In an era in which iconic TV news anchors are becoming less and less common, forgive me if I remain shocked and saddened by the death of Tim Russert. A Sunday-morning staple, “Meet the Press” had become an institution to which he brought his own brand of stability, intelligence and wit.

In the hours after his [...]

For what the “Top Chef” finale lacked in surprise, it made up for with legitimacy.

There was virtually no shock about how the Season 4 wrapped up, unless you count Richard Blais’ self-described “choke” that felt eerily similar to that of Casey Thompson last season. Back in Season 3, Casey may have been on track to [...]

Stephanie Izard! Yay!

Considering the girl-power feel of Season 4, and Izard’s overall performance, this wasn’t exactly a surprise, but I do feel bad for Richard Blais, who was gracious immediately after the announcement but teary-eyed when reacting to the defeat in his testimonial. But he should take solace not only in his brand-new car but [...]

Who’s it gonna be? Let’s review the pros and cons of finalists Stephanie Izard, Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes just hours before the season finale.

STEPHANIE IZARD
Pros: Probably as good or better than arguably the previous best female “Top Chef” contestant, Season 1’s formidable runner-up Tiffani Faison. Far much more likable than Tiffani. Winner of [...]

It’s taken me this long to write about the fact that Lisa Fernandes escaped an Elimination Challenge boot for the SIXTH TIME to make it to the final challenge of the “Top Chef” finale in Puerto Rico.

I’d like to think the delay’s entirely due to the shock that the contestant she beat out, Antonia Lofaso, [...]

What do Michael Clarke Duncan (left) and John Larroquette (right) have in common besides random cameos in movies fronted by stars of “Saturday Night Live”?

Well, as you probably already know by now from reading the title of this post, the two will be making appearances on “Chuck” this fall.

As a fan of “30 Rock,” I’ll [...]

As a worshipper of quality comedies like “30 Rock” and “The Office,” I am blasphemous for never having seen a full episode of “Arrested Development.” So although it’s high on my NetFlix queue and could be viewed even sooner via Hulu, feel free to blame me for its premature demise after you’re done critiquing Fox [...]

Who needs Adam Sandler as a street-fighting screen star? (I mean, really!)

Especially when “American Idol” star Clay Aiken isn’t messing around with a TMZ reporter, who apparently was too inquisitive for the singer’s liking Sunday and was on the receiving end of the singer’s shove.

Before you completely slam the paparazzo—well, more than Aiken already did—admit [...]

In the spirit of the opening weekend of the “Sex and the City” movie, Remote Access asked readers which HBO series most deserves the next feature-film treatment.

So much for the Remote Access poll being a race between “Deadwood” and “The Sopranos.”

I suspect linkage and some campaigning were responsible for the sudden surge among devout “John [...]

It’s the “Top Chef” version of the chicken-and-the-egg, except it involves the scallop-and-the-wherever-scallops-come-from.

Does the blame fall on Evangelos “Spike” Mendelsohn for using unsavory frozen scallops at a critically acclaimed chef’s restaurant? Or should guest judge Rick Tramonto have given Spike a break for providing him with an unappealing product?

So moments after I told my TV [...]

Shortly after the end of the opening weekend for the “Sex and the City” movie, Remote Access will close its latest poll, seeking reader input on the HBO series that most deserves the next feature-film treatment.

With “SatC” scoring mixed to tepid reviews, only two of the 65 votes tallied sought a sequel. At this point, [...]

Dubbed “The Dragon” by fellow “Top Chef” contestant Richard Blais, Dale Talde was slayed by the judges for being the executive chef of the losing team in the Restaurant Wars Elimination Challange.

And while he had his share of expletive-laden battles with Lisa Fernandes, Evangelos “Spike” Mendelsohn and Nikki Cascone, he also seemed to bond with [...]

Did David Cook really win “American Idol”? After the judges’ over-the-top love-fest for David Archuleta on Tuesday, I can’t help but be surprised.

Or can I?

As I wrote Tuesday, I didn’t think Archie’s performances were superior as the judges would have had you believe. Randy Jackson reacted to every Archuleta song like the Beatles just took [...]

David. Cook. Wins. Holy cow!

NOTE: If you missed any or all of tonight’s finale, start from the bottom of this recap and work your way up. Trust me, it will make more sense that way.

10:10 p.m.—Wow, it’s going to take a little time to process this all. Final thoughts will be posted tomorrow. Thanks to [...]

Tonight, the bout of the century (or at least this season of “American Idol”) will be decided. And you can help Remote Access weigh in on the process leading up to the moment that one David is hailed as champ-een of the singing circuit.

  

It’ll probably be Archuleta (right), but would you want to miss [...]

Yes, tonight’s the “American Idol” finale. And a David will be crowned champion. But how do the contestants who made it to the Top 12 stack up after a full season’s worth of performances?

Here’s my breakdown, from worst to first:

12. Amanda Overmyer—“Carry on My Wayward Son” might have been the worst performance in an “Idol” [...]

9:00 p.m. EST—My vote means nothing, especially since I’m not technically voting, but to me the night goes to Cook. Post your thoughts in the comments section below. And thanks for those of you who followed along!

8:59 p.m. EST—I wouldn’t exactly agree with Simon’s assessment that Archie won by a “knockout” tonight, nor would I [...]

Tonight on “American Idol,” it’s David vs. Goliath. But who Goliath is depends on your viewpoint.

If you see David Archuleta as a Goliath, I couldn’t argue. How can one defeat one of the best pure vocalists in the competition, someone who garners support not just from grandmothers but also from the squealing pre-teen set that’s [...]

If there’s an opposite to “blerg!” or an exclamation that’s the equivalent to Sandwich Day, Liz Lemon might be screaming it right now.

With 27 percent of the vote, the “30 Rock” character’s real-life counterpart, Tina Fey, was crowned TV’s hardest worker by Remote Access’ loyal readers. She’s also a writer and exec producer for the [...]

Uh oh.

TV’s new No. 1 network (sorry, CBS) announced its new lineup at yesterday’s upfronts and it’s pitting “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” against NBC’s “Chuck.”

That’s bad news for sci-fi/action fans who like both shows and good news for ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars,” which crushes almost everything in its path, and CBS’s “How I [...]