TV Tonight: Portlandia Returns… And They Have a Plan!

Tonight on IFC, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s artisanal small-batch sketch comedy, Portlandia, returns for its second season, and the three episodes I’ve seen so far are at least as strong as season one. If you haven’t watched the show, which satirizes life in crunchy Portland in ways that are equally applicable to pockets of [...]

Caprica: Murders, Bombs, Betrayal – and the Slight Whiff of Desperation

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to notice the rather startling shift in tone and intensity of last night’s Caprica. All season long, the show has been trying to find a way to pull in bigger Battlestar Galactica-like ratings, even as some sci-fi pundits have mused that the show isn’t electric enough for their [...]

The Caprica Saga: Finally Adding Some Punch to the Philosophy

Greetings, Tuned In universe. It is I, Jim’s lowly temporary replacement, schlepped over from Techland to fill the gaps while Poniewozik recharges his brain for Lost’s last lap. I thought I should begin my short-term tenure by posting a quick note on the series I’ve been covering most religiously for Techland – the series that [...]

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TV Weekend 2: Big Plans, Big Love

For those of you who didn’t see the DVD last fall, Syfy airs the Battlestar Galactica prequel movie The Plan on Sunday night. Here’s my review (“curious but inessential”) from October; I’d recommend it mainly to BSG completists who can’t wait for Caprica. Also Sunday, a Tuned In personal favorite, Big Love, returns to HBO. I’ve [...]

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BSG Returns (on DVD Only) with The Plan

In the DVD era, fans of series and movies have come to expect commentary tracks, with directors, stars or writers talking over scenes about what was going on in their heads or offstage at crucial moments. Today, the makers of Battlestar Galactica—who are already keeping the franchise alive with next year’s Caprica prequel—are releasing The [...]