Category: Columns
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Stuck in the middle — The failure of the complex, restrained television series
Let’s play pretend for a moment (since I planned on writing this column had this thing we’re pretending about actually happened), if you don’t mind. Let us assume for the sake of argument that AMC’s fantastic new drama series The Killing didn’t open to nearly 3 million viewers, which is a sizable success for the…
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The show about nothing — The problem with Glee’s second season
A few of the series I regularly cover here at TVS are on hiatus this week. In lieu of writing reviews of new episodes, I thought this would be a good time to take stock of where we’ve been this season and where we’re headed in the final string of episodes. In these posts I’ll…
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The waiting game: Watching and writing about today’s television comedy
The following paragraphs might not be full of original criticism or analysis or analysis of criticism. It’s just something I’ve been personally experiencing throughout this television season and I felt like it was time to write it down and hope for the best in terms of clarity and thoughtfulness. This seems moderately timely as well,…
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No more questions: Parks and Recreation is already better than The Office has ever been
Note: I have not seen any of season three like many real critics. This argument is based mostly on season two and just a bit on my own assumptions/critical acclaim for season three. Even with my small profile as an “online television critic,” or my time at my undergraduate university newspaper, the question I’ve probably…
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Value in departure: Why a Terriers cancellation isn’t the worst thing in the world (but it’s probably close)
Terriers airs its season finale tonight at 10 p.m. on FX. You should, without question, watch it. It is the best new series of the fall and probably my favorite new drama series of the post-WGA strike era. With this being the afternoon before said finale unspools, I could spend a thousand words imploring current…
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How much can a great ending save a mediocre (or worse) season?
Tonight, the finale to Sons of Anarchy‘s third season airs on FX. It’s a 90 minute episode that, as you can see, showrunner Kurt Sutter has been hyping on Twitter. The last two Sons finales have been pretty damn great, as have the other extended episodes of the series so I should be filled with…
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Tonal transition: Why House is having a creative resurgence in its seventh season
In its seventh season, the general consensus on FOX’s House is that it is a series way past its prime, one that’s a shell of its former self and one that’s basically no longer interesting on a week-to-week basis. If you would have asked me, a long-time fan of the series, my opinion on House…
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Smallville reaches 200: An ode to the undervalued fans
Tonight, Smallville airs its 200th episode, becoming only the 79th scripted series to reach that milestone in the history of television. This is a massive deal, but for the most part, the industry’s biggest and critics are ignoring it. There’s no Entertainment Weekly or TV Guide cover. Alan Sepinwall isn’t writing about his favorite moments…
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Is it time to swap Community and 30 Rock?
Full disclosure: The following post is spurred on by my die-hard love for NBC’s Community. In less than 30 episodes, it is already my favorite comedy of all-time. That might be an irrational statement, but it’s the kind of series that’s tailor-made for my interests and sense of humor. It’s certainly not the best comedy…
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Over-Flow — Responses to Flow Conference 2010 panels: I can’t quit you, terrible TV
If you follow me on Twitter or caught up with a few of my delayed posts on last week’s television, you know that I spent the first few days of October at my first academic conference. The 2010 Flow Conference took place in Austin, Texasand it was generally awesome, particularly for a super-young television scholar (I…
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Over-Flow — Responses to Flow Conference 2010 Panels: The sitcom and happy endings
If you follow me on Twitter or caught up with a few of my delayed posts on last week’s television, you know that I spent last weekend at my first academic conference. The 2010 Flow Conference took place in Austin, Texas and it was generally awesome, particularly for a super-young television scholar (I believe that…
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Event pre-air musings: Haven’t we been down this road before?
On Monday, NBC’s much-publicized The Event debuts. I should be excited. The series wants to fill the void left by Lost and 24 by creating a dense, complicated thriller with a global scope and some sort of secret ongoing mythology. It features a ridiculously cryptic title and is powered by an effective/stupid advertising campaign, much…
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What’s happening on Jersey Shore’s second season?
Like so many of you out there, I’m ridiculously compelled by Jersey Shore and its cast of characters. I have watched every episode at least twice a piece, some more than that. I’m always excited when Thursday rolls around, if only because it means The Situation, Pauly D and the rest of the crew will…
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Not quite Dundie worthy, but not as bad: Post-DVD watch musings on The Office’s sixth season
There weren’t too many people high on the sixth season of The Office. Despite a number of high-water marks (the Halpert wedding and birth, among others) and compelling plot-lines, the season seemed disjointed, unfunny and constantly bored with the possibilities that certain stories were bringing to the table. For every single person or critic that…
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Fall TV “Preview”: Fridays are back!
The fall television season is just about to begin! To celebrate, I’ll be doing a series of fun features and previews for both returning and brand-new series. I have not seen any of the new pilots or premieres from veteran series, and thus the quotes around preview. No matter, that won’t stop me from doing…
CB, PhD 