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Jim Jefferies goes from stand-up to a sitcom as sweet as it is sick
LORI RACKL: FX’s new series “Legit,” co-starring Second City’s Dan Bakkedahl, mines much of its humor from material viewers aren’t used to seeing on TV.
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On ‘Idol,’ a picky Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey as boring as Britney
LORI RACKL: As “American Idol” kicks off its 12th season Wednesday with a two-night premiere, the judges’ panel is new but not necessarily improved, bigger but not necessarily better.
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St. Charles actor Ethan Cutkowsky returns for season 3 of ‘Shameless’
LORI RACKL: St. Charles teen Ethan Cutkosky gets up to no good in Showtime’s dark, irreverent comedy “Shameless,” starting its third season at 8 p.m. Sunday.
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On ‘1600 Penn,’ not-so-prodigal son returns to the White House
LORI RACKL: NBC’s new comedy “1600 Penn” is more of a family comedy than a political laffer, and co-producer Josh Gad shines as the president’s man-child son.
Known for drama, cable’s USA Network ready to tackle comedy with ‘Sirens’
USA Network is branching out into comedy, and “Sirens,” a Chicago-based show about self-destructive EMTs could shape up to be a key part of the cable network’s plans.
VoteForTheWorst.com to shut down after this season of “Idol.”
This season of “American Idol” will be the last — for VoteForTheWorst.com. Started in 2004, the website is aimed at rallying people to vote for contestants thought to be the ones the show’s producers and public don’t want to win. The site will shut down …
‘Cougar Town,’ canceled by ABC, hopes to be the toast of TBS
LORI RACKL: Besides the move to cable, little has changed on Courteney Cox’s wine-soaked sitcom, where two comic actors from Chicago now are helping write the jokes.
NBC’s drab ‘Deception’ not as sweet as ‘Revenge’
LORI RACKL: NBC’s new drama “Deception” rips off “Revenge,” except for the part about having a protagonist with a personality.
House again the hub of the action on new ‘Downton Abbey’ season
LORI RACKL: The Great War is over but it’s far from peaceful at “Downton Abbey,” which kicks off a stellar third season Sunday on PBS.
‘My Life Is a Joke’ follows 5 Chicago women in comedy
LORI RACKL: Five female comics from Chicago try to make a living making people laugh in OWN’s new show, “My Life Is a Joke,” premiering Sunday after Oprah’s interview with David Letterman.
Kathy Griffin: ‘I lied’ about keeping celebs off my talk show
Kathy Griffin’s prime-time talk show on Bravo is back for a second season Thursday, and this time, the unpredictable comedienne is going live and booking stars including Jane Lynch, Liza Minnelli and T.I.
Before Chicago actors were stars, they had to pay the rent
LORI RACKL: Jake Johnson of “The New Girl” sold burritos outside the Merc, Jami Gertz of “The Neighbors” scooped ice cream near Maine East, and Brett Gelman of “Go On” mixed Blizzards in Highland Park.
‘The Voice’ winner Cassadee Pope excited to sing in the new year
LORI RACKL: From Ryan Seacrest and Carson Daly to an Andrew Dice Clay special taped in St. Charles, here are some ways to count down to 2013 from the comfort of your couch.
The five greatest TV characters we lost in 2012
LORI RACKL: We’ll miss these interesting (if fictional) people from “The Walking Dead,” “Boardwalk Empire” and elsewhere. May they rest in prime-time peace.
From ‘Boardwalk’ to ‘Downton Abbey,’ television’s top 10 moments of 2012
LORI RACKL: Ann Curry bid “Today” viewers adieu, and Don Draper was serenaded with “Zou Bisou Bisou.”
Documentary captures struggles and triumphs of Elmhurst teen
“Miracle on South Street: The Julie D Story” documents an Elmhurst girl’s battle with cystic fibrosis and the lung transplant that saved her life. The heartwarming story, produced by Julie D’Agostino’s neighbor, airs Sunday on WTTW-Channel 11.
Reality TV cameras pick up the struggles of Von Steuben High girls
LORI RACKL: The newest season of “High School Confidential” follows the ups and downs of 10 Chicago teens at the North Side magnet school. The WE tv series starts its eight-episode run Wednesday.
Rackl: Lt. J. Paul Vance a ‘pro’ with the press
We’ve unfortunately witnessed enough tragedies like the one in Newtown, Conn., to know the drill by now. There’s the initial rush of news reports, inevitably peppered with misinformation, followed by televised interviews with bystanders and experts. Then there’s the press conference, where a police officer …
‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘The Walking Dead’ - how to catch up on TV’s hot shows
LORI RACKL: The holidays are a chance to get up to speed on some of the buzziest TV shows before they’re back with new episodes early next year.
‘Sesame Street’ advises kids about divorce, but not on TV show
LORI RACKL: At long last, “Sesame Street” is tackling the sticky subject of divorce — with baby steps. A new “Sesame Street” video showing Muppet Abby Cadabby talk about her parents’ divorce debuted online but Sesame has no plans to air it on TV.
