Madam Secretary returned with a story about America's past manipulations in Nicaragua that almost lost American lives in the present.
Involving Dalton's backstory as a CIA operative gave us a rare glimpse into the man who sits in the fictionalized version of the White House.
And as an added bonus, Madam Secretary Season 5 Episode 14 featured Raymond Cruz, who played one of my favorite characters on Major Crimes. I was thrilled to see him again!
I loved the way "Something Better" integrated real American history with a fictional conflict. It was realistic and interesting as well as educational.
The Us really did use CIA operatives to help overthrow an oppressive government in Nicaragua during the 1980s.
This episode did a good job of building on that by creating the unintended consequence of creating another dictator as bad as the first through CIA-sponsored violence.
Elizabeth: There were no easy choices then. Deaths...
Involving Dalton's backstory as a CIA operative gave us a rare glimpse into the man who sits in the fictionalized version of the White House.
And as an added bonus, Madam Secretary Season 5 Episode 14 featured Raymond Cruz, who played one of my favorite characters on Major Crimes. I was thrilled to see him again!
I loved the way "Something Better" integrated real American history with a fictional conflict. It was realistic and interesting as well as educational.
The Us really did use CIA operatives to help overthrow an oppressive government in Nicaragua during the 1980s.
This episode did a good job of building on that by creating the unintended consequence of creating another dictator as bad as the first through CIA-sponsored violence.
Elizabeth: There were no easy choices then. Deaths...
- 2/18/2019
- by Jack Ori
- TVfanatic
Who knew that tariffs and trade wars could be boiled down into such a precise explanation?
Elizabeth might not have got into the finer details on Madam Secretary Season 5 Episode 3 (she completely skipped the part about how tariffs are taxes that we pay), but the storyline was clearly an allusion to the real world trade war started between the Us and China this past summer.
It also worked in a variation on President Xi's appointment as president for life. Luckily for our fictional Minister Chen, his president only appointed himself for another five years...at least for now.
The parallel arcs of Chen and Elizabeth's careers seem to be diverging. Will her candidacy benefit from having the support of world leaders?
Time will tell.
Related: Enjoy Unlimited access to thousands of Movies & TV Shows with Amazon Prime Video!
Elizabeth's maneuverings were shrewd as always, but the work she did to...
Elizabeth might not have got into the finer details on Madam Secretary Season 5 Episode 3 (she completely skipped the part about how tariffs are taxes that we pay), but the storyline was clearly an allusion to the real world trade war started between the Us and China this past summer.
It also worked in a variation on President Xi's appointment as president for life. Luckily for our fictional Minister Chen, his president only appointed himself for another five years...at least for now.
The parallel arcs of Chen and Elizabeth's careers seem to be diverging. Will her candidacy benefit from having the support of world leaders?
Time will tell.
Related: Enjoy Unlimited access to thousands of Movies & TV Shows with Amazon Prime Video!
Elizabeth's maneuverings were shrewd as always, but the work she did to...
- 10/22/2018
- by Elizabeth Harlow
- TVfanatic
Linda Lavin will guest star in the season five premiere of Madam Secretary, which airs on Oct 7. Lavin will play June, a veteran White House staffer, who used to be Russell Jackson's Zeljko Ivankek most trusted aide. She steps out of retirement for a couple of weeks when her hand-picked successor goes on vacation, and she's a maddeningly sharp, maddeningly quick woman who's expert at summarizing a situation 'fairly' -- until a minute later when you finally feel that stiletto going in your side. Stevie Wallis Currie-Wood works closely with June in the episode...
- 10/1/2018
- by TV News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Earle Hyman, the admired stage, television and film actor best known for playing Bill Cosby's sage father, Russell Huxtable, on The Cosby Show, has died. He was 91.
Hyman died Friday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, his nephew Rick Ferguson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hyman played Othello hundreds of times, appeared often on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for featured actor in a play for his performance as Oscar in the original 1980 production of Edward Albee's The Lady From Dubuque. He also appeared on stages throughout Europe during...
Hyman died Friday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, his nephew Rick Ferguson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hyman played Othello hundreds of times, appeared often on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for featured actor in a play for his performance as Oscar in the original 1980 production of Edward Albee's The Lady From Dubuque. He also appeared on stages throughout Europe during...
