Test Pilot #38: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. Debut date: August 27, 1993 Series legacy: One of the more beloved one-season wonders, mostly for its curious mix of genres, styles and imagery Welcome back to Test Pilot guys and gals! With that extra-special Joss Whedon Theme Week behind us, it’s time to fall back … Continue reading Test Pilot: File #38, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
Tag: Carlton Cuse
Showrunner Series: Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis, Flashbacks and Self-Awareness
Welcome back to the Showrunner Series, an occasional TVS feature where I discuss the work of one or more major television voice(s). When a great, popular television series says goodbye, members of that series’ writing staff are going to be hot commodities. They’re going to be asked to run their own series, pitch their own … Continue reading Showrunner Series: Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis, Flashbacks and Self-Awareness
On letting go: Musings on Lost’s final season one year after the finale
You're probably aware of this, but today is the one-year anniversary of Lost's finale episode, "The End." One year ago, the biggest television phenomenon of the 21st century came to an end, overwhelming some and frustrating/enraging more. For me personally, it's been something of a whirlwind year, especially as far as television goes. I started … Continue reading On letting go: Musings on Lost’s final season one year after the finale
#TVFail Entry 1: Lost, “Stranger in a Strange Land”
The accused: Lost, "Stranger in a Strange Land" (Season 3, Episode 9) The crime: Proving that the Lost creative team had no "real plan" to tell their story. Television’s failures are supposed to be obvious. From the overhyped non-starters that flop from the very beginning (hello, FlashForward, Lone Star) to the much-discussed clumsy conclusions of … Continue reading #TVFail Entry 1: Lost, “Stranger in a Strange Land”
TV Surveillance’s Best of 2010: The 25 Best Series, 10-1
2010 has been a fantastic year for television. This year brought us a slew of great new programs and if we include the second halves of all the series that debuted in the fall of 2009 (which I am for these features), we have probably just experienced the best run of newbies since 2004. While … Continue reading TV Surveillance’s Best of 2010: The 25 Best Series, 10-1
TV Surveillance’s Best of 2010: Top 60 Episodes, 30-21
2010 has been a fantastic year for television. This year brought us a slew of great new programs and if we include the second halves of all the series that debuted in the fall of 2009 (which I am for these features), we have probably just experienced the best run of newbies since 2004. While … Continue reading TV Surveillance’s Best of 2010: Top 60 Episodes, 30-21
Test Pilot: File #1, The Sopranos
Test Pilot #1: The Sopranos Debut date: January 10, 1999 on HBO Series legacy: The dawn of a new era for television, a cultural phenomenon in its early years, one of the 2-3 best drama series in the medium's history. Welcome to the newest regular feature here at TV Surveillance, the fantastically titled, Test Pilot. … Continue reading Test Pilot: File #1, The Sopranos
2010 Emmy Predictions: Writing for Drama and Comedy Series
In case you didn’t know (because I sure as heck didn’t until I saw something the latest Entertainment Weekly), the Primetime Emmy Awards air on Sunday, August 29 on NBC. In the glow of some great nominations and not too many ridiculous slights (I’m resigned to the fact that Sons of Anarchy won’t get its due), … Continue reading 2010 Emmy Predictions: Writing for Drama and Comedy Series
TV Surveillance Last Minute Emmy Nomination Picks
The title to this post is somewhat misleading because I've actually had my "official" Emmy picks finished for a few days, aside from a few of the minor categories I wrapped up yesterday. However, thanks to my summer excursion into manual labor, this is the first time I've had a real good chunk of time … Continue reading TV Surveillance Last Minute Emmy Nomination Picks
TV Surveillance Dream Emmy Ballot: Writing for a Drama Series
This week I’ll be pretending that I have an Emmy vote and discussing my picks for all the major categories. Once it gets closer to the time that nominees are actually announced, I’ll do an official “picks” column. Today: Writing for a Drama Series! Two things before we get going: First, I’m only choosing performers … Continue reading TV Surveillance Dream Emmy Ballot: Writing for a Drama Series
Emotion over “answers” — Discussing storytelling approaches in the finales of Lost and Supernatural
With the round of season finales out of the way for all the major broadcast television series, I've been thinking about which finales were the most effective and why. You know, because I have absolutely nothing to do with my life during the summer -- or any time for that matter. Anyway, what is most … Continue reading Emotion over “answers” — Discussing storytelling approaches in the finales of Lost and Supernatural
Lost, “The End”
Well, in my opinion, they basically nailed it. Sure, I have my questions about certain things and am still processing the ending, but I honestly cannot deny that I was emotionally satisfied on basically every single level possible by the time "The End" came to an end. Both stories came to very compelling and oftentimes … Continue reading Lost, “The End”
The Postmortem: “Across The Sea” and response to answers
Well, what a crazy 22 hours it has been since Lost aired its most divisive, polarizing episode of all time. "Across The Sea" is a complicated mess of betrayal, mommy issues and a whole lot of metaphor. It should really be watched at least twice before passing even any substantial judgments, so I fired it … Continue reading The Postmortem: “Across The Sea” and response to answers
The slow burn versus the really slow burn — Evaluating responses to the distribution of answers in Lost and Fringe
For fans of serialized television, nothing is more important than answers. Though some might claim they love the characters or individual episodes, gun to head, most fans of Lost would probably say they're watching because they want answers to the questions that have been posed. What I've noticed this season by watching two serialized programs … Continue reading The slow burn versus the really slow burn — Evaluating responses to the distribution of answers in Lost and Fringe
