Ever since NBC killed “Must See TV” on Thursday nights (RIP), the Peacock network has felt only spy/cop dramas (ex. Blacklist, State of Affairs, anything by Dick Wolf) and event programming (The Voice, football, musicals) can be successful. In other words, not comedies. Robert Greenblatt, NBC Entertainment chairman, fixes this problem for the seventh and …
When starting a new television show, the thing I look forward to the most is the title sequence, so it only felt right to devise this list when I heard the theme was favourite television shows this month. In early television there wasn’t a huge focus on title sequences; their only purpose was to present the …
10. (tie) The Thick of It Is there a better tonic for election-year hype than an Armando Iannucci series? The apparently-final series of the show that made Iannucci’s name, The Thick Of It, upped the ante on its pitch-black style, stripping nearly all of its characters of any remaining semblances of humanity and daring us …
Parks and Recreation, Season 5, Episode 2, “Soda Tax” Written by Norm Hiscock Directed by Kyle Newachek Airs Thursdays at 9:30pm ET on NBC In this episode, Leslie Knope attempts to address Pawnee’s obesity problem by borrowing a page from Michael Bloomberg’s notebook and taxing soda. It fares significantly better than last year’s attempt to …
It’s been such a deathly slow year at the movies so far that attempting to list ten great TV series is far easier than naming ten great films. With the premieres of TV’s two best shows, Breaking Bad (July 15, AMC) and Louie (tonight, FX), imminent, it seemed as good a time as any to …
Community, Season 3, Episode 17, “Basic Lupine Urology” Written by Megan Ganz Directed by Rob Schrab Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC “Basic Lupine Urology” (an odd title at first until you remember the creator of Law & Order is named Dick Wolf) is light on the character development Community has been trading in …
Community, Season 3, Episode 16: “Virtual Systems Analysis” Written by Matt Murray Directed by Tristram Shapeero Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC Community seems to flourish when it brings Abed’s autistic tendencies to the forefront. They played a crucial factor in the recent “Pillows and Blankets” two-parter, but it’s episodes like “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” …
Two women sit in a restaurant. As they wait for their food, they discuss current events, politics, and an interesting historical tidbit one of them recently learned. Their food arrives and the conversation moves into the more personal- one woman’s marathon training, the upcoming nuptials of a (female) family member. To the canny observer, the …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 12, “Standards and Practices” Written by Vali Chandrasekaran Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC “Standards and Practices” continues 30 Rock’s rebound and features the welcome return of Chloe Moretz as Kaylie Hooper. Moretz was one of many factors that made last year’s “TGS Hates Women” …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 10, “Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky” Written by John Riggi Directed by Michael Slovis Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC “Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky” isn’t a great episode, but given the way the season began, average 30 Rock is nothing …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 8, “Leap Day” Written by Luke Del Tredici Directed by Steve Buscemi Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC After a dismal Valentine’s Day episode that made it look like it might finally be time to write 30 Rock off, they follow up the deliriously sublime “The Tuxedo Begins” with …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 8, “The Tuxedo Begins” Written by Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan Directed by John Riggi Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC We begin tonight with a refreshingly great episode of 30 Rock, possibly the best they’ve done in years. Turning to current events for the second time this season, …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 5, “Today You Are a Man” Written by Ron Weiner Directed by Jeff Richmond Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC This week’s 30 Rock seems like an improvement on the season to date, yet it more or less recycles last week’s Kenneth plot. The staff at TGS didn’t …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episodes 3 & 4, “Idiots are People Three!” & “The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell” “Idiots” Written by Robert Carlock, Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller “Ballad” Written by Matt Hubbard, Directed by Jeff Richmond Airs Thursday at 8pm ET on NBC It’s kind of disheartening to see the show has abandoned the new …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 2, “Idiots are People Two!” Written by Robert Carlock Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC Tonight on 30 Rock an attempt is made to deal with Tracy Morgan’s homophobic outburst this summer, and I’m not sure they wouldn’t have been better off leaving it alone. …
With the holidays out of the way and new episodes of TV starting back up again, it’s time for the networks to start their second round of premieres. The first is of course in the fall, when Premiere Week means a fresh start to all of the returning series and highly anticipated launches for the …
30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 1, “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” Written by Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield Directed by John Riggi Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC When we last left Liz Lemon she had traded her idyllic dreams of a relaxing summer in the Hamptons for one spent doing community service as she …
Thanksgiving is here (American Thanksgiving, at least), making it officially the Holiday Season. It’s a time for reflection, for pausing to appreciate those people and things we’re most grateful for, and for focusing on what’s really important in life. Television. Here are just a few of the many things I am grateful for this year. …