- 11/19/2017
- by Rhett Bartlett,Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A government shutdown becomes a very possible event in Sunday’s Madam Secretary (CBS, 10/9c), and guess which tightly wound chief of staff isn’t pleased with that potential outcome?
While Russell Jackson views Congress’ inability to pass a budget — and the resultant consequences — as quite frustrating, “I actually love that storyline, because it’s not too far from possible reality,” star Zeljko Ivanek tells TVLine. “It’s politics at its worst.”
He recalls that, at the end of Season 3, “We elected a president, an independent, who now has to navigate not just one opposition party, but two opposition parties...
While Russell Jackson views Congress’ inability to pass a budget — and the resultant consequences — as quite frustrating, “I actually love that storyline, because it’s not too far from possible reality,” star Zeljko Ivanek tells TVLine. “It’s politics at its worst.”
He recalls that, at the end of Season 3, “We elected a president, an independent, who now has to navigate not just one opposition party, but two opposition parties...
- 10/21/2017
- TVLine.com
A movie starring two famous actors who happen to be married in real-life: On paper, it sounds like it should be a sure-fire win. In reality? It’s not that simple.
It’s no wonder that famous couples might be hesitant to collaborate in a movie, even if it was guaranteed to smash the box office: Working with your spouse is hard, and it wouldn’t make it any easier to know that throngs of people would be examining the final product, looking for all possible glimpses into your personal life.
Occasionally, some famous couples have considered that possibility and decided,...
It’s no wonder that famous couples might be hesitant to collaborate in a movie, even if it was guaranteed to smash the box office: Working with your spouse is hard, and it wouldn’t make it any easier to know that throngs of people would be examining the final product, looking for all possible glimpses into your personal life.
Occasionally, some famous couples have considered that possibility and decided,...
- 4/3/2017
- by Drew Mackie
- PEOPLE.com
The cherry trees may be blooming in DC, but young love certainly is not.
Relationships were falling apart left, right, and center on Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 14, but as always, there was still work to do. International aid deals wait for no broken hearts.
Daisy's heartbreak was the most unexpected, and the one I don't regret. Her beau seemed liked a boorish bro-dude, but turned out to be a CIA operative using the job at State as a cover. I'm not sure yet if this redeems him or makes him even more reprehensible.
At the very least, it does get Ms back to it's Season 1 thriller roots.
Honestly, Daisy may be mourning lost possibilities, but did anybody think those two had a future beyond a few very hot and heavy rolls in the hay? Kevin, or whatever his real name was, was a palette cleanser, not a prince charming.
I'm...
Relationships were falling apart left, right, and center on Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 14, but as always, there was still work to do. International aid deals wait for no broken hearts.
Daisy's heartbreak was the most unexpected, and the one I don't regret. Her beau seemed liked a boorish bro-dude, but turned out to be a CIA operative using the job at State as a cover. I'm not sure yet if this redeems him or makes him even more reprehensible.
At the very least, it does get Ms back to it's Season 1 thriller roots.
Honestly, Daisy may be mourning lost possibilities, but did anybody think those two had a future beyond a few very hot and heavy rolls in the hay? Kevin, or whatever his real name was, was a palette cleanser, not a prince charming.
I'm...
- 3/6/2017
- by Elizabeth Harlow
- TVfanatic
A horse is a horse, of course, of course, except when that horse is actually a symbolic endorsement of a controversial geopolitical movement that could escalated tensions with the Chinese.
Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 10 was nice lighthearted break from the recent heavier issues the show tackled.
Blake found himself in a manufactured international comedy of errors, Russell was right back up to his old tricks, and Henry just can't stay away from spy craft.
I really expected hippophile Elizabeth to be the one most invested in the titular horse's future, so Blake's sudden devotion was surprising. And hilarious.
I just kept picturing him begging for a pony as a kid and only getting those Breyer figurines instead.
I can only assume (and hope) that the Mongolian Independence issue and Russian hacking will come up again later in Madam Secretary Season 3 so that this plot line was good for more than...
Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 10 was nice lighthearted break from the recent heavier issues the show tackled.
Blake found himself in a manufactured international comedy of errors, Russell was right back up to his old tricks, and Henry just can't stay away from spy craft.
I really expected hippophile Elizabeth to be the one most invested in the titular horse's future, so Blake's sudden devotion was surprising. And hilarious.
