Michael Starr
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About the Columnist
TV Editor Michael Starr has covered television as a reporter, columnist, critic and editor since 1995. He’s written nine biographies of show business personalities including Don Rickles, Art Carney, Raymond Burr, Redd Foxx, William Shatner and Ringo (“no relation”) Starr.
The Archive
'Fiddler on the Roof' actress dead at 92
October 16, 2023 | 4:58pmJoanna Merlin originated the role of Tzeitel in "Fiddler on the Roof" on Broadway and played no-nonsense Judge Lena Petrovsky on "Law & Order: SVU," among many other theatrical, movie...
'Murder, She Wrote' co-star remembers the late Angela Lansbury on her birthday
October 16, 2023 | 2:48pm"She was warm and funny and she would sing songs from [theatrical] shows she had done. She was just so lovely." - Louis Herthum
Suzanne Somers' 5 notable 'Three's Company' episodes that are worth another watch
October 16, 2023 | 12:49pm"I’m sure Suzanne was greeted by Angels into the loving wisdom waiting for all of us on the other side." -- Joyce DeWitt on the death of Suzanne Somers
Bruce Willis is 'still Bruce' despite not being 'totally verbal', 'Moonlighting' creator says
October 11, 2023 | 3:32pm"When you're with him you know that he's Bruce and you're grateful that he's there — but the joie de vivre is gone," "Moonlighting" creator Glenn Gordon Caron says.
ODs, murder, suicide: The most cursed shows in TV history
October 10, 2023 | 6:05pmMost television series going for laughs or drama -- or for realism -- portray characters with scripted problems in scripted situations that sometimes blur into reality.
'Moonlighting' creator, Cybill Shepherd on 'brilliant' Willis: We 'fought' for him
October 10, 2023 | 7:47am"I met Bruce in an office with Glenn and my temperature went up at least 10 degrees and I thought 'This guy is the one.'" -- Cybill Shepherd on her chemistry...
'Raid the Cage' host Damon Wayans Jr.: I would be 'screwed' at the trivia
October 9, 2023 | 2:48pm"Coming from a dyslexic guy myself, I would not be great at that trivia because I pronounce 'quiet' [as] 'quite' and I mix all these letters up." — "Raid the...
Kiefer Sutherland powers 'The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'
October 6, 2023 | 11:59amThe movie features an all-star cast, including Kiefer Sutherland as Queeg and the late Lance Reddick, all of whom deliver bravura performances.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar plays creepy kidnapper in twisty NBC procedural 'Found': review
October 2, 2023 | 6:37pm"Found" won't hit you over the head with a preachy mallet and it's packed with enough surprises to keep viewers guessing week to week.
Jaime Camil on cultural impact of new CBS game show 'Lotería Loca'
September 29, 2023 | 1:20pm"It's a game show designed for the CBS primetime audience and the huge underserved [Latin] audience that will appreciate the effort ... to see their culture represented on TV." --...
'The Boys' spinoff 'Gen V' balances strength and weakness
September 27, 2023 | 12:39pm"Gen V" is a hit-or-miss affair. It continues in the tradition of "The Boys" sometimes for better and to the point where it's derivative of its predecessor.
Big Four networks eye early October to end labor strikes . . . or else
September 22, 2023 | 1:59pm"If the strike isn't resolved by Oct. 1 it becomes challenging to get scripted shows on to the air within the traditional broadcast season." -- Michael Thorn, president of scripted...
Kelly Rizzo on late husband Bob Saget's death: 'It still doesn't make sense'
September 22, 2023 | 6:57am"The outpouring of love around Bob when everything happened ... it's a testament to who he was and the impact he made on this world." -- Kelly Rizzo
Makes total sense: Jesse L. Martin in new NBC series 'The Irrational'
September 20, 2023 | 6:45pmThe psychological procedural, premiering Sept. 25 and starring an engaging Jesse L. Martin, has a solid premise that should suit it well if it can sustain its contextual arc.
Australian TV hosts lose it over young boy's shocking vegan joke
September 19, 2023 | 1:02pmA young boy’s joke about vegans stunned Australian TV viewers when it aired live on a national talk show. “Australia Today” hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo were interviewing the...
Jimmy Fallon jokingly scolded Russell Brand for bouncing Katharine McPhee on his lap
September 18, 2023 | 4:16pmThe disgraced comic is in more hot water after a resurfaced video showed him bouncing her on his knee during a 2013 talk show appearance. Now McPhee has reportedly responded...
Hear 'Mad Butcher' Ed Gein's eerie voice for first time in MGM+ docuseries
September 15, 2023 | 4:41pm"Any time you're able to discover a piece of evidence or a recording that personifies [a serial killer] on a level like that is remarkable." -- Director/executive producer James Buddy...
'Who Is Erin Carter?' You'll have to sit through a lot to find out
September 13, 2023 | 8:25pmThe seven-episode British crime drama is a mishmash of cartoonish violence and cardboard-cutout characters ... but is entertaining in that cheesy sort of way.
'Virgin River' carries on with the longest WTF? pregnancy in TV history
September 12, 2023 | 5:15pmThe real shocker is that Charmaine is still carrying those twins after four seasons (and four years in real time). It's the longest live-action pregnancy in TV history.
Cedric the Entertainer's bootlegger grandfather inspired his novel
September 5, 2023 | 7:00pm"I'm a big fan of the Walter Mosley 'Devil in a Blue Dress' era, where I felt black men in America had this desire to be very powerful and entrepreneurial."...