Are TV shows getting dumber or am I getting smarter? (Commentary)
Are TV shows getting dumber or am I getting smarter? I’m not talking about TV as a whole, because obviously it’s dumber than it was 10 years ago. This is because of the influx of […]
Television
On ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ DVDs, the song doesn’t remain the same (and that’s a problem)
TV commentary: The show is ruined by not having its original music. Classics are replaced by generic tracks that scream “straight-to-video movie.”
Where are we? ‘Lost’s’ final season starts tonight (TV commentary)
It’s appropriate that “Lost’s” two-hour final-season premiere (8 tonight, ABC) airs on Groundhog Day. Like the Bill Murray movie, “Lost” has done a lot of circular storytelling. First the characters were in 2004, then they jumped back to […]
6 ways J.D. Salinger influenced modern pop culture (Book commentary)
Like everyone, I think “Catcher in the Rye” is a brilliant book. I think J.D. Salinger’s other three books (actually compilations of his magazine short stories and novellas) range from very good to OK — […]
Midseason preview: My favorite actresses return, but will their shows be any good? (TV commentary)
Three of my favorite actresses return to TV this midseason, and that’s probably a good thing, but I’m a little ambivalent. In TV, I often start to think of a performer as being their character, […]
‘24’ Season 8 starts tonight. Is there reason for optimism? (TV commentary)
“24” Season 8 starts with a two-hour premiere at 8 Central tonight (another two-hour block follows at 7 p.m. Central Monday). I haven’t been this NOT excited about a new season of “24” since the series […]
Happy 20th anniversary to the still-funny, still-important ‘Simpsons’ (TV commentary)
Last week, “The Simpsons” was the clear winner in the laugh tally against “The Cleveland Show” and “Family Guy.” I can’t say that every week, but I can say it often enough to make a case that […]
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.
What are your favorite Christmas stories? (Commentary)
My question for this post is: What are your favorite Christmas stories (movies, books, comic books, TV episodes, etc.)? When you think of Christmas entertainment, what comes to mind? What do you re-watch or re-read […]
John’s favorite TV shows of the Aughts (Commentary)
Next, here are my top 10 TV shows. Some started in the ’90s, but for this list, I am just showing the years they aired during this decade. This top 10 is front-loaded (the most […]