I just kept picturing him begging for a pony as a kid and only getting those Breyer figurines instead.
I can only assume (and hope) that the Mongolian Independence issue and Russian hacking will come up again later in Madam Secretary Season 3 so that this plot line was good for more than...
- 1/9/2017
- by Elizabeth Harlow
- TVfanatic
Elizabeth tries to broker peace between Iran and Isreal before hell breaks loose in this week’s episode/winter finale of Madam Secretary. It’s a battle to come back from the brink (in a way) so that there won’t be a World War III. The hour began with the collapse of Russell Jackson. Stevie performed chest compressions on him before the EMTs arrived. I’m sure that her heart was racing a mile a minute after Russell fell unconscious. Good thing she remembered the steps of CPR or we might find ourselves short of a Chief of Staff. I felt a bit sorry
Madam Secretary: It’s Iran vs. Isreal and Russell Ends Up in the Hospital.
Madam Secretary: It’s Iran vs. Isreal and Russell Ends Up in the Hospital.
- 12/19/2016
- by Tiffany
- TVovermind.com
It’s all hands on deck in this week’s episode of Madam Secretary. Elizabeth stops Isreal from taking military action against Iran. It seems that the latter is planning some kind of nuclear activity and it does not sit well with Isreal. With Walter’s help, Elizabeth managed almost to keep the nuclear deal from breaking apart. Though I wonder who is responsible for shooting down the plane that was transporting the Iranian scientists? Was it Isreal? Meanwhile, Russell Jackson is running around like a headless chicken. The president’s Chief of Staff is trying to get support from Congressmen for President Dalton’s
Madam Secretary: Elizabeth tries to stop Isreal. Stevie Meets with Russell.
Madam Secretary: Elizabeth tries to stop Isreal. Stevie Meets with Russell.
- 12/12/2016
- by Tiffany
- TVovermind.com
Will this election never end?
The presidential race is dragged out once more on Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 8. At least this time the situation at State might actually be relevant. I still doubt we'll see enough to make this arc worth it though.
On the upside, the party at the bar provided some good non-work scenes for the Senior Staff. Oh, and Jason got a dressing down from Henry. So there was that anyway.
Starting with the poor little rich boy: While I was glad to see Henry finally school him in how much he doesn't know, this kid also needs to figure out just how privileged he is before he starts waxing about the people's revolution.
He's a white, seemingly straight, cis male from a family that is easily in the top percentages of the population when it comes to wealth.
Boy needs to check himself. Also, rebelling by supporting a major party candidate?...
The presidential race is dragged out once more on Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 8. At least this time the situation at State might actually be relevant. I still doubt we'll see enough to make this arc worth it though.
On the upside, the party at the bar provided some good non-work scenes for the Senior Staff. Oh, and Jason got a dressing down from Henry. So there was that anyway.
Starting with the poor little rich boy: While I was glad to see Henry finally school him in how much he doesn't know, this kid also needs to figure out just how privileged he is before he starts waxing about the people's revolution.
He's a white, seemingly straight, cis male from a family that is easily in the top percentages of the population when it comes to wealth.
Boy needs to check himself. Also, rebelling by supporting a major party candidate?...
- 11/28/2016
- by Elizabeth Harlow
- TVfanatic
Sacre bleu!
Two big story arcs were tied up comme un grand cadeau with a bow on Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 5. With the mastermind behind the stalking locked up and Henry's beloved statues safe, there's only the election left unresolved. I guess it would be too much to ask that we be given a break from political campaigns?
Having Julius Burton turn out to be the man threatening the McCords was unexpected only because it was so outrageous. His presumptuous directions to Dalton made a smidge more believable, but there were so many other factors that just made it unbelievable.
I try to suspend belief when I watch TV, but my inner political wonk was laughing at the idea that somebody of Burton's standing wouldn't be contributing to all of the candidates. Even if I let that minor gripe go, it's hard to believe that he'd be so stupid as...
Two big story arcs were tied up comme un grand cadeau with a bow on Madam Secretary Season 3 Episode 5. With the mastermind behind the stalking locked up and Henry's beloved statues safe, there's only the election left unresolved. I guess it would be too much to ask that we be given a break from political campaigns?
Having Julius Burton turn out to be the man threatening the McCords was unexpected only because it was so outrageous. His presumptuous directions to Dalton made a smidge more believable, but there were so many other factors that just made it unbelievable.
