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Post-college, coming-of-age MTV series misses the mark
LORI RACKL: Set and filmed in Chicago, MTV’s new scripted series “Underemployed” underwhelms. Premiering Oct. 16, it tells the story of five recent college graduates as they make their way — barely — in the real world.
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Young Irish dancers on the air alongside hoarders, Honey Boo Boo
LORI RACKL: TLC takes on the competitive world of Irish dance with a new documentary, “The Big Jig,” airing Tuesday. Two of the five girls followed in the program — Grace Wright and Marina Flatley-Griffin, niece of Michael “Lord of the Dance” Flatley — are from the Chicago suburbs.
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‘Chicago Fire’ actors willingly feel the heat
LORI RACKL: Taylor Kinney, Jesse Spencer and other stars of NBC’s new drama train with a Chicago Fire Department veteran to make sure their rescues are grounded in reality.
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No debate about it: Big Bird is small potatoes when it comes to federal budget
LORI RACKL: Cutting federal funding for PBS wouldn’t make a dent in the budget, but it would be a disaster for some local public television stations and hurt PBS’ stellar programming in general.
Much is new as ‘Revenge’ returns, but not Emily’s thirst for payback
LORI RACKL: Fresh faces are a few of the changes in store in the hit drama’s second season, when vengeance-seeking Emily Thorne expands her target beyond the evil Graysons.
The week’s best TV: ‘Arrow’ debuts, ‘Walking Dead’ returns
Old favorites (zombies! local restaurants!) are back this week, along with some fun new dramas and a timely documentary about our neighbor to the north: MONDAY “Independent Lens: As Goes Janesville”: 10 p.m. on WTTW-Channel 11 Shot over three years, this documentary follows four residents …
Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj launch new talent at Adler Planetarium
LORI RACKL: Chicago is “always a good stop for us,” Ryan Seacrest says as more than 100 hopefuls sing before the show’s revamped judges’ panel in hopes of getting a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Jami Gertz has new ‘Neighbors’ but treasures her Glenview roots
LORI RACKL: Star of ABC’s sitcom about aliens next door loved her childhood surrounded by Midwesterners — “open and helpful, but they’re not intrusive.”
The week’s best TV: ‘Raising Hope’ starts up, ‘Jersey Shore’ winds down
It’s the beginning of the end as a couple of television series start their farewell seasons. They’re among my picks for this week’s premieres: MONDAY “Half the Sky”: 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on WTTW-Channel 11 Filmed in 10 countries, this investigation examines trafficking, maternal …
‘Vegas’ follows the ‘Good Wife’ lead to tell longer story on CBS
LORI RACKL: The new CBS drama “Vegas,” starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis, adheres to the network’s tried-and-true crime-of-the-week formula but sets it against a larger saga about a desert town’s transformation into the entertainment mecca we know today.
‘Homeland’ a surprise winner as ‘Modern Family’ gets more Emmys
The 64th annual Modern Family Awards once again saw the ABC comedy haul in a heap of Emmys on a night that also included a few curveballs, courtesy of freshman hit series “Homeland.” The television academy isn’t exactly a Cracker Jack box when it comes …
10 reasons why you shouldn’t blow off the Emmy Awards this year
LORI RACKL: It’s worth watching to hear Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes, to look at the fashions and to find out if “Mad Men” breaks a record.
Jami Gertz talks ‘Neighbors’
Glenview native Jami Gertz stars in ABC’s new comedy “The Neighbors,” where Gertz and her family moved into a gated community populated by aliens.
‘Revolution’ turns lights out on Chicago, has flashes of fun
LORI RACKL: NBC’s new sci-fi fantasy “Revolution” is about a world where the lights have gone out for good. Creator Eric Kripke promises to answer the show’s many questions shortly after they arise so that the audience is never in the dark for too long.
The week’s best premieres: ‘Mindy Project,’ ‘Elementary’ and more
Buckle up: It’s premiere week, when the bulk of the fall TV season’s new offerings roll out. A full DVR’s worth of popular favorites are back, too, from “Dancing With the Stars: All Stars” (7 p.m. Monday on WLS-Channel 7) and the 10th season of …
DePaul grad gets to be droll in dystopia
Dramas like “Revolution” need a little comic relief, and that’s where Libertyville native Zak Orth comes in. Orth plays Aaron, a guy who made a lot of money in a field suddenly rendered obsolete. “I used to work at a place called Google,” Aaron says …Read More
Chicago mobsters loom larger in new ‘Boardwalk Empire’ season
LORI RACKL: Al Capone and the city’s other notorious sons play a big role in HBO’s Prohibition-era drama, which kicks off season three Sunday with one of its best episodes yet.
5 exciting TV premieres this week, from ‘The Mob Doctor’ to ‘Parks and Recreation’
As the fall TV season heats up, here are my five favorite premieres this week: MONDAY “The Mob Doctor”: 8 p.m. on WFLD-Channel 32 A surgeon (Jordana Spiro) moonlights for the mob to protect her family. Spiro’s character has the potential to develop into an …
As ‘The Voice,’ ‘X Factor’ do battle, one’s armed with Britney Spears
LORI RACKL: For the first time, the two singing competitions will share a fall season. Which one will emerge the winner?
3 new ‘SNL’ cast members have Chicago roots
Three Chicago comics have been added to “Saturday Night Live’s” cast.
