TV Guru

I’ve always liked Conan O’Brien, but he turned sour at the end of his stint on NBC. Last season, as you remember, the network moved him into the “Tonight Show” slot while giving Jay Leno a chance in prime time. Neither of those experiments worked, with low ratings for both shows. NBC’s proposed solution seemed reasonable from a business standpoint: move the shows back to where they actually worked, meaning a mere half-hour later start time for Conan. But O’Brien responded like a bratty child, rejecting the gig even though it was still one of the best in show business.…

The seven-part “Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood” (Monday, 7 p.m., TCM) takes a sweeping look at the American film industry from the late 19th century to the 1970s. “From the first flickering images of the 1880s,” says narrator Christopher Plummer, “it was a story as dramatic and unexpected and involving as the grandest Hollywood epic.” He ain’t lying. Even Part One (1889-1907) is thrilling, despite the profusion of grainy footage and hairy, homely actors. In this period, the prominent figures were not stars and directors, but inventors and engineers. They dreamed of creating the illusion of life…

It’s hard to get excited about yet another screen version of Sherlock Holmes, but “Masterpiece Mystery’s” updated “Sherlock” (Sunday, 8 p.m., PBS) gives the old detective a shot of life. The series is set in present-day London, with Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He reacts with astonishment when he meets Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), as do we. This is not the fussy, reserved sleuth we remember from the Basil Rathbone movies, but a manic contemporary character, driven to fast-talking fits of deduction by a computer brain always switched to “on.” He’s so far ahead of…

You can’t help but groan hearing the premise of Tony Danza’s new reality series, “Teach: Tony Danza” (Friday, 9 p.m., A&E). The aging TV actor sets himself up as a 10th-grade English teacher in an urban Philadelphia high school, with a camera following his every move. Is it fair to make these poor kids pawns in Danza’s late-career vanity project? Probably not, but I have to admit that Danza won me over. He may be Earth’s most charming man, and his childlike enthusiasm for teaching is infectious. With wire-rim glasses and graying hair, “Mr. Danza” works hard to reach the…

HBO has been ridiculed for passing on “Mad Men,” but “Boardwalk Empire” (Sunday, 8 p.m.) ought to shut up the haters. You want a drama that peers deep into America’s soul, exploring sex, commerce, gender and race relations, politics, culture, crime and ethnicity while evoking a particular time and place? “Boardwalk Empire,” executive produced by Martin Scorsese, finds even better dramatic material in 1920s Atlantic City than “Mad Men” does in 1960s Manhattan. Prohibition has begun, and gangsters fight to control everything from the mom-and-pop stores to the Senators. Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) rules over Atlantic City’s illegal alcohol trade, doing…

“Outlaw” (Friday, 9 p.m., NBC) features Jimmy Smits as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice – but unfortunately, not one from planet Earth. Unlike any known justices, Cyrus Garza causes a ruckus at casinos and flagrantly comes on to every hot woman he meets. He suddenly grows tired of being the court’s most right-wing member because it occurs to him that “following the rules doesn’t always lead to justice.” So he resigns to become a left-wing lawyer, confident that it’s the best way for him to single-handedly change the entire U.S. legal system. And damned if he isn’t able to pull…

Could the people behind “Arrested Development” possibly come up with another outside-the-box sitcom that single-handedly redeems the genre? Yes. “Running Wilde” (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., Fox) has you laughing from beginning to end at its tale of a rotten millionaire still in love with the poor do-gooder he fell for as a child. Steve (Will Arnett) gives humanitarian awards to himself and pays servants to be his friend; Emmy (Keri Russell) sacrifices everything to help beleaguered tribes in the Amazon jungle. Both characters are rich with comic possibilities, and it takes a stratagem by Emmy’s long-suffering daughter (Stefania Owen) to bring…

“Lone Star” (Monday, 8 p.m., Fox) gives me hope for the 2010-11 season. Bob (James Wolk) lives his life as a con artist, with pressure from his dad (David Keith). He’s set up oil-and-gas scams in Houston and Midland, Tex., while also creating fake identities and romantic relationships in each place. The thing is, Bob wants to stop faking it, against dad’s wishes. He wants to go legit – but in both places, with both women. You see the potential problems. The cast is brilliant, including Jon Voight as Bob’s menacing oil-tycoon father in Houston. Wolk is not only devilishly…

In “Nikita” (Thursday, 8 p.m., CW), a killer with supermodel looks – you know, the deadliest kind of killer – is rescued from death row by a super-secret government agency and trained to be an assassin. Nikita (Maggie Q) discovers the agency’s corruption, escapes its clutches, and vows revenge. This involves parading around in stiletto heels and bikinis, shooting big guns, and knocking guys unconscious with awesome kung fu moves. Meanwhile, the supposedly super-secret agents couldn’t look any more conspicuous as they stalk Nikita through public places with long leather coats, shades and big guns of their own. The CW…

Which is better, movies or TV? I think we can settle the question at Sunday’s “Emmy Awards” (7 p.m., NBC). The Hurt Locker, which won the Best Picture Oscar this year, was good. But was it great? I don’t think so. Same for The Blind Side, Up in the Air and most of the other Oscar nominees. If you want greatness, check out the Emmy nominations. You’d have a hard time choosing among the masterpieces of comedy (“The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) or drama (“Breaking Bad,” “The Good Wife,” “True Blood”). Same goes for the actors. Edie Falco…