Television

A New Video Game Hopes Expressive Characters Lead to Emotional Attachment

Ann Johansson for the New York Times

Brian Allgeier, left, the creative director of the game, and Ted Price, the company’s chief executive.

Video games have rarely been known for the artistry of their animation. All that is changing this week with the release of Insomniac Games’ Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.

Fund-Raiser Reappears as Critic

A 13.4-minute video accusing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of campaign finance fraud is being shown on college campuses and has generated significant Web attention.

• Times Topics: Hillary Rodham Clinton

A ’70s Survivor With a Secret Identity

Wonder Woman, it turns out, is a singer. Or at least, Lynda Carter, whose likeness is still synonymous with the comic-book heroine, is.

Escobar Takes Hollywood by Storm

Three films about Pablo Escobar hitting the American Film Market will create another chapter in the cinematic love story with gangsters.

• Trailer: 'Medellin'

Matter-of-Fact Voices From the Family Mortuary

A memoir of Thomas Lynch’s experiences at Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors forms the basis of a “Frontline” documentary of the same name to be shown tonight on PBS.

Poor Little Pop-Star Girl Fails to Elicit Sympathy

“Kaya” seeks our sympathy for young people ill-equipped to handle quickly begotten, astronomical fame.

The Gift to Be Simple With a Pumpkin-Patch Profundity

This installment of the “American Masters” series on PBS perfectly captures the genius of the man behind Linus and the other “Peanuts” characters.

A Teenager in Love (So-Called)

Revolutionary in its time and now out on DVD, “My So-Called Life” remains an indelible snapshot of teenage life before cellphones.

• Video

Mr. Center Square and His ’70s Party

“The Paul Lynde Halloween Special,” an hourlong variety extravaganza featuring the members of Kiss, a future Golden Girl, and Fonzie’s main squeeze from “Happy Days,” makes it way onto DVD.

The Sound of Personalities Clashing

Peter Morgan is a writer interested in rivalry, ambition and the dynamics of political power.

• Filmography: Peter Morgan

Fox’s Coverage of World Series Has Taco Filling

Game 1 of the World Series was won by the Red Sox. But it belonged to Taco Bell, which is not related to Cool Papa, Buddy or Gus.

Recovering From Injury, Returning to TV, Speaking for the Wounded

Bob Woodruff has recovered to the point that he has returned to work full time as a correspondent for ABC News on its various programs, including “World News” and “Nightline.”

• Slide Show

Today I Am a Werewolf, and the Party’s on the Web

For much of the last two weeks, on television-related Web sites, blogs and message boards, fans of “30 Rock” have been replaying and kvelling over “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.”

Grieving Mothers on 2 Sides of a Suicide Bombing

“To Die in Jerusalem,” a film about the families of a Palestinian suicide bomber, will appear on HBO and at the Paley Center for Media’s documentary festival.

• Clip: 'To Die in Jerusalem'

Games to the Gamers: Trade Show for the Masses

Now comes the mass-market video game festival, perhaps a surprising latecomer to North America.

The Environmental Links Between Distant Disasters

A thread of intelligence runs through “Planet in Peril,” a two-part program about environmental stress points tonight and tomorrow night on CNN. You may not notice it, though, because you’re busy guffawing and/or wincing.

Changing a Hit TV Series Stirs Buzz ...or Backlash

The different directions of Fox’s “House” and “Prison Break” demonstrate some of the difficulties that television producers face as a successful series begins to age.

Scranton Embraces the ‘Office’ Infamy

Next weekend the city holds a convention dedicated to the show, with many of the actors expected to attend.

Distilling the Fun From Dysfunctional

When seeking bits for his late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t have to look far.

If Writers Go on Strike, Viewers Can Expect More Shots of Reality

Viewers may want to brace themselves for a lot of jury-rigged entertainment if writers and producers do not come to an agreement on a new contract by the end of the month.

Movie and TV Writers Authorize a Call to Strike

Screenwriters by a sizable majority authorized their leaders to call a strike against Hollywood’s producers as early as Nov. 1.

She’s in Charge Now; No Time to Go Wobbly

A five-part Masterpiece Theater mini-series called “The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard,” which begins tomorrow night on PBS, is a guilty pleasure.

‘Mad Men’ and ‘Damages’: No Time for Heroes

For entirely different reasons, these were the two most original and intriguing shows of the year. Neither one is an innovation exactly, but both are ingenious riffs on a classic genre.

The Toughest of Problems in the Brightest of Terms

Most environmental documentaries try to persuade or preach or, these days, scare; “E2” feels as if it’s trying to cheerlead and to sell.

Singing in the Casino? That’s a Gamble

“Viva Laughlin” on CBS may well be the worst new show of the season, but is it the worst show in the history of television?

As Writers’ Strike Looms, Stakes Are Higher for TV Than Film

Television writers wield considerable power over a television show, so much so that it often is not clear where their writing duties end and their producing duties begin.

Colbert Consulted Parties Before Announcing Run

Stephen Colbert — who announced plans to run for the presidency, though only in South Carolina — is serious enough about the stunt that his staff reached out to the state’s Democratic and Republican committees in advance of his declaration.

Big Losers, but Can Viewers Keep the Pace?

Some find the contestants’ drastic weigh loss on “The Biggest Loser,” the NBC reality series, undermining for its viewers also trying to lose pounds.

Imus in Talks With Channel That Has Long Rural Reach

Don Imus, expected to announce soon that he will begin broadcasting on WABC radio in New York City in December, is in serious discussions with an unlikely partner to simulcast his radio show on television.

• Times Topics: Don Imus

Humiliation, if Not Candor, From Senator on the Defensive

Senator Larry E. Craig told NBC’s Matt Lauer that he was too “embarrassed” to tell his wife, his lawyer, or his aides about his arrest for solicitation in an airport bathroom.

• Times Topics: Larry E. Craig

‘Monday Night’ Is Not Amused by Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel’s appearance on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” was his last after he joked about where Joe Theismann was (fired and replaced by Ron Jaworski) in addition to other comments.

Judy Crichton, Producer of ‘American Experience’, Dies at 77

Judy Crichton was one of the first women to produce news on network television and the first executive producer of “American Experience,” the acclaimed public television history series.

Elves Are Out, Aliens In

This year has been dominated by perhaps the deepest lineup of science fiction games ever.

Devoted to Expanding the Power of the President

“Cheney’s Law,” a “Frontline” documentary, weaves a breathtaking narrative of Dick Cheney’s campaign to expand executive authority since 9/11.