I try to suspend belief when I watch TV, but my inner political wonk was laughing at the idea that somebody of Burton's standing wouldn't be contributing to all of the candidates. Even if I let that minor gripe go, it's hard to believe that he'd be so stupid as...
- 11/7/2016
- by Elizabeth Harlow
- TVfanatic
The United States goes head to head (in a way) with China in this week’s episode of Madam Secretary. China wants to claim territory on the South China Sea by building human-made islands. Wonder if the great Kenny G can stop them? However, a group of environmental activists wants to stop China from destroying Shipwreck Reef. The Chinese government then arrested the activists as a result of their trespassing and might execute them for doing so. Oh dear. Meanwhile, Elizabeth argues with Henry over the stalking of their children. Elizabeth blames herself for what happened. Henry wanted to talk to the
Madam Secretary: China’s Got a Secret and Russell Jackson likes Pandas?...
Madam Secretary: China’s Got a Secret and Russell Jackson likes Pandas?...
- 10/24/2016
- by Tiffany
- TVovermind.com
Drama Series
Nominees:
“The Americans”
“Better Call Saul”
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“House of Cards”
“Mr. Robot”
IndieWire’s Vote: “The Americans”
We’re obviously big fans of a lot of these shows. “Better Call Saul,” “Mr. Robot” and even “House of Cards” are deserving nominees, and there’s no shame in voting for any one of them. But come on: “The Americans” getting an Emmy nod for Outstanding Drama Series is like the Chicago Cubs reaching the World Series. If they made it this far — finally — they better freaking win. “The Americans” has been the best drama on cable for four years. An intricate spy thriller side-by-side with an equally compelling family drama, Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields have crafted a series as appealing as it is relevant. When it comes to FX’s best show (which is saying something), it’s more than just “you should...
Nominees:
“The Americans”
“Better Call Saul”
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“House of Cards”
“Mr. Robot”
IndieWire’s Vote: “The Americans”
We’re obviously big fans of a lot of these shows. “Better Call Saul,” “Mr. Robot” and even “House of Cards” are deserving nominees, and there’s no shame in voting for any one of them. But come on: “The Americans” getting an Emmy nod for Outstanding Drama Series is like the Chicago Cubs reaching the World Series. If they made it this far — finally — they better freaking win. “The Americans” has been the best drama on cable for four years. An intricate spy thriller side-by-side with an equally compelling family drama, Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields have crafted a series as appealing as it is relevant. When it comes to FX’s best show (which is saying something), it’s more than just “you should...
- 8/16/2016
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
TVLine hits rewind on the TV season’s biggest “What Happens Next?” finales, then invites you to predict the cliffhanger outcomes.
“You’re firing me?!”
Elizabeth’s surprise and outrage in Madam Secretary‘s Season 2 finale echoed our own: After going through so much as President Dalton’s secretary of state, could her longtime friend/current boss really want to replace her?
The answer: Yes — but not for the reasons she suspected. Let’s back up a little.
RelatedThe Flash Season 3: Barry Saved His Mom! — What Happens Next?
Bess’ paranoia began when Mike arrived at her office with a...
“You’re firing me?!”
Elizabeth’s surprise and outrage in Madam Secretary‘s Season 2 finale echoed our own: After going through so much as President Dalton’s secretary of state, could her longtime friend/current boss really want to replace her?
The answer: Yes — but not for the reasons she suspected. Let’s back up a little.
RelatedThe Flash Season 3: Barry Saved His Mom! — What Happens Next?
Bess’ paranoia began when Mike arrived at her office with a...
- 7/10/2016
- TVLine.com
It's safe to say you haven't seen donuts like this before. BravoTV.com's digital series, Going Off the Menu, introduces viewers to some pretty atypical food offerings, including donuts from Fill'r Up Gastro Garage, a pop-up foodie haven. In the clip below, exclusive to E! News, hosts Liza De Guia and Russell Jackson take MythBusters veteran Tory Belleci to experience the extreme donuts. What's so special about them? They're cooked with blow torches. Told you it was extreme. "Please blow my mind," Tory asks his culinary chaperons—and they do not disappoint. Adam Manacker, a gastro mechanic and Fill'r Up's "Money Man," greets the trio at the door with—what...
