Yesterday during the ABC Wednesday comedy showrunners panel at the Television Critics Association gathering, Modern Family honcho Steve Levitan made a comment about how he would like to see the “far right” to not like his series’ two gay characters, Mitchell and Cameron. The implication from Levitan’s statement being that everyone has to love Mitchell … Continue reading Love to hate, hate to love: On contemporary comedy’s reliance on bickering
Tag: Cheers
#TVFail Entry 12: Friends, “The One With Ross’s Wedding”
The accused: Friends, “The One With Ross’s Wedding” (Season 4, Episodes 23 and 24) The crime: Embodying the somewhat rare “double finale fail” with a problematic cliffhanger that emphasizes an even more problematic will-they-or-won’t-they relationship Television’s failures are supposed to be obvious. From the overhyped non-starters that flop from the very beginning (hello, FlashForward, Lone … Continue reading #TVFail Entry 12: Friends, “The One With Ross’s Wedding”
Pilot rapid-fire review: Whitney
The next couple weeks are going to be insane. There are so many new series debuting and unfortunately, there is only so much time in the day for me to write about television while balancing my “real” life. You know, the one I spend on Twitter. ANYWAY, I’m going to try to touch on each … Continue reading Pilot rapid-fire review: Whitney
Friday List: The best 15 television pilots
If you’re a regular reader of TV Surveillance, you know I love a good list. Or a mediocre list. Or even a horrible list. The point is I have a lust for lists. This fall, I’d like to provide you folks with more lists than ever and hopefully that will result in a weekly or … Continue reading Friday List: The best 15 television pilots
Surveillance Summer Watch: Season Finale — Hill Street Blues, “Jungle Madness” Parts One and Two
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheers on Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces, visit this page. Here we are folks, at … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Season Finale — Hill Street Blues, “Jungle Madness” Parts One and Two
Surveillance Summer Watch: Season Finale — Cheers, “Showdown” Parts One and Two
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheerson Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces, visit this page. Whoa, here we are at … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Season Finale — Cheers, “Showdown” Parts One and Two
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “No Contest,” “Pick a Con…Any Con” and “Someone Single, Someone Blue”
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheerson Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces, visit this page. Sorry for the delay here, … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “No Contest,” “Pick a Con…Any Con” and “Someone Single, Someone Blue”
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Father Knows Last,” “The Boys in the Bar” and “Diane’s Perfect Date”
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheerson Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces, visit this page. It very difficult to manage … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Father Knows Last,” “The Boys in the Bar” and “Diane’s Perfect Date”
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “The Spy Who Came In for a Cold One,” “Now Pitching, Sam Malone” and “Let Me Count The Ways”
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheerson Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces, visit this page. Hola, everyone. Thanks for not … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “The Spy Who Came In for a Cold One,” “Now Pitching, Sam Malone” and “Let Me Count The Ways”
Surveillance Summer Watch: Holiday hiatus
Hiya, folks! Happy Independence Day! I just wanted to take a quick moment of your time to announce that there will be no Summer Watch pieces on Cheers or Hill Street Blues this week. Most television series take time off for holidays and therefore, it seems fitting to take some time off now, especially since I'm … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Holiday hiatus
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Coach Returns to Action,” “Endless Slumper” and “One for the Book”
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheerson Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces,visit this page. People like to talk about … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Coach Returns to Action,” “Endless Slumper” and “One for the Book”
Test Pilot: File #17, The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Test Pilot #17: The Mary Tyler Moore Show Debut date: September 17, 1970 Series legacy: One of the most well-regarded comedies of all-time. I have to apologize, sort of. I took a few extra weeks to figure out where I wanted to go with the next set of Test Pilot files. I thought about doing … Continue reading Test Pilot: File #17, The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Any Friend of Diane’s,” “Friends, Romans and Accountants” and “Truce or Consequences”
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheerson Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the SSW pieces,visit this page. I don’t know what my … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Any Friend of Diane’s,” “Friends, Romans and Accountants” and “Truce or Consequences”
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “The Tortelli Tort,” “Sam at Eleven” and “Coach’s Daughter”
This is the newest post in 2011′s Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series’ first seasons, with Cheers on Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post and for all the … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “The Tortelli Tort,” “Sam at Eleven” and “Coach’s Daughter”
Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Give Me a Ring Sometime” and “Sam’s Women”
This is the first post in 2011's Surveillance Summer Watch series featuring Cheers and Hill Street Blues. For the next couple of months, I'll be writing weekly reviews of episodes from each series' first seasons, with Cheers on Tuesdays and Hill Street Blues on Thursdays. For more information, see this post. Let me tell you … Continue reading Surveillance Summer Watch: Cheers, “Give Me a Ring Sometime” and “Sam’s Women”
