Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...
Sundance | Sundance Channel | SundanceTV | Sundance TV | Release Date: December 3, 2008
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: All the performances are rough and under-rehearsed, which makes them appealing. Costello also keeps the atmosphere relaxed during the interviews, never seeming too eager to interject his own commentary or jokes. Read full review
80
Kansas City StarAaron Barnhart
Season 1 Review: I like the serious, gimmick-free approach of the show. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: Costello (who has subbed for David Letterman) makes a fine host--a bit reverential at times, but never as pious as, say, James Lipton can become over at the similarly configured "Inside the Actors Studio." Read full review
80
VarietyPhil Gallo
Season 1 Review: Focusing the program on the shaping of a young artist limits the mainstream potential of the interview show but ramped up the opportunity for two musicians to explore the importance of music and musicians rarely name-checked. Read full review
80
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
Season 1 Review: Insightful, smart and lyrical, Spectacle soars when so much of cable TV seems intent on locating the most distressing nadir of human culture. Read full review
80
SlateTroy Patterson
Season 1 Review: Costello, unlike public television, asks viewers like you for nothing but your attention, which he rewards with intimate assessments of songcraft and the underappreciated architects of modern pop. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: The best moments in Wednesday night's chat between Elvis Costello and Elton John, which are good enough to recommend the show for fans of both men, serve up small but sparkling musical pleasures. Read full review
80
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray
Season 1 Review: There are a few occasions when Clinton, a politician used to rolling right over interviewers to get his message out, finds himself speaking at the same time as Costello, but it's only noticeable because the host is for the most part the most self-effacing of interviewers. Read full review
80
TimeJames Poniewozik
Season 1 Review: Interspersed with cover songs, Spectacle is an engaging showcase for a curious mind. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: Though Costello’s discussions with musicians falter from time to time, they also contain quite a few interesting stories and conversations. And whenever things threaten to slow down, the musicians just pick up their instruments and sing instead of speaking. Read full review
70
SalonHeather Havrilesky
Season 1 Review: While the unguarded moments and eclectic musical performances --typically Costello collaborating with a guest on one of his or her lesser-known hits--make Spectacle well worth a closer look, the show occasionally feels like a songwriter's version of "Inside the Actor's Studio," with all of the qualities and the faults that implies. Read full review
63
New York PostAdam Buckman
Season 1 Review: Great, great, great drummer, but a dull, dull, dull show. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterRandee Dawn
Season 1 Review: Alas, the program has little direction and almost no flow. Read full review
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