- 4/20/2016
- E! Online
Have you ever stumbled across an unmarked restaurant or bar that you're certain you need some sort of secret password to enter and wondered how you'd ever get in there? Well, Bravo's dedicating a whole new series to uncovering the secret culinary world that, until now, has stayed underground. In the new standalone digital series Going Off the Menu, premiering Monday, April 18 on BravoTV.com, hosts Liza De Guia and Russell Jackson will track down some of Los Angeles' most surprising underground and exclusive foodie experiences, alongside some famous faces. In this clip from the first episode, exclusive to E! News, their joined by Orange Is the New Black star Lea DeLaria—and her excitement...
- 4/14/2016
- E! Online
Bravo has produced a number of digital spin-offs for its TV programs, but for the first time ever, the network is releasing a series that isn’t derivative of any other show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bravo will launch Going Off the Menu, an unscripted food series.
Going off the Menu, sponsored by Toyota, will star blogger Liza De Guia and chef Russell Jackson as they travel across Los Angeles in search of unique and unheralded culinary experiences. Along the way, they’ll meet up with several guest foodies, including actress Lea DeLaria and noted Mythbuster Tory Belleci. A sneak peek provides a first look at the underground dining experiences Going off the Menu will explore.
"We're thrilled to satisfy the hunger of our passionate and food-enthused Bravo fans with the debut of Going Off the Menu," Bravo Evp of Digital Lisa Hsia told The Hollywood Reporter. "The launch...
Going off the Menu, sponsored by Toyota, will star blogger Liza De Guia and chef Russell Jackson as they travel across Los Angeles in search of unique and unheralded culinary experiences. Along the way, they’ll meet up with several guest foodies, including actress Lea DeLaria and noted Mythbuster Tory Belleci. A sneak peek provides a first look at the underground dining experiences Going off the Menu will explore.
"We're thrilled to satisfy the hunger of our passionate and food-enthused Bravo fans with the debut of Going Off the Menu," Bravo Evp of Digital Lisa Hsia told The Hollywood Reporter. "The launch...
- 4/11/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge.
If there was an Aacta award for Australia's busiest screenwriter, Andrew Knight would take the prize in a cakewalk..
Last year the veteran of Seachange and Full Frontal worked on three films and two television series.
In between trips to La and London (where he's developing a film with Jonathan Teplitzky, Shakespeare in Love's David Parfitt and Essential's Ian Collie), Knight managed to churn out a new season of Rake and another Jack Irish, the latter of which premieres this Thursday on the ABC.
"It was just insanity", Knight said..
"I'm taking a huge break at the moment. I don't know how long, but I'm taking a long time off. I'm off to India shortly with my wife".
"I was writing Rake scripts on planes, and producing Jack Irish with [Ian] Collie. The year's a blur for me. I think the public's going to be...
If there was an Aacta award for Australia's busiest screenwriter, Andrew Knight would take the prize in a cakewalk..
Last year the veteran of Seachange and Full Frontal worked on three films and two television series.
In between trips to La and London (where he's developing a film with Jonathan Teplitzky, Shakespeare in Love's David Parfitt and Essential's Ian Collie), Knight managed to churn out a new season of Rake and another Jack Irish, the latter of which premieres this Thursday on the ABC.
"It was just insanity", Knight said..
"I'm taking a huge break at the moment. I don't know how long, but I'm taking a long time off. I'm off to India shortly with my wife".
"I was writing Rake scripts on planes, and producing Jack Irish with [Ian] Collie. The year's a blur for me. I think the public's going to be...
- 2/8/2016
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
Madam Secretary, Season 1, Episodes 18-22
Created by Barbara Hall
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
The final few episodes leading up to the season finale have been very episodic, with the season finale tying up all loose ends into a very satisfying conclusion. Each episode delivers an interesting and clear standalone crisis situation that is interwoven well with the ongoing narrative. The series as a whole has been one of the finest and consistently entertaining shows from last year’s fall lineup. Madam Secretary manages to keep interest by presenting honest and relateable characters in situations that are compelling and diverse, and has a strong perspective. This political procedural drama has truly grown into an impressive and worthy television staple that has earned its second season order.
The main thread that has been lingering in the background since the pilot has been Elizabeth McCord’s suspicion of foul play...
