Television

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews the CBS program "Try to Remember," a pilot for a new series hosted by Charles Kuralt. The program draws on archival footage and explores the events of one week, in this case August 10, 1969, the week of Hurricane Camille, Woodstock and a ticker tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Standup comic Richard Lewis. In his act, Lewis portrays a spastic, tortured, self-deprecating man living a life of unrelieved pain. He says of his comedy that after he's finished his act "people throw prescription drugs and the names of their therapists instead of roses. I'm the wreck they can't be." Lewis has appeared roughly 35 times on the "Late Night with David Letterman" show. His new HBO comedy special, "Richard Lewis: I'm Exhausted Concert," premieres on June 18th.

Television critic David Bianculli profiles "Wiseguy," the CBS crime series. The series' stars are Ken Wahl as Vinnie Terranova, an undercover organized-crime agent, and Ray Sharkey as Sonny Steelgrave, the impulsive and explosive head of a crime syndicate. The program is about to start its summer repeat run, a time when many shows that face stiff competition in the regular season find a new audience.

Television critic David Bianculli gives us his take on the use of laugh tracks.

Critic Ken Tucker reviews video releases of the best of Carol Burnett.

Television critic David Bianculli looks back at "The Prisoner," the British mystery and adventure series about government agents, brainwashing, Number 6, and the omniscient globe that prevented escape from the island prison. The series celebrates its 20th anniversary this week.

Comic and actor Howie Mandel. Mandel is one of the stars of "St. Elsewhere," the acclaimed NBC weekly series that follows the lives of the medical staff of the beleaguered St. Eligius, a fictional hospital set in a rough-and-tumble Boston neighborhood. Today, May 25, is final episode of the seven-year series.

Film director Robert Altman. He's best known for the 1975 film "Nashville," a free-form mosaic of American life as seen through 24 characters involved in a political rally. His other films include "3 Women," a hypnotic film about the troubled friendship of three troubled women. Altman has been working in television recently, directing the remake of the classic 1953 movie "The Caine Mutiny" that aired earlier this month on CBS.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews the new Bill Moyers special on PBS. In the six-part series, Moyers speaks with the late mythologist Joseph Campbell.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews the last two episodes of St. Elsewhere, the quirky NBC series set at the beleaguered St. Eligius Hospital. The show, which has run for seven seasons, ends on May 25th.

Orchestrator and composer Jonathan Tunick. Though best known for his orchestrations of Stephen Sondheim musicals like "Sweeney Todd" and "Into the Woods," Tunic is increasingly gaining recognition for his own compositions.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews this week's "American Playhouse" presentation on PBS titled "The Trial of Bernhard Goetz." Goetz was acquitted last year of assault charges stemming from his shooting of four black youths in a New York City subway car after, Goetz contended, the youths tried to rob him. The trial, which dominated the New York City press for several weeks, was known as "The Subway Vigilante" trial.

Actress Melanie Mayron. She currently appears in the ABC television program "thirtysomething" as Melissa, the photographer. Her films include "Girlfriends" and "Missing." She stars in and co-wrote the new film "Sticky Fingers."

Rock star, teen throb and matinee idol Rick Springfield. Springfield, who starred in the popular daytime soap "General Hospital," has a new album, his first in three years.

Comic and actress Danitra Vance. She appeared on "Saturday Night Live" during the 1985-86 season. From there she landed a part in the revue "The Colored Museum," at Joseph Papp's Public Theater. She played everything from a stewardess on a slave ship to a talking afro wig. She's currently reviving the part at the Mark Taper Theater in Los Angeles. She can also be seen in the upcoming movie "Sticky Fingers," starring Melanie Mayron, Helen Slater and Christopher Guest.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews the CBS remake of the 1954 film classic "The Caine Mutiny," based on Herman Wouk's acclaimed novel. Brad Davis stars as Commander Queeg, the role Humphrey Bogart made famous in the original film. Other actors include Jeff Daniels and performance artist Eric Bogosian. The performance is directed by Robert Altman.

Actor Daniel J. Travanti. Travanti is best-known for his role as Captain Frank Furrillo in the long-running TV cop series "Hill Street Blues." Travanti co-stars with Faye Dunaway in the new film "Midnight Crossing."

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews the new ABC series "China Beach." Like "M*A*S*H," "China Beach" features the medical corps that tend to the wounded. But unlike "M*A*S*H," most all the main characters in "China Beach" are women - the nurses who work in the operating rooms and run the USO clubs - and the setting is Vietnam.

Ken Tucker reviews the new Pee Wee Herman video that's culled from three episodes from his Saturday morning TV show. Herman is the twitty host of the popular show, and the star of the hit film "Pee Wee's Big Adventure."

Television critic David Bianculli discusses how the writer's strike has benefitted "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," and what the show's revival means for the concept of a weekly variety show.