Beacon Journal Features Dept. reunion -- decades later

Every Beacon Journal television critic from the past three decades had lunch today with David Bianculli, who held the job in 1980-83. Sitting across the table from David were Mark Dawidziak, current Plain Dealer TV critic who replaced David at the BJ, and R.D. Heldenfels, who replaced Mark and has survived the onslaught of buyouts and layoffs at the Beacon that have hit newspapers all over the country.

Also at the lunch were other 1980s and 1990s BJ Features Department escapees Joan Rice, super nova food writer Jane Snow, current Plain Dealer staffer and former BJ classical music critic Don Rosenberg, feature writer Bill O'Connor and John Olesky, who was TV Editor for Bianculli, Dawidziak and Heldenfels.

Bianculli lives in Cherry Hill, NJ, which is across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, where O'Connor once lived. After his New York newspaper jobs disappeared, Bianculli became an associate professor at Glassboro, New Jersey's Rowan University, runs a Web site, TV Worth Watching, and is a contributor and guest host for National Public Radio's "Fresh Air."

Bianculli is in town for his appearance at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Akron/Summit County Main Library auditorium, 60 S. High Street in downtown Akron. He'll discuss his book, "Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour."

Click on the headline to see photos of the Bianculli lunch at Primo's Deli in Akron.