Created by Barbara Hall
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
The final few episodes leading up to the season finale have been very episodic, with the season finale tying up all loose ends into a very satisfying conclusion. Each episode delivers an interesting and clear standalone crisis situation that is interwoven well with the ongoing narrative. The series as a whole has been one of the finest and consistently entertaining shows from last year’s fall lineup. Madam Secretary manages to keep interest by presenting honest and relateable characters in situations that are compelling and diverse, and has a strong perspective. This political procedural drama has truly grown into an impressive and worthy television staple that has earned its second season order.
The main thread that has been lingering in the background since the pilot has been Elizabeth McCord’s suspicion of foul play...
- 5/10/2015
- by Jean Pierre Diez
- SoundOnSight
Part I.
In 1963, Film Quarterly published an essay entitled “Circles and Squares.” It addressed the French auteur theory, introduced to America by The Village Voice’s Andrew Sarris. Auteurism holds that a film’s primary creator is its director; Sarris’s “Notes on the Auteur Theory” further distinguished auteurs as filmmakers with distinct, recurring styles. Challenging him was a California-based writer named Pauline Kael.
Kael attacked Sarris’s obsession with trivial links between filmmaker’s movies, whether repeated shots or thematic preoccupations. This led critics to overpraise directors’ lesser films, as when Jacques Rivette declared Howard Hawks’ Monkey Business a masterpiece. “It is an insult to an artist to praise his bad work along with his good; it indicates that you are incapable of judging either,” Kael wrote.
She criticized auteurist preoccupation with Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock, claiming critics “work embarrassingly hard trying to give some semblance of intellectual respectability to mindless,...
In 1963, Film Quarterly published an essay entitled “Circles and Squares.” It addressed the French auteur theory, introduced to America by The Village Voice’s Andrew Sarris. Auteurism holds that a film’s primary creator is its director; Sarris’s “Notes on the Auteur Theory” further distinguished auteurs as filmmakers with distinct, recurring styles. Challenging him was a California-based writer named Pauline Kael.
Kael attacked Sarris’s obsession with trivial links between filmmaker’s movies, whether repeated shots or thematic preoccupations. This led critics to overpraise directors’ lesser films, as when Jacques Rivette declared Howard Hawks’ Monkey Business a masterpiece. “It is an insult to an artist to praise his bad work along with his good; it indicates that you are incapable of judging either,” Kael wrote.
She criticized auteurist preoccupation with Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock, claiming critics “work embarrassingly hard trying to give some semblance of intellectual respectability to mindless,...
- 5/10/2015
- by Christopher Saunders
- SoundOnSight
Madam Secretary, Season 1, Episodes 12-17
Created by Barbara Hall
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
Madam Secretary‘s first season has been built on the backbone of the mysterious murder of the former Secretary of State and the question of what he was involved in that would cause him to be murdered. The answers have been coming in slowly throughout the season, as Elizabeth McCord’s list of suspects are cut shorter and shorter. One of the main suspects that McCord had under investigation in the first half of the season was White House Chief of Staff Russell Jackson, whom she confronted with her suspicions in the mid season finale “Game On”, concluding that arc in away that fell in line with the tone of the series.
The show’s return has seen Russell Jackson brought into the loop, but not the President himself, as they all agree not...
Created by Barbara Hall
Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS
Madam Secretary‘s first season has been built on the backbone of the mysterious murder of the former Secretary of State and the question of what he was involved in that would cause him to be murdered. The answers have been coming in slowly throughout the season, as Elizabeth McCord’s list of suspects are cut shorter and shorter. One of the main suspects that McCord had under investigation in the first half of the season was White House Chief of Staff Russell Jackson, whom she confronted with her suspicions in the mid season finale “Game On”, concluding that arc in away that fell in line with the tone of the series.
The show’s return has seen Russell Jackson brought into the loop, but not the President himself, as they all agree not...
- 3/23/2015
- by Jean Pierre Diez
- SoundOnSight
Madam Secretary, Season 1, Episodes 8-11
Airs Sundays at 8pm Et on CBS
The first half of Madam Secretary Season one has come to a close with the fall finale, “Game On”, where we get some momentum in the investigation of the former Secretary of the State’s murder. The season has been very consistently well paced, offering interesting characters and political drama with the underlying intrigue of a murder conspiracy that has been building throughout the season. This included the possible involvement of White House Chief of Staff Russell Jackson and the President of the United States, and was resolved in the last episode. The resolution is indicative of the type of series that Madam Secretary is trying to be, a show that addresses political issues with idealism rather than pessimism. This is working for the series in distinguishing itself from other political shows like House of Cards, which presents...
