's made his reputation making films about comedy and comediennes. His films include: "The Marx Brothers In a Nutshell" (PBS), "The Great Standups" (HBO), and the Emmy Award winning "W.C. Fields Straight Up." His latest project is the HBO documentary "Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth" (on HBO). It premiered on HBO August 9th.

Documentary filmmaker Robert Weide ("WHY-dee"). He's made his reputation making films about comedy and comediennes. His films include: "The Marx Brothers In a Nutshell" (PBS), "The Great Standups" (HBO), and the Emmy Award winning "W.C. Fields Straight Up." His latest project is the HBO documentary "Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth" (on HBO). It premiered on HBO August 9th.

TV critic David Bianculli previews the new HBO documentary that premiers tonight: "Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth."

TV critic David Bianculli comments on the demise of Mystery Science Theater 3000. After ten years of ribbing, roasting and skewering the worst films ever, MST3K shown on The Sci-Fi Channel presents its final episode this weekend .

We feature a panel discussion about the cable-tv series "The Sopranos" recorded recently in L.A. at a Writers' Guild Foundation conference. The participants include show writers David Chase, Frank Renzulli, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess.The Sopranos is an HBO Original Series depicting the life and times of a modern-day Mafia family living in New Jersey. The series is created by David Chase ("I'll Fly Away"), who also serves as executive producer. It has been nominated for 16 Emmy awards this year including "Outstanding Drama Series."

Executive producer and writer, Tom Fontana of HBO's, "Oz," the realistic drama about life in an experimental unit of a maximum security prison. Fontana also created "Homicide: Life on the Street" and the 1980s drama set in a city hospital, "St. Elsewhere."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new PBS documentary "Uncommon Visionary" about the 20th century Polish-Jewish harpsicord prodigy Wanda Landowska (VAN-da lan-DOV-ska).

TV critic David Bianculli on the re-runs of "The Sopranos" which began tonight.

TV critic David Bianculli comments on tonight's series finale of NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Streets."