Nielsen, the company that measures TV ratings, among other things, just released its annual top-ten lists ranking everything from the most-watched TV shows to the most-purchased supermarket goods (bread's a big one). I'm a sucker for entertainment-related factoids, so here are a few nuggets from this year's lists: Where in the United States has the most-avid moviegoers? Salt Lake City! The Salt Read more

The nominations for this year's Emmy Awards will be announced next Thursday, July 19. That means it's high time we started to speculate about which shows will be selected and which will be snubbed. Here are 10 of the things I hope happen when the names are read next week: No. 10: A drama series nomination for "The Wire." Alright, yes, I'm starting out with one that I'm sure is not going to Read more

Father's Day is fast approaching, so what better time to honor some of the most memorable television fathers? I've compiled a list of my top 10 dads (and a few father figures) to go along with my great movie dads list from the other day. There were so many stern, sweet and just plain goofy men to choose from, ranging from Sandy Cohen on "The OC" to George's dad on "Seinfeld" to Al Bundy on Read more

Father's Day is only a few days away, and as I search around for some way to properly honor my dad this year, let's take a look at some of the coolest, funniest, bravest or just plain "dadliest" dads in movie history. Honorable mentions include Daniel Hillard, Mrs. Doubtfire; Ted Kramer, Kramer vs. Kramer; Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather; Jack Byrnes, Meet the Parents; and Sonny Koufax, Big Read more

Summer used to be a time of reruns, but no more. Now summer TV is its own event, with cable and broadcast networks pulling up a whole new crop of shows. And here's the bad news for those of you who planned to get off the couch this summer: A lot of the summer series look great. Here are 10 great reasons to keep the remote control close at hand: No. 10: "Saving Grace" (starts July 18, TNT) I could Read more

I recently brought you my list of the Top Ten Gentlemen I am most excited to check out on the big screen this summer, and now I'm turning my attention to my favorite ladies. And no, John Travolta simply doesn't cut it for either of the top ten lists. Honorable mentions, however, include the entire cast of Evening (Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Meryl Streep, etc.) and Leslie Mann whose pixie-voiced Read more

On Mother's Day this Sunday, it's important to honor our moms. It's also important to celebrate all the stepmothers, grandmothers, aunts, neighbors and other women who nurture and raise children that are not biologically their own. Thus, I present my homage to these women with a list of TV and movie mother figures, those characters whose hearts are generous enough to take in children who are not Read more