Airs Sundays at 8pm Et on CBS
The first half of Madam Secretary Season one has come to a close with the fall finale, “Game On”, where we get some momentum in the investigation of the former Secretary of the State’s murder. The season has been very consistently well paced, offering interesting characters and political drama with the underlying intrigue of a murder conspiracy that has been building throughout the season. This included the possible involvement of White House Chief of Staff Russell Jackson and the President of the United States, and was resolved in the last episode. The resolution is indicative of the type of series that Madam Secretary is trying to be, a show that addresses political issues with idealism rather than pessimism. This is working for the series in distinguishing itself from other political shows like House of Cards, which presents...
- 12/1/2014
- by Jean Pierre Diez
- SoundOnSight
Madam Secretary, Season 1, Episodes 2-7
Airs Sundays at 8pm Et on CBS
Madam Secretary has progressed impressively within its first handful of episodes, continuing to display a great lead character along with a supporting cast that has slowly, but increasingly, shown interesting development. The pilot set the stage with its strong writing and talented cast, yet also underwhelmed with its political drama and generic production values. But the series has continued to build on its strengths and has improved enough that it’s no longer marred by its pilot’s weaknesses. The lead character is well crafted and so are her relationships with the supporting cast, which makes for greater clarity between the character’s main narrative and the political drama, with a better integrated story and more development. The only potential faults of these early episodes is that at times, the writers sacrifice narrative complexity for optimistic and comprehensive storytelling,...
Airs Sundays at 8pm Et on CBS
Madam Secretary has progressed impressively within its first handful of episodes, continuing to display a great lead character along with a supporting cast that has slowly, but increasingly, shown interesting development. The pilot set the stage with its strong writing and talented cast, yet also underwhelmed with its political drama and generic production values. But the series has continued to build on its strengths and has improved enough that it’s no longer marred by its pilot’s weaknesses. The lead character is well crafted and so are her relationships with the supporting cast, which makes for greater clarity between the character’s main narrative and the political drama, with a better integrated story and more development. The only potential faults of these early episodes is that at times, the writers sacrifice narrative complexity for optimistic and comprehensive storytelling,...
- 11/2/2014
- by Jean Pierre Diez
- SoundOnSight
CBS’ Madam Secretary, which debuted Sunday, isn’t the Hillary Clinton roman à clef it first seems — and that’s probably a good thing.
Yes, new series follows the appointment and first days in office of a female U.S. Secretary of State (played by Téa Leoni, The Naked Truth). And yes, Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord does, before the hour is up, earn more media attention for her wardrobe choices than for her diplomacy — just like Hil. But that’s where the similarities between the two women end, and what’s left is an intriguing, D.C.-set drama.
Related...
Yes, new series follows the appointment and first days in office of a female U.S. Secretary of State (played by Téa Leoni, The Naked Truth). And yes, Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord does, before the hour is up, earn more media attention for her wardrobe choices than for her diplomacy — just like Hil. But that’s where the similarities between the two women end, and what’s left is an intriguing, D.C.-set drama.
Related...
- 9/22/2014
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Emmy-winning character actor Željko Ivanek (Damages) has joined the cast of CBS‘ new drama series Madam Secretary as a regular after guest starring in the pilot. Written by Barbara Hall and exec produced by Morgan Freeman, Madam Secretary, from CBS Studios, stars Téa Leoni as Elizabeth McCord, the shrewd, determined, newly appointed Secretary of State who drives international diplomacy, battles office politics and circumvents protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home. Ivanek, repped by SMS Talent and Leading Artists, plays the President’s intimidating and opinionated Chief of Staff Russell Jackson.
- 5/22/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Warning: Below are spoilers from tonight's finale of Next Food Network Star. Read at your own risk! Tonight on the season finale of The Next Food Network Star, Southern sweetheart Damaris Phillips, sin-loving underground chef Russell Jackson and self-proclaimed pie "expert" Rodney Henry were the last three standing to do battle for America's vote. Celebrity superstars Alton Brown, Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis, along with the unfortunately rarely-seen network bosses Bob Tuschman and Susan Fogelson and all the eliminated contestants were on hand for the reveal and a retrospective special. About halfway through the episode, the judging panel eliminated one of the final three to make if...
