John’s top 10 TV shows of 2009
Although two shows on this list are much missed and a third (“Dollhouse”) is on its way out, 2009 was generally a year when TV networks got smarter about marketing.
Star Wars (Legends)
‘Family Guy’ ‘Empire’ parody ‘Something, Something, Something, Dark Side’ is something, something, something, complete. And funny (DVD review)
After watching “Family Guy’s” “Star Wars” parody in 2007, I had “Time of My Life” stuck in my head. After watching its “Empire Strikes Back” parody, which hit DVD on Tuesday, I have that old Juicy Fruit […]
Karen Traviss brings her clones into the brave new world of the Empire in ‘Imperial Commando: 501st’ (Book review)
The “Star Wars” movies are essentially the story of the Skywalker family, but there is so much more happening on a larger scale (the Clone Wars, and then the Galactic Civil War that grew from […]
John’s favorite entertainers of the Aughts (Commentary)
First, my top 10 entertainers. These are the people (and one fictional robot) who put a smile on my face in every project they tackled.
Can’t-see TV: 16 sweet shows that aren’t on DVD or Hulu (Commentary)
I noticed that whatever company distributes “Roswell” DVDs recently repackaged them with Katherine Heigl prominently featured on the cover art. Artistically, it’s ridiculous, because Heigl’s Isabel was the fourth-most-important female character on the show, behind […]
Fun with ‘The Clone Wars’: Guessing Ahsoka’s fate (TV commentary)
Don’t mix up “Clone Wars” and “The Clone Wars.” “Clone Wars” was the spin-off fiction produced from 2002-07; it included nine collected volumes of comic books (plus 10 volumes of the lighter “Clone Wars Adventures”) […]
Get even better, ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ does (TV review)
Watching “The Clone Wars” (7 p.m. Central Fridays on Cartoon Network), I wonder if the “Star Wars” prequels should’ve been animated all along. “Clone Wars” feels more like “Star Wars” than the live-action movies do. You would […]
Fall TV 2009: 7 new developments on old shows (Commentary)
Here are seven plot developments I’m looking forward to on old favorites this fall season. (Technically, TV’s best show, “Friday Night Lights,” is a fall returnee — Oct. 28 on DirecTV — but I’ll be […]
Mystery, mysticism and politics: Denning’s ‘Abyss’ continues the ‘Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi’ series (Book review)
The early “Star Wars” novels — “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” and the “Han Solo Adventures” — followed the lead of “A New Hope,” where adventure was the writer’s main concern. With “Heir to the […]
Entertainment I discovered after getting a tip from someone: A top 15 list (Commentary)
Part of the purpose of this blog is to let you know about cool stuff in the entertainment world. The blog’s main purpose, of course, is it gives me something to do. But also, it’s […]