Breaking Bad

CHICAGO – Fans have been asking me for months when Walter White and Jesse Pinkman would return for the fifth and final season of AMC’s amazing “Breaking Bad” and we can now reveal that the date to mark on your calendar is Sunday, July 15, 2012. Eight episodes of the fifth season will air in 2012 with the final eight not airing until 2013. Yes, one could say this is cheating and that we’re just getting a shortened season five and a shortened season six. However you want to slice it, eight this summer, eight next summer.

CHICAGO – With the upcoming second-season premiere of “The Killing” (come back for our review on Sunday, April 1st, 2012), it’s a good time to cram in the first season, recently released on a nice three-disc set from Fox Home Video. With stellar performances, especially from Mireille Enos & Michelle Forbes, and an accomplished sense of atmosphere, this is one of the best shows on TV. The Blu-ray release doesn’t answer questions or criticisms about the controversial season finale, but will allow you to reassess it away from the expectations of a resolution to the mystery of who killed Rosie Larsen.

CHICAGO – The Writers Guild of America announced their selections of the top writing for film, television, news, radio, video games, and new media last night, and the top prizes went to some familiar faces from this award season.

CHICAGO – Here’s the best news for TV fans — there’s reason again to be excited about our favorite distraction. After a few years of lackluster freshman classes, the just-ended year was simply an amazing one — eight out of my top twenty shows of 2011, a whopping forty percent, are new offerings.

CHICAGO – The Hollywood Foreign Press Association may have done nothing as soul crushing as the nominations for “Burlesque” and “The Tourist” last year but it’s not for lack of trying. Here are their ten biggest offenses, followed by the full list of nominees for this year’s Golden Globes.

CHICAGO – AMC has been on such a creative streak lately that it’s tempting to think (or at least hope) that every new offering will be of the caliber of “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Killing,” or “The Walking Dead.”

CHICAGO – Fans of “The Walking Dead” that have waited for the second season to arrive will be rewarded for their patience with an extra 30 minutes of zombie action in the season two premiere. The second season, which premieres on Sunday October 16, will start off with a 90-minute opener, much like the series did in the first season. Unlike the first season that only aired for six nights, season two will last 13 episodes split into two separate time frames.

CHICAGO – Brian Tallerico appears on Bill Moller’s program on Saturday, August 27th, 2011 to answer listener questions about premiere dates for programs including “Boardwalk Empire,” “Treme,” “NCIS,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Breaking Bad,” and more.

CHICAGO – Foul play may be involved in the discovery of the body of an actor from one of HBO’s hit shows. Michael Showers, best known for his work in the HBO series “Treme,” was found dead yesterday morning in New Orleans. Showers was 45 years old.

CHICAGO – AMC just announced that they have come to terms with creator Vince Gilligan to bring his smash hit and Emmy winner “Breaking Bad” back to the network for a 16-episode fifth season, which will also, as has been widely rumored, be the program’s last.