Television

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein, author of an upcoming episode on the new PBS comedy series "Trying Times." Her other plays include Isn't it Romantic and Uncommon Women and Others.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews "Echoes in the Darkness," an upcoming CBS miniseries about the murder of schoolteacher Susan Reinert and her two children in the Philadelphia suburb of Upper Merion. The principal of the school, Jay Smith, and a fellow teacher, William Bradford, were later convicted of the murder.

Sir David Attenborough, host and producer of the new PBS series "The First Eden," which looks at the natural history of the Mediterranean. This follows his award-winning series for PBS "Planet Earth."

Television Critic David Bianculli previews the new spinoff from "Hill Street Blues." It's titled "Beverly Hills Buntz" and it stars Dennis Frantz, who played the tough-talking, gum-chewing Det. Norman Buntz in "Hill Street Blues."

Television Critic David Bianculli previews three upcoming miniseries - "Mayflower Madam," "Napoleon and Josephine" and "Hoover vs. The Kennedys: The Second Civil War" - and discusses how docudramas have evolved in the past few years.

Henry Mancini, who's had a long career writing scores for movies and TV. He has composed some classic songs, such as "The Pink Panther," "Moon River," "The Days of Wine and Roses," and the themes for "Peter Gunn" and "Mr. Lucky." He had just done the music for the new film version of "The Glass Menagerie."

Terry Jones, a member of the comedy troupe Monty Python. Jones did much of the writing for the troupe. He directed most of their movies, often appearing as one of the Python women. Jones now writes children's books in England. He also directed the recent film "Personal Services."

Critic-at-Large Laurie Stone discusses the new ABC television series "thirtysomething."

Television Critic David Bianculli previews "Poor Little Rich Girl," the NBC miniseries based on the life of heiress Barbara Hutton, who squandered a vast fortune and died nearly penniless. Farah Fawcett stars.

Stephen Davis, whose new book Say Kids! What Time is it? recounts the history of the "Howdy Doody Show," TV's first hit kid's show. The book looks at the early days of television in New York, and the cast that made up Doodyville - Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Clarabell and Chief Thunderthud.

Television Critic David Bianculli previews "The Morton Downey Jr. Show," a new talk show that's the equivalent of shock radio. Downey's guests range from representatives of Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan. But it's the frenzy of audience, and Downey's abuse of both guests and audience, that makes the show unique.

Television Critic David Bianculli discusses the progress of the new shows and the history of how television's top programs fared in their first year.

Video artist Bill Viola. His work draws on his extensive travel throughout Northern India, the Sahara, the American West and Europe and strives to establish video as an art independent of film and television. Viola has been working with video since 1970, including stints as an artist-in-residence at WNET's Artists' Television Laboratory, and as a Guggenheim Fellow.

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews "Jack Paar is Alive and Well," NBC's look back at the first host of "The Tonight Show."

J.J. Johnson, a pioneer of the modern jazz trombone. In 1970, he moved to Hollywood to work as a composer and arranger for television. He's toured the country recently, and a new CD of sessions he recorded in the 60s has just been reissued.

Writer James Wolcott, who's now a regular columnist on culture for Vanity Fair.

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews a version of Harold Pinter's one-act play, "The Room", directed by Robert Altman. The cast includes Linda Hunt, Donald Pleasance, Julian Sands and Annie Lennox. It will air on ABC next Saturday.

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews "The Singing Detective," the BBC miniseries that PBS will air in early January. The series was written by Dennis Potter, who wrote the 10-hour 1979 BBC series "Pennies From Heaven," starring Bob Hoskins.

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews "EastEnders," a contemporary drama about the working class in London's East End. "EastEnders" is the most popular serial drama in Britain, and will air in America on PBS.

Fresh Air's language commentator Geoffrey Nunberg.