Tuned InUncategorized
In this week’s print issue of TIME, my column looks at Conan O’Brien‘s re-emergence on 60 Minutes (and on tour) and how his move to cable is another test of what it means to be a “star” in the age of niche media. Leaving aside the money (which thanks to a production deal, could earn O’Brien more on cable than on a big network) is it …
Hollywood requires every comic book movie franchise to pump out multiple sequels. Many of them…are just not very good.
Tuned InUncategorized
A little housekeeping question about my morning-after reviews of Thursday night’s comedies. Now that NBC is in the position of having four good (or at least worth reviewing) sitcoms on Thursday night, I recently ditched the practice of doing longer separate reviews of one or two, and instead have been doing a picture gallery of all four, …
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Since Community debuted, viewers have gone two ways on its pop-culture referentiality—actually, this viewer right here has felt both ways, often within the same episode. It can be hilarious; and it can be too much. I really like the show and think it’s only gotten better, but I love its characters as well as its meta-references, and …
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It can seem forced when TV shows do episodes in which several groups of characters experience some version of the same conflict. For an extended-relations show like Modern Family, it works more naturally, because each member is, to an extent, a variation on the same person. This worked in “Airport 2010,” in which the members of the …
Tuned InUncategorized
Quick spoilers for last night’s American Idol elimination coming up after the jump:
Tuned InTelevision
Between a late night last night, catchup posts this morning, and a visit to the Boardwalk Empire set this afternoon (I know: poor me!), I’m not going to have time to catch up on last night’s Glee, so you can do it for me. After the first three episodes of the spring season, I have a few issues, but the big ones can be summed up as: …
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The remaining quintet of Idol contestants, under the mentoring of Harry Connick Jr., performed the songs of Frank Sinatra last night. After the jump, see who got under my skin:
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SPOILER ALERT: Before you read this post, grab your things—here, take this backpack—and watch last night’s Lost.
While Lost was airing on the East Coast last night, I was at the Time 100 gala at the Time Warner Center, seated between Rachael Ray and Lost producer Carlton Cuse. (Through dinner, Cuse was getting text updates from …
Tuned InNews Media
Gabriel Sherman at New York Magazine ‘s Daily Intel blogis reporting that CBS News and CNN are in “deep talks” about a possible partnership that would allow them to share talent, cut costs and, they hope, grow their respective audiences. I don’t want to put too much stock in it yet; such a deal has been floated, and unsuccessfully …
PopulistMusic
TIME’s 2011 Person of the Year is The Protester. Here is a look at the artists who have best turned anger into song.
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Willard Week continued last night, with Fred Willard following up his Modern Family guest spot with an appearance on Chuck, pairing with Swoosie Kurtz as a married spy couple whose squabbling gave newly attached Chuck and Sarah pause. Also potentially giving them pause is another married spy couple, the protagonists of Undercovers, …
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When you have a comedy involving five friends, two of whom are married, and the other three of whom have already hooked up and broken up, there’s not much you can do to introduce relationship tension within the group. In “Twin Beds,” HIMYM tried to do that, not by bringing Robin back together either with Ted or Barney but instead by …
