Austin O'Connor

Biography: Austin O'Connor covers television, film, gaming, gadgets and all kinds of entertainment for AARP.org. Follow him on twitter: @austinjoconnor

Subscribe to this topic via: RSS Email

Austin O'Connor 'sPosts

‘Monday Mornings’ Is Worth Monitoring

Posted on 02/4/2013 by Austin O'Connor | Television and Entertainment | Comments

EntertainmentIf the doctor drama was a hospital patient, it would be listed in serious condition, especially after last week’s low-rated debut of NBC’s Do No Harm all but guaranteed another cadaver will soon be ushered into the doc show morgue. Turns out, though, that there’s almost always another doc show in the waiting room. Checking into the TV landscape tonight at 10 p.m. on TNT is Monday Mornings, an old school medical drama from veteran TV producer David E. Kelley, …

NBC’s Do No Harm Needs Treatment

Posted on 01/31/2013 by Austin O'Connor | Television and Entertainment | Comments

EntertainmentThe TV medical drama is on life support. A genre that gave us ratings powerhouses like St. Elsewhere, ER and House has been disappearing from network lineups. ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy is the only one still standing. Till now. Next week, Monday Mornings, a medical drama from Chicago Hope producer David E. Kelley and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, debuts on TNT. Up first, though, is NBC’s Do No Harm, part medical drama, part thriller, premiering tonight at 10 p.m. Do No Harm revolves around Philadelphia neurosurgeon Jason …

Felicity is back — as a spy!

Posted on 01/30/2013 by Austin O'Connor | Television and Entertainment | Comments

EntertainmentThe Americans, the new cold war-era spy drama that premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on FX, has a juicy premise: It is 1981, and Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) are a seemingly hum-drum couple living outside of Washington, D.C. with two kids, a station wagon, a nice house and a picket fence. Unbeknownst to all, even their children, are their true identities as Russian sleeper agents, trained to live as Americans and unearth government secrets. It’s …

Grampy’s Last Pitch: Be Kind to People

Posted on 11/14/2012 by Austin O'Connor | Television and Entertainment | Comments

LegacyMy grandfather Bill Hogan Jr. lived for 100 years and — to my knowledge at least —he was kind to everyone he ever met. Grampy Hogan died on Monday night, but just 24 hours before that, as I visited with him one last time, he was still at it with the kindness. Now it came in halting efforts, as he slowly asked about my wife Maureen and our three young kids at home. “You have a busy household these days,” …

Lifetime’s ‘Army Wives’ hits milestone this weekend

Posted on 08/3/2012 by Austin O'Connor | Television and Entertainment | Comments

EntertainmentIt doesn’t generate the volume of buzz that some other cable dramas do, but Lifetime’s Army Wives has legions of devoted fans. On Sunday night, the show, which centers around the significant others of soldiers stationed at fictional Fort Marshal, airs its 100th episode. It’s a significant milestone for Army Wives, which has become a real warhorse for Lifetime on its way to its centennial airing. The show, based on the book Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army …

Primetime Emmy Nominations: 8 Takeaways

Posted on 07/19/2012 by Austin O'Connor | Television and Entertainment | Comments

EntertainmentThe Primetime Emmy nominations were unveiled this morning, honoring the best in television during the 2011-12 season. AMC’s juggernaut Mad Men and the FX mini-series American Horror Story led the way with 17 total nominations apiece, while PBS’ Downton Abbey and the History Channel mini-series Hatfields & McCoys each nabbed 16. Among comedies, ABC’s Modern Family led the way with 14 nods. Here are 8 things we learned from this morning’s Emmy nominations: Experience pays off: In the acting categories, …