- 8/12/2013
- E! Online
After weeks of competition, southern cook Damaris Phillips beat pie-guy Rodney Henry for the title of "Food Network Star" in Season 9. Her prize as the winner will be a show airing on the Food Network in the fall.
The final three going into the final were Damaris, Rodney and "food rebel" Russell Jackson. While Russell and his confrontational, "sinful" style of cooking were eliminated early-on, Damaris and Rodney had to wait until the bitter end to find out which of them had triumphed.
It was a long wait too. Throughout most of the hour that made up the "Food Network Star" finale, viewers watched recaps and reminisces of the past season. Most of the hopeful chefs were back for interviews and to show reactions when their most embarrassing moments appeared yet again. Interesting enough, but not exactly what viewers might want to watch again.
What sort of a show will...
The final three going into the final were Damaris, Rodney and "food rebel" Russell Jackson. While Russell and his confrontational, "sinful" style of cooking were eliminated early-on, Damaris and Rodney had to wait until the bitter end to find out which of them had triumphed.
It was a long wait too. Throughout most of the hour that made up the "Food Network Star" finale, viewers watched recaps and reminisces of the past season. Most of the hopeful chefs were back for interviews and to show reactions when their most embarrassing moments appeared yet again. Interesting enough, but not exactly what viewers might want to watch again.
What sort of a show will...
- 8/12/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
I’m not gonna lie to you: I approached the Season 9 finale of Food Network Star with a glass of sauvignon blanc in hand, and a gurgling well of nameless dread in my stomach.
After all, with our esteemed judges’ panel — Bobby Flay, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis — operating the last few weeks as if someone had replaced their brains with goose liver pate, we were stuck with a Final 3 that contained only one remotely reasonable option to score his or her own show on Food Network this fall.
Surely, the winner couldn’t be Russell Jackson, a dude...
After all, with our esteemed judges’ panel — Bobby Flay, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis — operating the last few weeks as if someone had replaced their brains with goose liver pate, we were stuck with a Final 3 that contained only one remotely reasonable option to score his or her own show on Food Network this fall.
Surely, the winner couldn’t be Russell Jackson, a dude...
- 8/12/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is nothing if not an accomplishment; it was designed to be that if nothing else. One could only look at The Passion of the Christ to find such a vainglorious act of hubris in the last decade, both in terms of bridging the space between the western canon and popular culture and managing to preserve the text’s original language (this is the only Hamlet adaptation to keep the text entirely intact). It is remarkable that Branagh succeeds to the extent that he does, but in his success, he reveals the limitations of his very goal. Of his stated desire to bring Hamlet to the screen, Branagh has done exactly what he set out to do, and he does it well. Of his larger goal of creating a film language that effectively mimics that of the stage, he has revealed more about the differences between the...
- 8/22/2010
- by Anders Nelson
- JustPressPlay.net
Chicago – Kenneth Branagh’s “Hamlet” got a raw deal. In the shadow of not just the legend of William Shakespeare’s play but the incredible film versions that had come before, “Hamlet” couldn’t even break $5 million at the box office. And yet this gorgeous, incredibly-made retelling of one of the most influential pieces of theater ever written looks simply amazing on Blu-ray. It’s a fantastic release.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Do we need to recap the plot of “Hamlet”? The most notable thing about Branagh’s version in that sense is that it’s a completely unabridged version of Shakespeare’s longest play. Consequently, it runs over four hours long and contains a number of scenes and dialogue exchanges that you’ve probably never seen if you’ve only seen two-hour versions of this tale of murder, revenge, and tragedy.
Hamlet was released on Blu-ray on August 17th, 2010
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Do we need to recap the plot of “Hamlet”? The most notable thing about Branagh’s version in that sense is that it’s a completely unabridged version of Shakespeare’s longest play. Consequently, it runs over four hours long and contains a number of scenes and dialogue exchanges that you’ve probably never seen if you’ve only seen two-hour versions of this tale of murder, revenge, and tragedy.
Hamlet was released on Blu-ray on August 17th, 2010
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
- 8/19/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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